Making a corsage and trimming wire
Making a corsage with the traditional wire and tape method can turn into a bulky stem. You must continue to snip away excess wire - always cutting off the bulkier of the two wires.
You'll see that the stem will grow in size, but still is manageable and looks good.
Add a sprig of wax flower or other filler. Tuck this down below the carnation head so the flower can still be seen.
Choosing whether you want standard roses or the smaller spray roses will depend on the wearer. Roses are graded by the size of the head in millimeters. Short stems (which I recommend for wedding work) are typically 40mm - which is better suited than the larger 50 and 60mm heads.
However - the head size is governed by the rose variety as well.
Peal away a few of the petals if you need a smaller rose head or use a spray rose. A mixture of the both standards and spray roses also works well in corsages, adding in more interest with the different sized heads.
As you tape down the stem, you'll see a patter of switching from right to left and back again to the right, always moving the flower head down as you tape.
From the side you can see that the corsage has some depth, which is definitely desirable over a flat "stick like" taping.
I'm now adding in a corsage loop and taping it into place.
I placed the loop so it peeks above the rose head, but doesn't conceal the carnation bud.
Now I am adding another carnation, except that it is a little more open than the first one at the top.
