How to Make a DIY Wrist Corsage
There’s an abundance of ways to incorporate flowers into your wedding. And though we love floral arches and bouquets, you can also incorporate them into your outfits through floral accessories like wrist corsages.
Wrist corsages are elegant, yet easy to wear. They make beautiful accessories to compliment wedding formal wear and offer a special gesture for guests who are near and dear to you.
Today, we’re here to show you how to DIY your very own corsage for your special moments. This design works for weddings, proms, and other special occasions. Plus, it ticks all the boxes - it’s feminine, elegant, and fun!
Here's how to make a DIY wrist corsage, plus tips, tricks and commonly asked questions:
What you’ll need to make a DIY Corsage:
Before you begin designing your corsage, let’s go back to the basics. The materials you’ll need are:
- One Designer Flower Box
- One Foam Rose box
- One Greenery Spray
- Ribbon, rope, or a bracelet
- Wires
- Fabric tape
- Glue gun
- Wire cutters
- Pliers
- Scissors
- Your creative spirit
Our designer flower boxes come with flower types in various sizes and colors, all in one carefully curated color palette. This makes it easy to create floral arrangements with a blend of flower types for your corsage.
The largest flowers in the box might be too large for a wrist corsage. Instead, you can use these for a bouquet or another floral arrangement and reserve the middle-sized flowers and accessories for your corsages. You can create a beautiful corsage with approximately three medium-sized flowers, a handful of petite wildflowers, and a few accessories.
We used a marsala and blush flower box, but you can customize your corsage with one of our 12+ color palettes to complement your wedding color scheme. You can also pair your designer box set with foam roses of your favorite color for more variety.
If this corsage is a gift for someone at your wedding, why not include them in the DIY process so they can provide their creative input? It's a wonderful way to share your wedding journey with the people closest to you.
How to DIY a Wrist Corsage step by step:
Step 1: Make a mini bouquet
Let's begin by designing a mini bouquet. Take 1-2 medium-sized flowers from your box set, then add smaller flowers around it. Your larger flowers should act as your focal point flower, while the other flowers act as fillers to accentuate the overall design.
Try the bouquet on your wrist to see how you like the design. You can rearrange the flowers, add more, or take some away until you are satisfied. Once you feel proud of your design, it's time to move to the next step.
Step 2: Secure the arrangement and trim the stems
Once you’ve settled on your bouquet design, tie the stems together with a wire. Use your wire cutters to cut off the excess wire, then trim the flower stems until they’re short. You want them to sit just below the base of your flower blossoms.
Tip: It’s better to cut your stems too long than too short. If you find that they’re not short enough, you can always trim more later.
Step 3: Wrap with floral tape
Now, wrap the stems and wire with floral tape. This will hide the wire from view and protect the wearer’s hands from any sharp edges. It also offers a professional finishing touch for your design.
Step 4: Attach your mini bouquet
We’re nearly there. Now, it’s time to attach your mini floral arrangement to a rope, ribbon, or bracelet for easy wearing. If you have old bracelets lying around, this is a wonderful time to upcycle them, incorporating the “something old” tradition into your wedding flowers.
Use your hot glue gun to secure your floral arrangement onto your wrist piece of choice. Hold the floral arrangement and wrist piece together until the glue sets.
Tip: If you choose to upcycle old jewelry, braided or corded jewelry pieces work best, as they give the hot glue something to grip onto.
All finished!
Congrats! You’ve just made your very own DIY corsage. Now, you can repeat the process to make many corsages as you need for the special guests at your wedding.
Wrist Corsage Etiquette FAQ
If you're looking to DIY a wrist corsage for your wedding, you've probably been recently surprised at the general need for more information on the internet. As one of the many moving (and floral!) wedding pieces, the corsage isn't as well understood as the bridal bouquet or centerpieces.
Here are answers to the most common questions about corsages:
Why is it called corsage?
If the word corsage sounds romantic to you, that's because it evolved from the 15th-century French word "cors," meaning "body.”
In the 1800s, the word would come to refer to the bodice of a dress. Flowers fashioned to the bodice were famously called "bouquet de corsage." Later on, the placement of corsages would move from the bodice to the wrist or shoulder so that her date could pin the flowers without being inappropriate.
Interesting fact: Another popular floral wedding piece, the boutonniere, is another French word that means “little buttonhole” because of its usual placement on a suit jacket.
What side does a wrist corsage go on?
The corsage is traditionally fastened to the left wrist since most people are right-handed. Like nearly all wedding traditions, this is a recommendation, not a rule, and you should do what makes the most sense for your unique ceremony.
Who wears a corsage at a wedding?
The corsage is typically worn by the bride's mother, the groom's mother, and all the grandmothers. However, anyone of your special guests can wear them. In the past few years, wrist corsages have also become a popular substitute for bridesmaids' bouquets.
How hard is it to make your own corsage?
While they may seem complex, it’s actually easy to DIY a wrist corsage as long as you have the proper supplies. Finding the correct matching tones, types, and shapes of flowers is usually the most time-consuming part. Luckily, Ling's Flower Boxes take out all the guesswork!
How many flowers in a wrist corsage?
Most wrist corsages are made up of three to five flowers that match the wedding theme and complement the wearer's dress or attire. But the number of flowers will vary, depending on the look you're going for.
Show it off!
Now you have some serious corsage inspiration - it’s your turn to show us some of your own wedding corsage ideas. Be sure to tag us at @lingsmoment on Instagram to show off your original designs!
And if you’re short on time, our premade wrist corsages offer a delicate and beautiful look for weddings, proms, and other special occasions. With their designer color palettes, they pair beautifully with dresses and formal wear for nearly any theme.
