How do I make a dried flower bouquet?

Start by choosing your dried flowers and foliage. You can buy them ready-dried or dry your own by hanging fresh stems upside down in a dark, airy space for two to three weeks. Once they are dry, remove any leaves that will sit below the tie point, as they can make the stems bulky.

Lay out your stems on a table and sort them by height. Hold the bouquet in your non-dominant hand and add stems one at a time, turning the bouquet slightly as you go so it forms a spiral. Start with a central stem, then add larger flowers around it, followed by smaller fillers and trailing grasses. Keep the heads at different heights for a natural look.

When you are happy with the shape, trim the bottoms of the stems so they are even. Wrap the stems tightly with florist tape, starting just below the flower heads and working down to the ends. Then cover the tape with ribbon, lace or twine, and secure it with a knot or a small stitch. You can add a pin or a brooch to the ribbon for extra detail.

If you want a more structured bouquet, you can use a floral foam holder or a wire frame, but a hand-tied spiral is simpler and works well for most dried flowers. Keep the bouquet upright until the wedding to avoid crushing the petals.