Need a way to secure your silk arrangement without using florist foam? Let me show you how to make a wire armature!
How to Make A Wire Armature
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A wire armature will add support to your arrangement by helping keep the stems in place . Unlike working with floral foam, you don’t have to worry if the mechanics show. Since it is made of decorative aluminum wire, it also adds interest to the arrangement.
Sneak peek of finished arrangement to see the armature!
The Bowl
I used the same bowl that I had previously used to make an Autumn arrangement. I also used some of the floral elements from that arrangement also. Details about how I styled that arrangement can be found here:
The Floral Elements Used
In flower arranging, it often works best to use odd numbers. I have 3 hydrangea heads, 3 green faux succulents, one red succulent, but only two brick red hydrangea heads and two roses. Since I only had 2 of some stems, that is what we will use! The floral police aren’t going to arrest us for using an even number!
For texture I have some faux grass and some berry stems . You might want to have a small pair of bolt cutters to use to cut the stems off a large bush of silk flowers. I found that bolt cutters worked better than anything else in cutting through the thick stems of artificial flower bunches.
THE PROCESS
The armature is easy to make. I used two colors of Oasis Decorative Wire to make the armature. I used gold and red for this project but it comes in many colors. I chose colors that coordinated with colors of the flowers I was planning to use.
The Oasis Decorative Wire and the Diamond Wire can be found on Amazon. I chose to use red and gold wire to coordinate with my silk stems. The wire comes in a variety of colors so you can coordinate with your color palette. I love the Smither’s Oasis brand and have used that the most. There are other similar brands available on Amazon and in craft stores.
The aluminum wire is very malleable. You will need needle nose pliers to cut it and to make the circles that will be described later in the blog. Once you have chosen your bowl or other container, you will want to cut off a piece of wire approximately 1 1/2 time the diameter of the bowl. I cut a piece of wire from each roll of wire and then worked them together to form the armature. The armature is very free form so there is no wrong or right way to do it.
The finished armature will be dome shaped. As you are shaping it, periodically place it in the bowl to see it looks. For my armature, I wanted it to fit loosely just inside the bowl.
Once you have the armature like you want it, you will begin placing the stems along the edge of the bowl. Place the stems between the pieces of wire in order to secure them. I started with the placing the three green succulents.
Working around the perimeter of the bowl, add your large cream hydrangea heads next.
Fill in with the rest of your stems.
The finishing touch is the addition of the circles made out of Oasis Diamond Wire. In order to make the circles, you will need your needle nose pliers and a piece of Diamond wire.
By grabbing the tip of the wire with your pliers, you can bend the wire in a circular shape. You can make the circles as big as you would like. I made these about the size of a quarter. In order to make them a little longer, I used floral tape to attach them to a cowie pick or wood pick. My thumb nail has spray paint on it from a project earlier in the day!
Save This Pin For Later!
The finished arrangement almost looks real, doesn’t it! Once you learn the techniques of making a wire armature, you can use that armature as a support for a fresh arrangement as well!
One Last Look!
I decided to place the arrangement on top of an old piece of porch post ! I just love using pieces of architectural salvage in my decorating. If you are looking for ways to add interest to your decorating with pieces of architectural salvage, more ideas can be found here!
In addition to using the wire armature to add support to your arrangement, another option is to use an artificial hydrangea head.
The details can be found here: DIY Rustic Spring Centerpiece
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This is a great idea. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you , Carol!
I love that little parts peek through the arrangement! I really does look real!
Thank you, Linda! The wire does add just enough interest without overshadowing the flowers!
I didn’t even know what an armature was! This is a great idea!
I first learned to make them with very supple willow for wedding work. You will love working with the wire!
Brilliant! I will definitely be trying this!
It is really fun to make these! They are perfectly imperfect!
This is a great alternative to foam, which can be so messy to work with. Pretty!
Thank you,Marie!
Great ideas! I love dough ball bowls!
This floral arrangement came out so wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Meagan! I enjoyed creating it!
Just beautiful Kimberly! Thanks so much for sharing the process with us!
thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful!
Thank you so much!!
Beautiful, Kimberly!
thank you , Leslie!!