How To Make A Boutonniere: One Dozen Projects

There’s not a lot that’s more charming than a sprig of flowers and greenery and ribbon worn on one’s lapel. It can be festive or romantic, playful or elegant, but always signifies that this moment that we’re living in right now?

It’s something special!

Boutonnieres often seem as if they’re generally reserved for prom dates or members of a wedding party, and of course, those people deserve the beautiful, handcrafted flowers that they’re wearing, but you know, weddings and high school dances don’t have to be the only occasions when one wears a boutonniere.

I kind of fell down the boutonniere rabbit hole as I was researching this article, and thanks to this post that details all the appropriate times to wear a boutonniere and what type of boutonniere one should wear, I’m now pretty sure that everyone should be wearing little bright bits of flowers pinned or buttoned to their shirts every single day.

Although apparently carnations are only for the bold!

So whether you want that handmade element at your own special occasion, you want to save some of your precious money, you’ve got a blooming backyard garden that begs to be displayed, or you’d like to make next Tuesday that much more festive, I’ve got some bright bits of flowers for you to make! Some of the dozen boutonnieres in my favorites list, below, use store-bought flowers, some use what you can find on hand, and some are DIY all the way with nary a growing thing to be seen, but all include complete tutorials so that you can get started crafting right away:

1. Basic Floral Boutonniere

If you’re looking to make a boutonniere from fresh flowers, start here. Grocery store flowers and a few craft store supplies can be transformed into lovely floral boutonnieres for an entire wedding party or prom committee. For bonus points, grow your own flowers, like they do in the next project.

2. Backyard Flower Boutonniere

I LOVE the fact that this boutonniere is made entirely out of flowers you might find in your backyard garden. Hello, coneflower and butterfly bush! It’s fun to take tiny snips and sprigs from your favorite growing things and craft with them.

3. Calla Lily Buttonhole

I love boutonniere tutorials that teach you how to make pieces that exactly match a bouquet. Here’s a tutorial that will let you make a calla lily buttonhole to match a calla lily bouquet or centerpiece. Substitute with similar flowers, if you like.

4. Boutonniere, Bouquet, And Centerpiece

It’s likely that if you’re making your own boutonnieres, you’re also making some other floral pieces, as well. Here’s how to use a bulk order of flowers to craft not just a set of boutonnieres, but also a matching bouquet and centerpiece. Get a team of friends together and whip out the flowers for your entire event in one afternoon!

5. Succulent Boutonniere

Not a fan of flowers? Or maybe flowers aren’t a fan of YOU, and they let you know it with all the sneezes? No problem! This boutonniere made of succulents is green and fresh and yes, you can pop a blossom in if you must. But you don’t have to!

6. Herbs And Berries Boutonniere

Here’s another boutonniere that includes lovely growing things but no flowers! Instead, clip some fragrant herbs and sacrifice a few blueberry stems with not-quite-ripe blueberries. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to appropriate herbs for this boutonniere. Rosemary and lavender are sure-fire wins, of course, but sage leaves are beautiful, and dill would be really fun!

7. Floral And Lace Boutonniere

It’s fun to add non-flower elements to a floral bouquet! This bouquet incorporates lace ribbon, and would be a wonderful way to add in a special piece of vintage lace. Or, you know, just thrift some vintage lace and tell everyone that it’s special.

8. Felt Flower Boutonniere

Remember ALL THOSE FLOWERS that we now know how to make out of felt? Well, now you can turn some of them into boutonnieres! That article that I read about everything boutonnieres wants me to remind you to think small, but all of the felt flowers in those tutorials can be made in miniature.

9. Matching Felt Boutonniere And Bouquet

With this tutorial, start by making a bouquet of felt flowers. Then, make a few small versions to turn into boutonnieres. These are floral arrangements that will never wilt!