You've probably heard about flower crowns, but what about flower wands? A flower wand is essentially a floral smudge bundle made up of flowers wrapped in twine. You can burn it, but it's so stunning you might not want to. Here's how to make both these amazing earthen pieces using the most sustainably sourced materials.
DIY Flower Crown
Flower crowns are absolutely gorgeous and can be worn to all sorts of wonderful events.
Supplies:
Floral wire
Floral tape
Floral wire cutters
Greenery (forage for some in your area - fallen/broken off plants do well)
Flowers (look for some at the farmers market, forage for some, or grow some yourself)
Note: If you do decide to forage for your own greenery and flowers, invest in a local plant guide so you can identify local plant species safely. Be sure to avoid over-harvesting from the plants you forage. Also, please try to avoid purchasing flowers that have been dyed or sprayed with pesticides, as these are not good for your health or the earth.
Directions:
Take a piece of floral wire and form it into a circular shape. Rest it on your head to see how long you need the wire to be to form a loose crown. Cut off any excessive wire and form the rest into a circle. Tape the circle shut with floral tape: Wrap the tape around the wire several times to secure it.
Start your crown with a layer of greenery that covers the wire. This will act as the base of your crown. Make sure you tape the greenery to the crown with your floral tape.
Next, it's time to add the flowers. Make sure the flower stems are at least 3 inches long (cut off any excess stems with scissors or wire cutters – compost the remnants!). Using floral tape, tape the stem to the crown. Wrap the tape around the stem about four to five times to make sure it stays. Add as many or as little flowers as you want to the rest of the crown.
DIY Floral Wand
Floral wands can be used for smudging, or simply used as beautiful home décor.
Supplies:
Flowers (locally harvested wildflowers, homegrown flowers, or farmers market flowers)
Greenery (foraged pinon pine, cedar, mugwort or sweetgrass work well)
Natural fiber string (jute twine)
Note: White sage is endangered, so try to avoid including it in your floral wand. If you must use sage, try to grow it in your home, then harvest some for the wand. If you find any sage while foraging, please only harvest the tops, never the whole branches.
Directions:
To begin, concentrate on creating a base. Create two stalks, folding together your greenery.
Next, begin adding on fragrant flowers and plants. Arrange them in any position you like. Once you've added all the elements you want to it, take jute twine and tie it firmly around the base about five times. Work your way to the top and come back down again, tying off at the base.
Ariana Palmieri is a green beauty blogger who strives to live as eco-friendly as possible. In July 2015 she started her blog, Greenify-Me, to document her own journey with eco-friendly products, makeup, and the environment. The site features beauty product reviews, natural DIYs, healthy recipes, and more.