When you think of shoulder corsages, you may picture dated, bulky clusters of flowers finished with a mass of stiff ribbon. This style still prevails, but there is another way. When I began making floral jewelry and started experimenting with faux leather, it clicked that I could create streamlined, updated, light-as-a-feather shoulder corsages using this fabric as the base. The faux leather is sturdy enough to hold the weight of flowers but soft and supple enough to hug the body’s contours. Instead of the time-consuming and bulky traditional wiring, here the floral material is simply glued to the faux leather base. The corsages can be attached to delicate gauzy fabrics using corsage magnets or to thicker fabrics with corsage pins.
STEP 1: Sketch and cut a shape out of the faux leather to make the corsage base.
STEP 2: Cut the lisianthus from its stem and cut the blossom in half to reduce its large size and high profile. Used on its side, its ruffles adds texture to the design.
STEP 3: Add glue to the corsage base and squeeze a small amount into a bowl. Take 3 lisianthus petals and dip them, front and back, into the glue. Press the petals onto the base and hold firmly for 10 to 15 seconds.
STEP 4: Dip the acacia into your glue reservoir and add it to the base, letting it cascade off the side. Place the acacia next to the 3 lisianthus petals.
STEP 5: Cut the ‘Earth’ roses from their stems, dip them in the glue, and press them onto the base.
STEP 6: Cut the Japanese spray roses flush. Dip them in the glue and find a nice spot to cluster a few of them. Leave a little length on one and float it above the others to create depth and interest. Cluster a few more of the these around the ‘Earth’ roses.
STEP 7: Cut a few agapanthus florets and tuck them in to cover any remaining base and add texture.
STEP 8: Cut a few more agapanthus blooms with their stems. Dip their stem tips into the glue and stand them up, allowing them to float over the other elements in the design.
STEP 9: Cut the hellebore stem, retaining a little stem length. Apply glue and find a nice focal point for these special blooms.
STEP 10: Check the perimeter for unfinished areas and add small details throughout to complete the piece.
STEP 11: To attach, first position the corsage on the garment. Press the corsage to the fabric and lift both away from the wearer to protect the skin from the corsage pins. Find a nice spot between blooms in the top of the piece and, angling the corsage pin downward, guide the tip of the pin into the leather base of the corsage and through the garment, pushing the pin down 1/4 to 1/2 in (6 to 12 mm) or so, then start angling the pin upward and guide its point back through the garment and the corsage base. Make sure that the point rests fully on the surface of the corsage, not underneath the corsage next to the wearer’s skin. Insert another pin in the same way on the opposite side of the piece, approaching from the top and orienting the pin downward to secure the corsage in place. If you plan to use corsage magnets, attach them to the faux leather base using floral adhesive—one on either side—before adding flowers.
NOTE: Hellebore become sturdy and reliable for use in wearable work only after they have gone to seed.
