How to Make a Duct Tape Corsage and Flowers

I didn't want to buy in to the wasteful "buy, wear for a few hours, throw away" corsage culture, so I decided to make a more economical, longer lasting, and greener alternative.

This instructable will teach you how to make duct tape flowers and then use those flowers to make a corsage. The flowers and corsage will last forever and are waterproof, recyclable, hypo-allergenic, and just plain cool! They are also cheaper than a normal corsage and don't require a trip to the florist.

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Step 1: Gather Your Materials

You will need:
-Duct tape (Varying colors add some "wow")
-Floral wire (cut-up coat hangers or similar wire will also suffice)
-Thin, bendable wire (I used electrical solid-core hook-up wire)
-X-acto knife
-Scissors

Step 2: The Stems

Cut the floral wire to an appropriate length, anywhere from 4"-7". If it is too long, you can always trim it or curl the ends up.

If you don't want the green color of the floral wire to show, cover it in duct tape as shown here. I also added a white strip of tape in a corkscrew pattern for decoration.

You will need three stems, one for each flower. 1

Step 3: The Petals

The most tedious part of making any duct tape flower is the petals, it is also one of the most important.

Cut a 2" strip of duct tape (it should be square, 2"x2").

Fold one corner over as shown, then fold the other corner to create a point.

This can seem tricky, the pictures should clear any confusion.

Rinse and repeat until you have enough petals for three flowers. I used 16 petals to create each small flower-- 48 in total (24 black, 24 red).

Step 4: Assembling the Flower

Place one petal on the stem as shown, at a slight angle. Then wrap the petal all the way around the stem. Affix the next petal as shown, with the point opposing the point of the first petal and wrap it around, over the first petal.

Continue until the flowers have reached the desired size.

I added white tape to the edges of the petals of one flower to achieve a white trim on one flower.

Step 5: Combine the Flowers

Arrange the flowers with the center flower raised slightly above the others and wrap a small strip of tape around the stems to hold this position.

Step 6: Make the Leaves

To create the leaves, fold a 6" strip of duct tape over on itself so that no adhesive is exposed. Then, use the x-acto knife to cut out a leaf shape. Repeat to make four or five leaves.

Decoration can be added to the leaves for some subtle flair. I cut a "C" and a "W" out of red tape and affixed each letter to the face of a leaf, as the recipient of the corsage's initials was "CW."

Step 7: Affix the Wire to the Leaves

Cut a small piece of the lighter, more flexible wire to the length of a leaf, plus one inch. Use a piece of tape to affix the wire to the leaf, making sure the wire is completely covered on the face of the leaf. Do this for each leaf.

Step 8: Attaching the Leaves to the Flowers

Tape the extra wire to where the stems of the flowers are held together, make sure the side with the wire is facing down. Arrange the leaves with two (or three) under the flowers and two behind them.

Step 9: Almost Done!

Now that the corsage is constructed, add the finishing touches. I curled the ends of the stems to cut down on their length and to make the corsage more comfortable to wear.

There are a few options to make the corsage wear-able: you could simply pin it, or create a wrist strap. I used the electrical wire that was used in an earlier step to make a wrist strap by braiding it and tying the edges into a knot. The wristlet was then woven between flowers and held on the wrist by twisting the knotted ends together.

Step 10: Enjoy!

You have just made a totally unique, re-usable, and long-lasting corsage that will certainly stand out in a crowd/prom/wedding/etc.

Unlike a normal corsage, this will last for years and years, can be re-used, and altered to match any outfit. (Just add some new color)

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Thanks!