DIY Pomander Hangers

Does anybody care about tradition for the sake of tradition anymore? Well, I know my crazy Italian grandmother does, but that’s a story for a different time. While tradition still exists and the classics are always temperate and gorgeous, people tend to have…ingenuity when it comes to weddings nowadays. So it shouldn’t scare anyone off when I say that, traditionally, pomanders are a type of bouquet carried by flower girls. Also known as Kissing Balls or Flower Spheres, pomanders feature blooms fashioned into a sphere, suspended by a ribbon from which to carry them.

While they can be extremely beautiful for brides that do want a traditional ceremony, pomanders also make great bridesmaid bouquets, bridal bouquets for a bride that wants her hands free during the ceremony, or decorative ornaments for your guests to fawn over! Best of all, making your own pomander is easy, and consumes little time! Use the breakdown below for the basics, and change up the flowers to make it perfect for your event!

 

DIY GORGEOUS GREEN, CORAL, AND PINK AISLE POMANDER

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You Will Need:

• Anastasia Spider Green Flowers
• White Akito Sweetheart Roses
• Watermelon Sugar Sweetheart Roses
• Soft Pink Fresh Carnation Flowers
• OASIS® Floral Foam Sphere 4.5 Inch
• OASIS® Florist Wire
• White Ribbon, 45”
• Flower Food

*Note: Any gauge florist wire will be effective for this project. We do not sell ribbon or flower food, so you will need to either go to a grocer or your local florist for both.

Before you create your pomanders, please let your processed flowers hydrate for at least 24 hours. The closer you do this to your event, the better your flowers will look. The night before the ceremony will be best, otherwise your foam will dry out!

 

Readying the Sphere

1. Ready a bucket of cool, distilled water. This bucket does not have to be large in size, but does have to fit your sphere. Follow the instructions on your flower food and add in the appropriate amount to the water.
2. Gently place your OASIS® Floral Foam Sphere onto the surface of the water. Do not submerge it–this can damage the foam and result in dry spots. Simply leave the foam on the surface of the water. On average, foam takes about two minutes to completely saturate. However, just to be safe, I like to leave it for about five minutes. Leaving foam in water will not harm it. Once ready, take out of the water and place on a flat surface where you can work.

 

Attaching the Ribbon

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1. While the foam is saturating, cut 45 inches of your ribbon. From here, neatly tie the ribbon into a bow, leaving a 12 inch loop at the top for hanging or carrying.
2. Insert one end of a piece of florist wire into the base of the bow. Bend this around and re-insert the end back through the ribbon. This should leave you with two halves of your wire facing the same direction.
3. Twist the two ends of wire together to secure the ribbon and make one stronger piece of wire.
4. Attach the ribbon to the sphere by gently pushing all of the exposed wire into the OASIS® Floral Foam Sphere. Do this from the very top, so that the pomander can hang from the ribbon. When pushing things into the foam, try and keep them as straight as possible so they will not interfere with other objects inserted into the foam.

 

Adding In Flowers

1. Grab one of the green spider mums first. Cut the stem so that only about an inch or an inch-and-a-half remains under the bloom. Make sure to cut at a 45 degree angle!
2. Starting at the bottom of the foam, gently push the stem into the sphere until it reaches the bloom.
3. Continue this pattern with the mums along the circumference of the foam sphere. Cut each first, then immediately push into the water. Do not cut all of the flowers first! Cut one at a time. Leave about an inch of space in between each of the mums. Add in neatly until the entire ball is covered in this pattern.
4. Alternate adding in carnations, roses, and remaining mums into inch spaces between each of the attached mums. This is where you can get creative: depending on what colors and textures you want, add in more white, less peach, more pink, etc. Personalize it!
5. Once all of the spaces are filled, look over the pomander one more time. Make any final adjustments you see necessary, such as adding in a few more peach roses or replacing a mum with a carnation.
6. Place the pomander in a cool, dark location where no direct sunlight or drafts will disturb it.
7. The day of your event, set up your gorgeous pomander wherever you want it to add a splash of color to your ceremony!

 

Keep in mind, this is only one option for pomanders. Changing the size of your foam sphere, the color of ribbon, and, most especially, the types of flowers you use is always an option. Or, you can try something completely different, such as pomanders made from: rhinestones, jewels, or seashell:

 

Sources: all-white pomander, orchid pomander, baby’s breath pomander, roses and brunia balls pomander, hanging sunflower pomander, monochromatic purple carnation pomanders, ivory and blush rose pomanders, rhinestones and jewels pomander, roses and seashells pomander

Pomanders have infinite possibilities. Send in pictures of your pomanders after using these instructions for all of us to enjoy!

DIY Pomander Hangers posted first by http://blog.fiftyflowers.com