Wiring Flowers & Foliage Instructional Materials Service Texas A&M University - 8949B -

Wiring Flowers & Foliage Florist Wire Wiring Fresh-Cut Flowers Wire Gauges & Types Wiring Techniques Floral Tape

Corsages & Boutonnieres Designs with decorative botanicals. Florist Wire is a mechanical aid used by florists in constructing many types of floral designs including: Corsages & Boutonnieres Bud Vase Arrangements Wedding Floral Pieces Sympathy Designs Designs with decorative botanicals.

Florist Wire Florist wire is used by florists in constructing many types of floral arrangements, including corsages and boutonnieres.

Florist Wire Florist wire is used to support the flower and to maintain the shape of the design.

Florist Wire Floral designers use a variety of florist wire and wiring techniques to support the materials used in their designs. Practice and experience help the designer determine which wiring technique and gauge of wire will work best in constructing various types of floral designs.

Wiring Fresh-Cut Flowers

Wiring: Advantages Florist wire may be used to: Protect brittle stems in transport. Keep flower stems straight. Support heavy flower heads. Straighten slightly crooked stems.

Wiring: Advantages Wiring is essential in the construction of body flowers. It allows the designer to create stems for individual florets. It also serves to replace natural stems that would otherwise be too bulky and heavy. Wiring provides support and keeps flowers in place while they are worn.

Wiring: Advantages Wiring is also functional in designs with decorative botanicals. Most decorative botanicals consist of plastic coated wire stems. Floral designers use additional wire to bunch small clusters of flowers together, lengthen or create new stems, and attach accessories to the design.

Wiring: Disadvantages Wiring fresh-cut floral materials increases labor and design time, which may increase the cost of an arrangement. In vase arrangements, the wire beneath the water level may rust, leaving mineral deposits on the inside of the vase. With clear vases, this may detract from the appearance of the design.

Wiring: Disadvantages Fresh-cut floral materials sustain injury and dehydration when pierced by wire. They become susceptible to bacterial invasion, which may decrease the longevity of the plant material.

Wire Gauges & Types

Wire Gauge Florist wire varies in weight and thickness, ranging from heavy and thick to light and thin. Wire gauge is the measurement or industry standard used to indicate wire thickness.

Wire Gauge Florist wire gauges range from 16 to 32. The higher the number, the thinner and lighter the wire.

Wire Gauge

Wire Gauge Considerations used when selecting wire gauge: Size and weight of the flower stem. Purpose the wire is being used. Where in the design the flower will be placed.

Wire Gauge An important consideration in corsage work is to use the finest wire gauge possible to support the plant material and to reduce the overall weight of the design.

Wire Types Green wire has an enamel coating that prevents rusting and blends with the natural color of flower and foliage stems. Silver wire (bright wire) is used primarily in corsage work where it is concealed with corsage tape.

Florist Wire Florist wire is available in boxes of 12-inch or 18-inch lengths. Florist wire is also available in continuous lengths on spools or as paddle wire.

Wiring Techniques

Wiring Techniques Select the lightest gauge wire necessary to properly support the plant materials in the design. Blend the wire into the design so it is invisible or less noticeable. Avoid twisting the wire multiple times down the stem. This reduces excess bulk and weight.

Wiring Techniques In corsage work, wire laid parallel to the stem creates less bulk and reduces design time.

Wiring Techniques

Bracing Bracing is a wiring technique in which the floral designer places a floral-taped wire loop underneath a large delicate blossom or foliage for support.

Bracing

Extension Wiring Extension wiring is a technique used for securing clusters of delicate flower stems. This technique is especially successful with small, individual dried flowers inserted into floral foam as a group. Extension wiring is practical for grouping small clusters of tiny mass flowers in corsage work.

Extension Wiring

Feathering Feathering, or frenching, involves dividing or separating a flower into small components and reassembling them to resemble smaller versions of the original flower. This wiring technique is used with carnations, Gerbera daisies, and bird of paradise flowers.

Feathering a Carnation

Hairpin Technique The hairpin technique is a method for wiring foliage that has multiple leaflets, such as leatherleaf fern. A thin wire is bent at its midpoint to create a hairpin shape.

Hairpin Technique The hairpin shape is passed through the lower section leaflets of the foliage. This technique allows the wire to lay parallel to the stem.

Hairpin Technique The hairpin wiring technique is also effective for supporting delicate tube-shaped flowers.

Hairpin Technique

Hairpin Technique Before inserting a hairpin wire into a tube-shaped flower, a small piece of moistened cotton is placed into the crook of the hairpin wire.

Hairpin Technique The wire is then inserted carefully into the tube of the flower and allowed to exit the base of the flower stem.

Hairpin Technique The wire is pulled gently until the small piece of cotton becomes firmly held in place against the inside of the flower.

Hook Wiring The hook wiring technique is used to secure and support daisy type flowers in corsage work.

Hook Wiring

Hook Wiring Bend the tip of a wire to create a small hook. Wire Hook

Hook Wiring Insert the long end of wire into the center of the flower and pull gently down until the wire is practically hidden.

Hook Wiring Care must be taken to not pull the wire too hard, which will break the flower head.

Insertion Wiring Insertion wiring is used to support and reinforce flowers such as carnations and roses that have solid stems. This technique is also used to support bulb flowers with hollow stems such as tulips, irises, daffodils, and hyacinths.

Insertion Wiring Solid Stem Hollow Stem

Insertion Wiring: Solid Stem Wire is inserted into the calyx of the flower. Wire is wrapped around the stem to secure it in place.

Insertion Wiring: Hollow Stem Wire is inserted into the bottom of the stem and upward to the base of the flower head. Gently, the wire is pushed against the calyx until firmly in place Excess wire is removed.

Piercing The piercing technique is used for flowers such as carnations and roses that have large, thickened calyxes.

Piercing A single wire is inserted through the calyx, midway from the base of the calyx to the petals.

Piercing After centering the flower head onto the wire, the wire is bent downward and parallel to the natural stem end.

Cross Piercing Cross piercing is a technique used to support heavy blossoms. It is also used for wiring roses and orchids for corsages and boutonnieres.

Cross Piercing Two wires are inserted perpendicularly through the flower calyx.

Cross Piercing The wire is bent downward and parallel to the stem.

Stitching Stitching is the technique for wiring foliages used in body flowers. Designers use this technique for controlling large specimen foliages in floral arrangements.

Stitching

Stitching From the backside of a leaf, a stitch is made under the midrib.

Stitching The wire is bent downward and parallel to the stem.

Stitching After taping the wire to the stem, the designer can curve the leaf if desired. The wire functions to hold the leaf in position.

Floral Tape After floral stems are wired, designers use floral tape to conceal the wire from view. Floral tape also helps preserve moisture within the plant material.

Floral Tape Floral tape consists of wax-coated paper that becomes self-adhering when stretched. Floral tape is available in numerous colors; however, the most often used color is green because of its blending qualities.

Floral Tape To tape a wired floral stem, twist the floral stem with the left hand and pull and stretch the tape with the right hand.

Acknowledgements Jane Gloyd, TMF, AAF, Horticultural Professor (retired), Richland College, Dallas, Texas organized and developed the information used in this PowerPoint Presentation. Christine Stetter, Artist, Instructional Materials Service, developed and illustrated this PowerPoint Presentation. Keith Zamzow, Curriculum Specialist, Instructional Materials Service, edited and reviewed this PowerPoint Presentation. Vickie Marriott, Office Software Associate, Instructional Materials Service, edited this PowerPoint Presentation.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction or redistribution of all, or part, of this presentation without written permission is prohibited. Instructional Materials Service Texas A&M University 2588 TAMUS College Station, Texas 77843-2588 http://www-ims.tamu.edu  2006