As a self-appointed corsage ambassador, my motivation is to encourage florists to see themselves as artists and to give them the tools to make work that they love. My other motivation is to dazzle the public- to draw them in and make them curious about our work. This way, we show them that floristry is a rich, evocative artform like any other.

I encourage you to make what you crave to see!

I hope this little guide to corsages encourages you to join me in the work of elevating corsages and pushing floristry forward. You can jump ahead to the FAQs here.

How did I decide to appoint myself the ambassador of corsages?

I entered floristry with a surplus of passion and enthusiasm. I’ve always been a creative and curious person, but I was also most definitely a late bloomer ( pun intended ) who flitted from interest to interest for most of her life, never landing on a specific thing long enough to explore it deeply. 

When I found floral design, it appealed to me instantly, probably because it offered a way to fuse many of my lifelong interests. It offered a way to express my reverence for nature, my love of fashion and accessory design, and my various crafty and artful leanings. 

Finally, I’d found a way to take these somewhat disparate passion threads and weave them together. This realization energized me, and filled me with a sense of relief and joy. Joyful relief? Maybe that is what is at the heart of gratitude? 

Anyway, in short, I’d finally found a medium that aligned with my personality, and I jumped in with both feet.

A soft spot for the art of wearable fashion

I was drawn to the small-scale handiwork aspect of floristry first. Perhaps because of my jewelry making hobby and love of fashion. I saw corsages, boutonnieres, crowns and other wearables as little works of art that would allow me to really express myself. 

I loved them instantly; but was disappointed to find that many florists did not. They were seen as outdated, uncool, tacky, as or obligatory items to make as quickly as possible. They were made grudgingly, not out of love for our craft. To the florists I was exposed to, the most dreaded of the wearables, the most uncool, was the corsage. 

To the florists I was exposed to, the most dreaded of the wearables, the most uncool, was the corsage.

As I gained experience, first working in a full service flower shop, then freelancing for event florists, and finally as the head of my own studio, I found myself eager ( and often assigned ) to make all the personal flowers. I loved to include unexpected, interesting ingredients, and I tried to make the wearable flowers look current and artful.

mastering the art of corsages

When I was starting out, corsages typically consisted of spray roses, some sort of waxy greenery, a mass of looped acetate ribbon, and some sort of uninspiring filler wired together and strapped to an elastic wristlet. The general recipe and concept had not really changed in 50 years.

I became obsessed with the challenge of updating and upleveling corsages, so the experiments began. I found myself spending an inordinate amount of time testing new ideas and sharing my findings in floristry forums. I was eager to offer thoughts on how to make corsages a little more cool, more current looking, and more pleasurable to make.

I was becoming a ( self-appointed ) corsage ambassador.

This title is a joke, of course. But do have a genuine love for the tradition of wearing flowers. People all over the world have adorned themselves with flowers since time began and these traditions remain strong in many parts of the world. Think of Indian jai mala, or Hawaiian lei. Even though the tradition of corsages became popularized in Europe long ago, it appears that currently they are mostly an American custom.

The tradition of wearing corsages could potentially fizzle if we florists decide they aren’t worthy of saving. So I continue to advocate for corsages.

It’s my hope that this little guide contributes to keeping this tradition alive.

✨If you have a disdain for corsages, this guide is for you.
✨If you keep reaching for the same uninspiring materials, this is for you!
✨If you are waking up early to make corsages the morning of an event because you fear they won’t last, this is for you!
✨If you love corsages, but just want a few helpful tips and resources, this guide is also for you.

I hope this helps solve issues and gets you closer to loving corsages as much as I do!

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you enjoyed this little guide

I hope it encourages you to join me in the work of elevating corsages and pushing floristry forward. Please take advantage of the resources here, and I’d love to answer all of your corsage queries in the comment section below!

make what you crave to see!

As a self-appointed corsage ambassador, my motivation is to encourage florists to see themselves as artists and to give them the tools to make work that they love. My other motivation is to dazzle the public- to draw them in and make them curious about our work. This way, we show them that floristry is a rich, evocative artform like any other. I encourage you to make what you crave to see! 

Follow me on Instagram for mini tutorials or dive in with my special corsage series of online tutorials to learn steep by step from me, or purchase my book, The Art of Wearable Flowers for even more detailed information and ways to combine techniques to make all manner of creative corsages, floral tattoos, floral jewelry, headpieces, and more!

With love,

Ready to go further?

For more opportunities to learn and grow alongside other floral artists, join us in The Virtual Studio or check out my extensive library of self-paced online classes.