How to Make Wedding Pomanders

You can use rose buds, orchids, daisies, tulips, or just about any type of flower. You can even use fake flowers that have been pre-scented or that you can scent yourself. It's up to you. Silk flowers can also be elegant and scented as well and will last longer than a live setting, although real flowers store sentimental meanings. You can also save the flowers, dry them and store for future potpourri.

To keep the pomander balls fresh, go to your local craft store and I'd recommend using floral arrangement foam balls. These balls can be decorated and dunked in water like a sponge, which keeps the floral setting fresh.

The most important thing is to allocate your expenses. Decide what you'd like to spend, what your budget will be and what's the most affordable outlet to make these little charms.

Decide where you will get your flowers from too. You can go to your city flower mart, such as the one we have in Los Angeles or you can order the flowers yourself from a local flower shop.

After you have decided upon a budget, you can begin collecting the supplies.

Once you've gathered everything, set aside storage and work space for yourself. You can use

What you will need:

1. The foam flower arrangements

2. The flowers: real of silk flowers

3. Ribbon: to hang the balls from. You want hefty ribbon, like the type that's 1.5-2 inches wide. Any color, depending on your wedding them.

4. Long stick pins, the type that you'd use for hats, but not too long.

5. Scented oils, if using silk flowers for arrangements

6. Glue guns

7. Scissors: Kitchen scissors if cutting through the stems of silk flowers and garden shears if using real fresh buds.

8. Trash bag to tidy up your mess.

9. A clean and ventilated workspace

10. Your creativity

1. Order or pick up your flowers. If you go to a flower mart, you can choose several flowers in bulk and IF you have a business license, like me, for catering and design, you can buy your flowers wholesale. The only issue is storing the flowers and keeping them cool, until you can use them. I would make sure to make the balls 2-3 days before the event. You can also cut the buds off, poke pencil sized holes in a freezer storage bag and place the flowers in the refrigerator as well. This will keep the flowers fresh for up to 2 weeks. Or you can take the flowers and place them in vitamin/nutrient water until you plan to use them, that way, they will be fully hydrated and ready to use.

2. Take the floral ball. Take a long pencil or dowel and stick a hole that runs straight down the center. This is to run the ribbon through it. You take the ribbon, feed it through the ball, and tie a triple knot at the bottom of the ball. This will anchor your pomander ball. You can even loop the ribbon, making an instamatic hanging loop for ease!

3. First: If using real flowers, take the buds and cut them off, I to 2 inches below the stem. You want to leave a neck/stem, as if you're making a corsage. You want the stem to be able to reach moisture.

4. Decide upon the size of the ball you are going to use for your pomander. If you're making a softball sized ball or larger, then cut flowers accordingly. You never know just how many flowers you will need, you just cut and stuff, until the ball in completely covered, making sure not to leave any spaces.

5. It's a simple process. Do you remember how when you're making a turkey for thanks giving, and you take the cloves and stick them in the turkey, but you only use like 10? Well, When making a floral wedding pomander, it's wise to completely cover the ball up to make a flowery aromatic, globe of awesome beauty!!!

6. Once you've completely stuffed your pomander balls, take a spray bottle and spritz the arrangement. Keep it fresh. Once you have made the first one, you can go on to the next one. I'd recommend using roses first and experimenting with a silk flower pomander first for practice. Experiment with spraying and spritzing your ball with aromatic oils for aroma.