How to Make Victorian Nosegay Bouquets

Whether you plan to use fresh, dried, or silk flowers, or an assorted combination of appealing flora, you can create delightfully aromatic miniature bouquets, for gifts or bridesmaids, once commonly referred to as a nosegay. These small Victorian-era bouquets were handy enough to carry, when out and about, or to place in petite bud vases throughout the house, maximizing the room-freshening fragrances.

History of Nosegay Bouquets

As one of the first-known room fresheners, floral bouquets would filter out many of the farm and stable odors, when placed strategically throughout the house, as would a nosegay when held up to a lady's nostrils to prevent her from being overcome by farm-animal fumes. Dainty nosegay bouquets were beautifully crafted to disguise rural smells of the day, while adding a blush of color against pale skin tones.

Nosegay Bouquet Supplies

1 handful of fresh or dried Baby's Breath or other tiny, long-stem wildflowers

4 small flowers, vividly-colored, fresh, dried, or silk (such as pansies or rosebuds) on a 6" stem

3 small flowers, highly-fragrant fresh varieties (such as rosebuds or Hawaiian Pikake)

½ yard (18") flat lace edging, ½" width, white

½ yard (18") satin ribbon, ½" width, color-coordinated to flowers

½ yard (18") satin ribbon, ¼" width, green or white

Nosegay Bouquet Assembly

Holding the bunch of Baby's Breath or similar flowers, add 1 colorful flower in the middle, and 3 more spaced around the middle one. Then add the other 3 highly-fragrant flowers spaced between the colorful flowers, creating a small bouquet in the shape of (and no larger than) your hand cupped over the top.

Holding the bouquet in one hand, and using household scissors, cut off the excess stems evenly, just below your grasp. Gently lay your bouquet onto a table top, and begin to wrap the stems with lace trim.

Beginning from the bottom back side of the stems, pull lace streamers up and cross over the front side, crossing again behind. Then bring the ends to the front a final time, tying into a bow just under the bouquet.

Repeat the stem wrapping process (as above) with the satin ribbons. Wrapping the stems first with the ½" wide ribbon, and then with the ¼" wide ribbon, to end up with 3 bows, and 6 long streamers.

Drying Nosegay Bouquets

To dry these miniature bouquets for years of enjoyment, simply hang upside down on a hook. This will ensure the vivid colors remain in the flower petals, and the stalks become rigid in an upright position. Nosegays are also beautiful hanging upside down on a series of hooks.

Once completely dried you can place nosegay bouquets in waterless bud vases, or place several together for a larger, dried floral arrangement. A few drops of potpourri rose-scented oil will add lovely fresh scents to your dried floral nosegay bouquets.