Wedding fashion, which remained virtually unchanged in Soviet times, now pleases with a variety of solutions and interesting finds. Weddings are increasingly taking place according to original scenarios, following a certain theme, sometimes taking on the most intricate and luxurious forms.
A themed wedding is not a cheap affair, because all components of the celebration must be in harmony. Why not make the event a little cheaper, while at the same time putting even more of your soul into it? After all, preparing all sorts of little things like a box for rings, a boutonniere for a witness or decor for the bride’s hair can be a very pleasant prelude to the upcoming great day of unity of hearts.
Today we will figure out how to make wedding jewelry for your hand with your own hands.
A bracelet for a bride is a worthy alternative to a bouquet!
For many years, a wedding bouquet was an obligatory attribute of the bride. The bride held it in her hands throughout the celebration, and at the end of it, she threw it to her bridesmaids. Whichever of them caught the bride's bouquet will soon get married.
A bride's bracelet with fresh or artificial flowers will be a very comfortable alternative to a classic bouquet. The main advantage is that the bride will have her hands free, and the bouquet will be constantly present on her hand, even at the moment of exchanging rings.
You can also throw a flower bracelet to your girlfriends, especially since it echoes the classic garter. The bride throws the bracelet to her bridesmaids, and the groom carefully removes the garter from her leg and throws it to his single friends - and everyone is happy!
If you intend to use a bracelet with a flower arrangement, it is better to abandon the bouquet. And if you hold a bouquet in your hands, you don’t have to give up the bracelet; you just need to give preference to delicate options made of lace, beads, beads without visually protruding bright colors.
All wedding floral accessories should be in harmony. This applies, first of all, to the boutonnieres of the groom, witness and his friends, bracelets of the bride, witness and her bridesmaids. And ideally, table decorations too!
Boutonniere options
A boutonniere for witnesses can have several design options:
- A classic pin or brooch for guys. A man's boutonniere does not have to look like a flower or a bouquet. Accessories in the form of clip-on bow ties, small metal figures or leather items are now in fashion. They look stricter, more laconic and much more stylish than banal artificial flowers.
- Bracelet in the form of a miniature bouquet for girls. If you wish and have a good imagination, you can easily use any women’s accessory as a boutonniere, however, the best option is a bracelet. Florists collect small inflorescences into one wreath, secure the composition with an elastic band or ribbon, and then complement the decoration with other decorative elements. If you use large buds when making a bracelet, you will get a shape close to the classic one.
Boutonnieres for guests are, rather, a compliment for all people invited to the celebration, so it is better to make them from artificial flowers and other decorations so that these small souvenirs remain as a keepsake for them. It is best to make discreet accessories that will match any guest’s outfit. Often, men are offered miniature pins, and women are offered wrist corsages made of ribbons.
Bracelets for girlfriends
Some nations previously had an interesting custom: dressing not only the bride, but also her bridesmaids in a white dress. And all the girls were holding flowers in their hands or wearing floral jewelry. This was done in order to reduce the risk of the newlywed being kidnapped for ransom.
Those wild times are long gone, and the bride now dresses differently from her bridesmaids. The bride's dress may have something in common with the outfits of other girls in color and design, but it should be more sophisticated and luxurious, because it is her holiday.
A few years ago, it was considered a very stylish decision to dress girlfriends in identical dresses, but not all girls liked the need to lose their individuality.
Now, more and more often, bridesmaids dress differently, but they are united by one detail: the presence of special bracelets made from fresh or artificial flowers, succulents, polymer clay, ribbons, lace, beads and other materials. They can be combined with each other in any way you like, creating small masterpieces with your own hands without much expense.
Living flowers are very short-lived and fragile: decorations made from them quickly become unusable even when fed with special granules. They can be replaced with succulents, which are more durable. They usually survive the most tumultuous celebrations without losing their appearance.
Satin ribbon boutonnieres
For the groomsmen, you can make stylish boutonnieres in the form of bow ties on pins, but a floral decoration on the wrist made of satin ribbons will be a wonderful accessory for any bridesmaid. It will emphasize femininity and add sophistication to any look, but the most pleasant thing is the practicality of such a boutonniere. Satin flowers:
- will not wither and will look presentable even at the end of the celebration;
- will not become disheveled due to active movements or wind;
- will remain as a memory of the happy day of the young.
Another advantage of fabric boutonnieres is the widest range of colors and a huge selection of ribbon patterns. This will allow you to create a unique composition or flower.
How to make a bracelet for the bride?
Surely every bride enjoys making wedding decorations with her own hands. And let it be her own bracelet!
If you master the beading technique, you will certainly be able to create a truly original piece of jewelry that will highlight the grace of your hands. All you need is a little time to weave a simple mesh, faux pearls, beads and crystals!
See all bracelets with pearls in the SUNLIGHT catalog
Another luxurious idea for decorating the bride’s hand with her own hands is incredibly easy to implement. We buy wide lace braid in the style of a dress, beads, flowers and beads (there are many of them in all needlework stores). And we create for our own joy!
Fastening can be done using hooks or satin ribbons. Or you can put this hand-made splendor on two or three thin elastic bands and put it on like a cuff.
Very little time? Gorgeous wedding decoration ideas can be incredibly easy to implement!
Bead decoration
Let's make a simple bead bracelet. However, you can also use artificial pearls; they are always appropriate in classic wedding looks.
We will need:
- a narrow satin ribbon (to fit through the holes of the beads);
- large beads with wide holes (glass, natural stone, ceramics, pearls);
- scissors with sharp blades (preferably tailor's or for creativity);
- lighter (for burning the ends of the tape);
- additional elements (optional).
Carefully cut the end of the ribbon at a very sharp angle, burn the edge with a lighter (so that the threads do not fray) and thread the beads through the hole.
We surround the bead with knots. We continue to string the beads through the knots. If desired, you can alternate beads of different sizes and colors, you can add charms, artificial flowers and any other decorative elements.
Gently iron the ends of the ribbon and tie them into an elegant bow.
Silver bracelet with aquamarine (go to the SUNLIGHT catalog)
Paper boutonnieres
Wedding boutonnieres for guests can even be made from paper, and you don’t need any special talents in needlework for this. Such unique “memory cards” will not cost you much, so you can please your friends and loved ones. Light shades are ideal for a wedding ceremony, but white paper will look too simple, so it is recommended to use materials in bright and pastel colors, which can be beautifully combined to create a lovely composition. Flowers skillfully created from seemingly ordinary paper will look realistic and very elegant.
To create voluminous boutonnieres, it is best to use corrugated paper. Using this textured material, you can create compositions from large buds, and the difference between the imitation and the real flower will be invisible.
Hand jewelry for bridesmaids
A bridesmaid bracelet is an elegant solution for a modern wedding. If the bride's priority is tenderness, white and pastel colors, then bolder and brighter solutions are often chosen for the bridesmaids.
Traditionally, the hand decoration for the bridesmaid is made in the same style as for other girlfriends, but in a larger version. But these are individual desires: often girls wear identical bright bracelets.
Wedding decorations made of flowers (or with floral motifs) on the hand are often called boutonnieres. This is not entirely true: the classic location of the boutonniere is the lapel of a man's jacket!
Often the witness's bracelet matches the witness's boutonniere.
A classic of the wedding genre is flower decoration. You can make a bridesmaid bracelet with your own hands either from fresh flowers and greenery, or from their artificial analogues. The first option is more tender and romantic, the second is more durable and practical.
It is more difficult to work with fresh flowers, because their natural stems need to be replaced with artificial “legs” made of wire. And artificial flowers are already sold on wire “stems”, that is, they are initially suitable for work.
Bracelet with fresh flowers
Let's try to work with fresh flowers. To create a composition we will need:
- fresh flowers (best fresh cut);
- wire (thick and thin, quite rigid);
- satin ribbon (centimeter wide);
- pliers (for working with wire);
- tape;
- scissors;
- heat gun or craft glue.
First we need to prepare the base-arc for the future decoration. To do this, just cut a piece of thick wire in accordance with the size of your wrist, bend it into an open circle, bend the ends and wrap the whole thing with tape.
Then you need to prepare the flower. To do this, you need to cut the stem almost under the bud, bend a piece of thin wire into an improvised hairpin and carefully pierce the flower.
The next step is to cut the wire, leaving 6-8 cm, twist it into a “stem” and wrap it with tape. When wrapping, you can add another flower or two, greenery, succulents - in a word, everything that you want to see in the decor.
We wind the wire “stem” of the flower onto a previously prepared thick wire base.
We decorate the work with satin ribbon and secure it in problem areas with glue.
A bracelet made of fresh flowers is a very short-lived decoration: cut buds don’t last long without water, and we also pierce them with wire. If you are preparing decorations the day before the celebration, it is better to put them in the refrigerator overnight.
Boutonnieres made of fresh flowers
If you decide to choose fresh flowers to make witness boutonnieres, pay attention to the following compositions:
- Monobouquet of roses. A large bud is placed in the center and framed by small heads of miniature roses of a similar tone.
- Orchids with greenery and ribbons. These boutonnieres are especially good on the hands of the bridesmaids.
- Cascade of roses and freesias. It is advisable to use roses with elongated buds, and also supplement the resulting mix with greenery.
- Callas with satin ribbons. This boutonniere looks elegant in combination with any suit, which makes it universal.
Please note that you should only give preference to flowers that do not have pollen, otherwise it may stain your outfit. You should also avoid inflorescences with a strong aroma: the rich smell of a flower located close enough to the face can cause allergies.
Textiles and fur
Fur or decorated with fur: traditionally, such models use valuable varieties of fur - mink, arctic fox, fox, squirrel - the colors corresponding to the ceremony. Fur or combined (including with fur trim) bracelets look especially impressive during winter weddings.
To create textile products, they usually use quite expensive and elegant fabrics - satin, chiffon, silk, organza, less often cotton (muslin, cambric, satin) and knitwear of a suitable texture.
