cheap wedding inspiration

{DIY or DIE} Handkerchief Roses

When Devon from Eco-Proper (such a fabulous site!) contacted us about her heirloom handkerchief rose project, we jumped at the chance to feature it here.  It’s absolutely perfect for weddings, affordable as all get-out, eco-friendly enough to earn you serious karma points, sentimentally sweet, and has so many possible applications!

Can you imagine a bridal bouquet made of family handkerchiefs? What a beautiful handmade wedding accessory. Le sigh! Dress embellishments? I swoon! Boutonnieres? Yes, please! Headbands for your bridesmaids? Oh my! Corsages? I die! Or even, (gasp) for non-floral centerpieces? They’d be gorgeous scattered on a table, or attached to manzanita branches. Oh man, I wish I knew about his when I was still engaged!

It would be so simple to find handkerchiefs for this project on the cheap…. at flea markets, thrift shops, or that trunk in the corner of your grandma’s attic. And remember, recycling old handkerchiefs like this makes for a green wedding! Or get really creative and invite your guests to send one from their family which you can incorporate into your wedding for some seriously meaningful decor. The possibilities are endless, and the process easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. So what are you waiting for? Say hi to Devon, then get crafting!

PS – have you completed our survey yet, and entered to win some sweet-ass prizes?! Time’s running out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucky me! I was given an entire stack of antique handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandmother, her mother, her grandmother, etc… (at least, I know they came from family). For my wedding, I wanted to incorporate family heirlooms and what better way to use these than to make a bouquet from them.

What you’ll need:
- Handkerchiefs
- A needle
- Some thread
- Beads of any sort (costume jewelry pearls were used here)

Here are the steps:
1. Fold the handkerchief in half to form a triangle…Fold back over itself until you’ve folded completely, accordion-style (shown above) *this is great way to give the look of more petals, and you can leave a little of the tip hanging out to grab for extra “stem” support

2. Starting at one end, begin with two folds and then start rolling

3. After rolling a rose center, continue to roll while twisting the remainder of the piece away from you. This creates the petals. …Once you get to the end, you can grab this piece to secure the entire flower or use it to create a leaf later
4. At this point, you will need to put a couple stitches through the “stem” of your rose just to make sure nothing will move around. I used a pearl at the end of the thread just to hold it tightly and add a little something.
5. Because the center of the rose was a little awkward looking, I decided to pull some beads through the very center to bring it down into the rose. Also, I was able to use some pearls from my family’s costume jewelry to add an extra touch.

This really became a rose with the last addition and a little fluffing! Even if you don’t add beads to the center, a stitch bringing the center down really makes a difference.

(to see the steps in action, watch this nifty slideshow!)

Also, if you have a handkerchief with a beautiful design in one corner, let that corner be the last bit left when you are rolling and you can use it to create a little leaf. Beautiful! I am well on my way to a bouquet!

*On a side note, I didn’t actually do any cutting of the handkerchiefs. So if I wanted to reclaim them for other use or just sentimental value, all I need to do is just cut the stitching!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peep more of Devon’s eco-excellence at Eco-Proper.com or follow her on twitter: @ecopropoer