Tussie Mussie Bouquet

Tussie Mussie Bouquet Tussie mussies are small arrangements of flowers, greenery and herbs could convey complex symbolic significance according to the botanical components used. Though tussie mussies have been around "since humans first picked blossoms," says author Geri Laufer, they were notable enough to appear at 1440 in the first English-Latin dictionary. They were carried in the Victorian era by unmarried ladies instead of jewelry. These little, emblematic nosegays are filled with significance determined by the flowers you pick for the bouquet.



Tussie Mussie Expert Geri Laufer Geri Laufer, very literally, wrote the book on the tussie mussie, the magical flowery bouquets once carried by proper Victorian ladies.



Tussie Mussie Supplies To make a tussie mussie you may need: good quality, double-sided satin or cloth decoration / a cotton glove / garden shears / scissors / elastic thread / extra large tapestry needles / 3-inch wide lace or lace trim / floral tape / a champagne flute or other vessel / a selection of flowers and greenery: love roses, miniature carnations, garden blossoms, maidenhair fern, statice, English ivy and lavender all work well.



Pick Your Center Flowers Pick the flowers you need to appear in the middle of your tussie mussie arrangement. We utilized compact, intimate love roses for the middle of this tussie mussie.



Strip the Flowers Strip the leaves in the long stems of your selected flowers.



Mound and Tape the Flowers Arrange your selected flowers to some mounded form. Take floral tape and begin to tape the flowers together.



Select Your Greenery Select greenery to frame your own flowers. We selected sweet marjoram, which adds a delightful fragrance to the tussie mussie. Strip the herbs or greenery of their leaves. Sweet marjoram signifies joy. Learn the meaning of the flowers and greenery you've selected for your tussie mussie and discuss it with the receiver in a notice.



Circle the Flowers Put five sprigs of your greenery evenly around the flowers in your tussie mussie. Keep your flowers and the herbs in the same level.



Continue Wrapping Firmly secure your herbs to your blossoms by continuing to wrap floral tape around your bouquet.



Select the Next Form of Flowers Select five flowers in a contrasting colour to framework and encircle your initial blossoms. We used pink mini carnations.



Insert Carnations Strip leaves and buds from your five carnations and keep to organize them evenly around your roses. Securely combines the carnations into the fragrance with floral tape.



Add Mint Add a second layer of greenery or herbs to a tussie mussie. We utilized mint, stripped it of its reduced leaves (but keep the discarded leaves for a tabbouleh or poultry soup urges Laufer). "Mint means heat of atmosphere," states Laufer, making it the ideal addition to your tussie mussie meant for a sick friend, to welcome a new baby or to signal romance.



Wrap Mint Continue wrap floral tape around mint to affix it to the fragrance.



Insert Statice Statice placed evenly around your bouquet adds a beautiful burst of color to the arrangement. Laufer recommends always having an odd variety of blooms for your own arrangement.



Insert English Ivy The wonderful thing about tussie mussies is, they do not need long-stemmed flowers and greenery. You can use flowers and plants from your garden, similar to this English ivy. Any large-leafed plant similar to this ivy creates the ideal framework for the bouquet. Be sure to always use unblemished leaves in your bouquet when picking flowers and plants from your garden.



End With Floral Tape Diagonally twist the floral tape around the bouquet till it's the length and width of your hand.



Clip Long Stems Cut the stems of your flowers and plants so they are exactly the same length as your palms and finishing tying off the bouquet using all the floral tape.



Create Your Collar To create a pretty collar for your tussie mussie choose your 3-inch lace or lace and cut on one yard.



Sew the Collar Thread a brief, big-eyed tapestry needle with your elastic thread, which makes the ends of this thread exactly the identical length. Create a running stitch along one edge of the lace, using large stitches 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch.



Tie into a Circle Gather your threaded lace into a circle and tie the elastic ribbon, although not too tightly. You ought to be able to place a few fingers through the middle of the collar's circle sufficient space to fit the stalks of your own bouquet.



Attach Your Lace Collar Turn your tussie mussie upside down and slip the elastic lace collar over it.



Utilize a Glove to get a Bouquet "Sock" Cut a finger off of your white cotton glove.



Attach Your Bouquet Sock "Pretend you're dressing your Barbie," laughs Laufer. Use the cotton swab to cover your stems: the tacky floral tape ought to allow it to adhere. This bouquet "sock" can help hold moisture around your stems.



Add a Ribbon Choose a lawn of coordinating ribbon to tie around your bouquet stem. Tie off the ends of the ribbon for a more polished appearance. Preserve your tussie mussie in a champagne flute or tea cup filled with water.



Finished Bouquet Tussie mussies make the best token of affection, particularly when their opinion is magnified with fresh blossoms and herbs in your garden. They are a lovely present for Valentine's Day, to welcome a new baby or to wish someone well.



The Possibilities Are Endless Use your creativity--and what's at hand --to create a tussie mussie. This bouquet incorporates rosemary, a central red rose, miniature carnations, maidenhair fern and eucalyptus for a classic, elegant arrangement. Think about texture and contrast in your arrangement, mixing small-round foliage crops with spiky ones, or silver-toned colours with greens that are darker.