{DIY} Brooch Bouquet

Finally got around to making the DIY project I have long had on my to do list, the Brooch Bouquet!  

I really loved this project, but it took its time.  I first had to collect enough brooches & accessories to make enough for a bouquet.  I reached out to family for passed down brooches, I scoured some antique shoppes, & found a few brooches that were made to look vintage, just to round out the bouquet. 

Here is the how to process:

Tools:

15-30 brooches & accessories of varying sizes

Floral Stem Wire-26 gauge, bright 

Needle-Nose Pliers

Floral Tape

Ribbon, Decorative Trim

Step 1

I started with a piece of the floral stem wire.  I preferred the silver/bright wire to the green or even black wire.    Bend the wire in half, and then bend each end, like pictured above, so the ends create a hook.  These hooks will loop around the pin attachment part of the brooch.  

Step 2

Once the wire is looped around the pin attachment, begin twisting, with the needle-nose pliers, the end of the wire with the long strand of wire, this tightens the wire to the pin.  

Note:  What I did change from what is pictured above, is rather than have the loop around the actual pin, I looped the wire around the end point of the pin attachment, which I forgot to photograph.  Tightening the wire to the pin will not work in the end, because then you will have a dangling brooch stem, rather then a secured brooch stem.  A lesson I learned, and although forgot to capture, I wanted to mention this.  

Also, I learned that needle-nose pliers are a must.  I was twisting the wire together with my fingers, I had very tender fingers and torn nails after one stem was done, so I ran to Hobby Lobby to pick up a the pliers-huge time saver, and finger saver! 

Step 3

Once both wire loops are twisted around the opposite ends of the brooch pin attachment, bring the 2 wires together, twisting them tightly to create the stem.  I began where the wire and pin meet, and began twisting tightly, then inching my way down. The whole wire began to firm up. 

Step 4

You should be able to hold up the brooch stem, as pictured above, and the brooch should not droop.  I was very proud of my little flower brooch stem.  

Repeat the steps above until you have however many brooches all stemmed up and ready for the next step.  

Step 5

Grab 2 similar sized brooch stems, or however you want to pair them.  Twist those stems together to create one stem with 2 brooches.  

Step 6

Begin wrapping floral tape to the stem, starting at the top, and then wrap the tape down in a spiral direction.  Once at the base of the stem wrap the tape back up to the top.  Simply tear the tape, and secure it at the top by pressing into existing tape.  I love floral tape for its ability to mold.  If you find the stem is bumpy, you can smooth out bumps.  Its all going to be covered in the end, anyway. 

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have all brooch stems secured with floral tape.

Step 7

Once all stems are done, create the placement of how you want them to appear in a bouquet.  You can also twist the stems together at the point to secure the bouquet.  Twisting will also slim down the handle.  

Step 8

Find ribbon that will match your brooches, or even decorative trim, which is what I used.  The trim looked like a doily, which is kind of the vision I had to begin with.  I wanted my brooch bouquet to be vintage looking, from top to bottom.  

Simply wrap the trip in the spiral design, from the top of the bouquet to the bottom, and back up to the top.  I secured the trim with some quick drying crafters glue to the inside of the trim, and pressed the end to the top of where I began wrapping.  It secured nicely, and because of the doily design, the end isn't really noticeable.  

And here's the final product:

It is on the small side, but its perfect to sit in a little vase in my home.  I think the family members that have passed down their brooches and costume jewelry to me, would be happy to see me do something creative with their accessories to have on display all year long.  

This does make for a very sweet bridal bouquet, which is the reason I am sharing this DIY.  If I had known about brooch bouquets when I married 2 years ago, I would've done a very elaborate bouquet with all my grandmothers' and aunts' gorgeous brooches, carrying their memories down the aisle with me. 

A couple of twists to this, which will be more DIY projects to come, are adding in stems with buttons, or even a whole seashell bouquet-I saw one I'd love to recreate!  One could also incorporate the brooch stems into a floral bouquet to add depth and bling! 

Also, the base can be decorated a bit more, by adding a large brooch, like a cameo, to the trim, or adding in pearl ended floral pins in a single line from the top down the base. The creative options are endless. 

I hope you enjoyed this project! Would you make this yourself?