This was my brooch bouquet when I got married some years ago. Last year my best fried married too. She loves my bouquet so I made a brooche bouquet for her as a wedding gift. Fortunately, I documented the steps (actually for her).

Step 1: Material and Tools

You will need

Pliers in different sizes
Hot glue gun
Rubber bands
Florists' stub wires
Florists' stem tape
Florists' foam filled bouquet holder (I used one from (OASIS); instead you can use a stuffed whisk.
Ribbons
Jewelry: Brooches, ear hanger, rings, watches, ... around 50-60 pieces depending on the size of the bouquet.

Step 2: Select Brooches and Other Jewelry

To make a very personal bouquet you need to collect a lot of old jewelry (you will need up to 50-60 pieces depending on the size of the bouquet) from both families the groom’s and the bride’s. You can choose only brooches, ear hangers, or chains but you can also add almost everything which is small enough to fit on the bouquet. I added some scrabble tiles with the letters of my husbands and my name when I made my own. Because the bride is not wearing a watch I added an old one to my brooch bouquet as well.

I got in contact with the bride’s sister and mother, and the brother of the groom. They collected a pile of old family brooches.

Eventually, you will have enough. Than you should select the one you will really going to use. The pieces should fit roughly in color. They must not too delicate because you will get in trouble in wrapping them with the wire.

Step 3: Wire Wrap the Brooches

Similar to real flowers you need to wrap a wire around each piece of jewelry to get a stem. This is easy for brooches. Just use the brooch pin. Wrap the wire around the pin making sure not to damage the brooch. Wrap should be tight and not wobbly. Use the pliers.

To get a nice finish on the stems use the tape to cover the entire wire. This will help preventing the wires to slip when you arrange them later.

You can collect the finished brooch flowers like real flowers in a vase or glass. You will get an impression how the final bouquet might look like while finishing the single brooches.

Step 4: Preparing the Foam Filled Bouquet Holder

After you have finished wire wrapping the jewelry pieces you will prepare the foam filled bouquet holder.

I used the rubber bands to fix the bouquet holder at my desk to get my hands free.

To get a nice round shape of the bouquet and to make it look completely filled use some of the wire to fix a wide ribbon in loose loops all over the bouquet holder. I put the ribbon in a bowl to prevent the ribbon rolling all over the floor.

Step 5: Make the Bouquet!

There is not much to say to this step. Arrange the single brooch flowers on the bouquet holder. The bottom of the brooches should lightly touch the top of the ribbon loops.

Shorten wire which is too long. Be careful not to remove the brooches too often for rearrangement. The foam will get crumbly and won’t hold the brooches any longer. Arrange the brooches with an equal distance to the ribbon loops. Do not compress the ribbon loops or you will lose the stuffed look of the finished bouquet.

Step 6: FInish the Bouquet Holder

After making the bouquet the handle of the bouquet holder is still raw plastic. This is not very nice looking nor very comfortable at the palm. Wrap ribbon around the handle to add the perfect finish to the brooch bouquet. Fix the ribbon with hot glue.

To have a smooth transition between the handle and the upper brooches you can add some extra ribbon-petals. Therefore, wrap wire around a piece of ribbon to form a loop. Add some of those loops just below the brooches by sticking them in the foam or gluing them in place before (!) you add the ribbon around the handle.

Unfortunately, I forgot the make photos from this step before the wedding of my friend. So I only have one from my own brooch bouquet. I hope you can see what I mean.