Orchids are classy yet not exclusive, vibrant but not gawdy, making them versatile choices for accessories. They look good with almost any colour and fashion style, ranging from posh black dresses to flowery summer frocks. What’s more, orchids have a special place in our hearts because many orchid species are native flowers of Singapore. Our national flower is the Vanda Miss Joaquim, a hybrid orchid in rosy-violent and pale mauve. Your beautiful orchid accessory would be a talking point, as well as a great conversation starter when you mingle with foreign colleagues and clients at the year-end dinner!
Making an Orchid Corsage is easy!
1. First of all, you will need to have in mind a rough vision of how you want the corsage to look like, how big you want it to be and what colours you need to match your clothes. For beginners, you may start off with a basic corsage that is made up of three orchids (or more if you want it bigger) bunched together, adorned by some green leaves. Ribbons optional.
2. Gather the materials.
– Fresh orchids from the florist
– Adhesive tools: Floral wire and floral tape, usually available at the florist’s. Otherwise, art stores like Art Friend and Spotlight stock them too.
– Optional adornments: Ribbons, small flowers
– A simple, presentable, dispensable wristband that goes with your outfit and the corsage.
Note: Do not purchase your orchids more than a week before your event, as they will wilt and not look as pretty as they did at time of purchase. Do not remove the stems until you start work on the corsage. Orchids wilt more quickly when their stems are cut. Store them in the fridge to keep them fresh.
3. Now that you are ready to make your corsage, cut the orchids from their stems, leaving a short stump of about 2 cm behind. Wrap wire around the stems to strengthen them. Cover them with floral tape.
4. Combine the orchids together to form a small bouquet. Hold it against your wrist to see how it looks, repositioning the flowers appropriately until you are satisfied.
5. Tape the stems together with floral tape so that they stay together.
6. You may adorn the corsage with leaves, orchid buds and small flowers, using floral tape to tape them to the stems of the orchids.
7. Tie a bow around the stem for decoration.
8. The last step is to make the corsage wearable. Tape the stem securely to the wristband using floral tape. If done correctly, the floral tape would not be visible when the corsage is worn.
If you do not have a wristband to spare, you can make a makeshift one out of ribbon. Tie a piece of ribbon to the stem, leaving the two sides extending from the knot long enough to tie around your wrist and knot into a pretty bow. Make sure that the ribbon wristband is not too tight or too loose. Cut away the excess ribbon. And there you have a unique and affordable accessory!
Written in August 2011 for a lifestyle magazine.
