UPDATE: Crafty Mamas....HELP!

[Melaine]

Update: Made the flower girl wands, here are photos. I hope they are ok, I'm just not sure how they will work. I also really hope the glue holds! Sage and green are the wedding colors. I keep rotating photos in photobucket, and the rotation doesn't necessarily carry over to thumbnails, I don't get it.


The girls are in my cousin's wedding and she has asked if I could make these wands for them to carry: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/paper-and-fabric-flowers

The problem is, I am starting to feel really annoyed with Martha Stewart because there aren't really instructions. Can anyone PUHLEEZE help me with this? What are confetti flowers? Any tips would be so helpful, this wedding is stressful enough without totally obscure crafts.

ETA: I found another link with a similar wand: http://www.fancypantsweddings.com/fun-flower-girl-ideas-northern-california-weddings/ann00512/

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/th_VID01187.jpg (http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/?action=view&current=VID01187.jpg)

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/th_VID01186.jpg (http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/?action=view&current=VID01186.jpg)

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/th_VID01185.jpg (http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/MamaMelaine/?action=view&current=VID01185.jpg)

[lhafer]

No help here.

But shouldn't she...the bride...be figuring out who can make these wands for her? Like something from Etsy?

[JTsMom]

You can totally do this- really simple! Just wrap some ribbon around a dowel and glue on some flowers. I've never heard of confetti flowers, but it seems they could either be candy flowers (which I doubt), or just flower confetti- individual little fabric flowers, which is what I'd bet on. I'd just double check with her to see if there is a specific type or color of flower she wanted.

[golightly1118]

I think by confetti flowers, she means the silk rose petals that are sold with the wedding supplies in craft stores-they come in a clear plastic box, and usually are put into baskets for the flower girls to scatter on the aisle when they walk before the bride. Another tip-she doesn't say to do this, but I'd paint the dowels the same color as the ribbon-that way, if you have a tiny area where the ribbon doesn't overlap (it happens!) it won't show up as badly.

[m448]

No help here.

But shouldn't she...the bride...be figuring out who can make these wands for her? Like something from Etsy?

Exactly. I'm all for being crafty but making things for a bride with noninstructions but expectations begs for all sorts of wrong to happen.

[ciw]

I agree with the pp. It appears that Martha is using the individual petals you can buy to toss in a wedding (you can find them at AC Moore, Michael's, even Walmart) and glueing them on top each other to create flowers. There is nooooooo way I would do that. I'd go to a craft store and buy some fake flowers (I might experiment using some from the Dollar Tree; they're not as pretty but cheap for a trial run), detach the stem and then hot glue the flowers and ribbon to a wood dowel. I don't think it will be too hard and I bet they will turn out cute. Good luck!

[Melaine]

You can totally do this- really simple! Just wrap some ribbon around a dowel and glue on some flowers. I've never heard of confetti flowers, but it seems they could either be candy flowers (which I doubt), or just flower confetti- individual little fabric flowers, which is what I'd bet on. I'd just double check with her to see if there is a specific type or color of flower she wanted.

Ok thanks! I think I do know what you are talking about.

[Melaine]

Exactly. I'm all for being crafty but making things for a bride with noninstructions but expectations begs for all sorts of wrong to happen.

I know, right? I'm already feeling the stress because I asked her if we could look for cheaper dresses and now it turns out she wants one to wear green and one to wear purple which I think will be challenging. I'm sure it will all work out and I really don't mind trying to help. I just am not so great with the GLUE-type crafts. Some of the others I'm good with.

[Babymakes3]

I have no idea what a confetti flower is but I can give you an idea of how to do make something similar using crepe paper if you want, it's pretty easy.
I would just go get ribbon in a few colors and cut them at different lengths, it says they thumbtacked it on but I would just use hot glue.
The crepe flowers are really light and you could glue a few of those directly onto the ribbon too.

[Melaine]

I have no idea what a confetti flower is but I can give you an idea of how to do make something similar using crepe paper if you want, it's pretty easy.
I would just go get ribbon in a few colors and cut them at different lengths, it says they thumbtacked it on but I would just use hot glue.
The crepe flowers are really light and you could glue a few of those directly onto the ribbon too.

Thanks! I may just get back to you on that. We still haven't finalized the dress choice so I'm not going to get out my glue quite yet.

[zoestargrove]

I searched for confetti flowers on Martha's site and this picture came up, so the pp were right about the flower petals.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/flower-girl-accessories?lpgStart=1&currentslide=1&currentChapter=1

I like crafty projects, but I think its wrong for her to assume you do and have time for this. I'm also sorry she isn't a little more flexible with the girl's dresses.

[ladysoapmaker]

they're not as pretty but cheap for a trial run), detach the stem and then hot glue the flowers and ribbon to a wood dowel. I don't think it will be too hard and I bet they will turn out cute. Good luck!

If it has a small wire stem, I actually wouldn't take off the wire, I would use it to wrap around the dowel and use the hot glue so it's reinforced then wrap the ribbon over it and if you have streamers it can hide the ridges. I would pick up a large yarn needle to "thread" the ribbon under the flower if you use the wire to wrap the dowel before you glue the flower down. If it does have a plastic stem, cut it off and pick up some thin flowistery (sp?) wire and thread that through the base of the flower if you need to, to wrap around the dowel. (I'm all for extra reinforcement when it comes to things that kids could play with at "boring things")

[newg]

I googled it and found this mammas website: http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/04/02/flower-girl-wands-in-time-for-easter/

she gives much better directions/tips and pictures!

They look really cute! I may make one for DD for Easter!

[Melaine]

I googled it and found this mammas website: http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/04/02/flower-girl-wands-in-time-for-easter/

she gives much better directions/tips and pictures!

They look really cute! I may make one for DD for Easter!

You are awesome! This is really helpful. And I love the idea of making for Easter...I can make a trial run for play/Easter and then do the real thing once I've gotten the hang of it.

And I didn't want to sound like I was complaining about my cousin. It is probably me who is being inflexible by not wanting to pay for the dresses she would have originally picked. And my cousin probably knows I like doing crafts and I think she wants the wands because she (rightly so) thinks my girls would prefer them to sprinkling petals.
I knew you guys would help, as always!

[newg]

You are awesome! This is really helpful. And I love the idea of making for Easter...I can make a trial run for play/Easter and then do the real thing once I've gotten the hang of it.

And I didn't want to sound like I was complaining about my cousin. It is probably me who is being inflexible by not wanting to pay for the dresses she would have originally picked. And my cousin probably knows I like doing crafts and I think she wants the wands because she (rightly so) thinks my girls would prefer them to sprinkling petals.
I knew you guys would help, as always!

we'll all have to post pictures when they're done to see how they look!

I can see both sides.......if she wanted you to make them, she should have given you more guidance (like the page I found with actual directions!)......and the dresses, maybe she thought you'd find something they can wear again (like for Easter or for dress-up).

Good luck!!

[Melaine]

Bumping for update with photos.

[DietCokeLover]

They look good. Was it hard?

[Melaine]

They look good. Was it hard?

Not too bad I guess. The directions said to glue the petals together and I just wasn't sure about that so I bought artificial flowers and sewed them together in clumps. Then I hot-glued them to the ribbons. I'm hoping they stay together for walk down the aisle...I wish I had done purple ribbons and flowers, but I wanted to incorporate the green and purple. It was hard to get the thumb tacks all the way through all those ribbons. I did paint the dowels but realized that was unnecessary as the ribbon really did cover it.

When they hold them the ribbons don't really "fly" out the way I want them too. I guess the kids are running in the photo? Maybe I should have used lighter weight ribbon? Who knows...hopefully they will look ok when it comes down to it.

[JTsMom]

You did a beautiful job! I hope she loves them! :)