Before you begin what might look like a daunting, Coachella-worthy DIY task, take these tips into account from Christy Meisner, flower crown queen who creates gorgeous designs alongside her childhood friend and partner-in-flower-crown-crime Audrey Plaisance:
Flower crowns can be made with real or fake flowers. The difference is primarily that a fresh crown will really only last for one day (maybe two), so it's a good idea to make it on the day you plan to wear it. But if you use artificial flowers, you can wear it multiple times. NYC-based Meisner shops for both real and artificial flowers primarily in the Chelsea flower district, but she's been known to pluck a few arrangements from her backyard or pick up a bouquet (or five!) at her local bodega.
If you want to go faux, get colorful, quality flowers. "When looking for artificial flowers, I am always on the lookout for colorful versions that hold their shape and are easy to weave floral wire through," she says. "This allows me to shape the flower crown and make it as sturdy as possible." Her go-to shops are Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies and PANY Floral in the Chelsea flower district. "I also love a small store called C+C, which is great for small artificial flowers," Meisner adds. But you can also get nice artificial flowers from a national chain like Michaels or JoAnn Fabric.
Use filler. When making real flower crowns, Meisner loves to incorporate a variety of filler flowers to add color to larger statement flowers. Baby's breath is always a great option, combined with any smaller seasonal flowers. For statement flowers, she loves to use spray roses, ranunculus, daisies, and other fun, colorful flowers that are in season.
Get wired. Super-thin florist wire is the base of all of Meisner's flower crowns. "It's not only what holds the flower crown together, it allows you to weave larger statement flowers along the crown, and it's malleable enough for you to mold your crown however you want," she says.
Make sure the flowers face outward, always. The most important thing to be careful of when making a real crown is to avoid breaking the stems off of the filler and to keep from cutting the entire stem off of any larger, statement flowers. You need as much stem as possible to build off of when it comes to the filler flowers and a little bit of the stem on the statement flowers, so you can weave some wire through the center of it to secure it better and make sure the flower faces outward when worn.
Use ribbon to tie the crown on. When finishing a flower crown (real or artificial), Meisner uses ivory ribbon tied on each end of the crown, so you can tie it around your head or under your hair, and adjust the fit easily, making it more of a headband or a halo crown, depending on your preference.
OK, now for her *~BeAuTiFuL~* how-to:
1. Pick flowers you're absolutely obsessed with (and that go with your outfit) to create your flower crown.
2. Cut ten 6-inch pieces of thin florist wire, and a few 4- or 5-inch pieces, so you have them at the ready.
3. Pick and cut your starting filler greenery. And remember to leave a long stem, so you have a base to build off of.
4. Wrap a smaller piece of wire around the first flower to make sure it's secure and sturdy. You're going to want to make sure this starting piece is extra long, since you'll be securing the ribbon to tie it on later.
5. Cut more filler.
6. Add the filler, as well as a smaller bunch of flowers an inch or so behind the starter stem. Continue to wrap the florist wire around the stems to secure them.
7. Voilà! Your starting piece of your flower crown is finished! Make sure you have a stem sticking out of the bottom so you have something to keep building off of. Now, add the statement flowers!
8. Choose your statement flower of choice and snip off most of the stem, leaving some of it so you can fish the wire through to eventually keep it facing forward.
9. Push the wire through the stem and out of the center of the flower.
10. Make sure to bend a hook at the end of the wire, and then pull the wire toward you, so the hook hangs onto the middle of the flower, anchoring it.
11. Wrap the wire around the stems of your previous filler, making sure the flower faces out along the arch of the crown.
12. Continue adding more filler, wrapping the wire around the stems, followed by another statement flower of your choice.
13. This is what the underside of your crown should look like. Remember to always make sure you leave the stems jutting out, so you have something to keep building on.
14. Repeating steps 2 through 7, create an identical end piece to attach to the opposite end of your flower crown to finish it.
15. YAY! You did it! Now, admire your creation. Just kidding, you're not done yet.
16. Tie on your ribbon by taking a 2-foot piece of ivory ribbon, creating a loop around your green starter stem, and sliding the ends of the ribbon through it. Then, secure it by tying a knot around the loop you just created to keep it from unraveling. Then let the rest of the ribbon to hang. Repeat on the other side.
17. Choose how you'd like to wear your flower crown and tie it just below the crown of your head in a bow or knot.
18. Enjoy the hell out of your new, fresh, gorgeous accessory!
19. Instagram!! Pin!! Tweet!! Admire! Make your friends jealous!
(Here, Meisner wearing the flower crown she created for Cosmo.)
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Photo Credit: Kathleen Kamphausen
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
