One of my favorite things to do with dried flowers is make jewelry. Small dried flowers lend themselves to detailed jewelry in the form of bracelets, rings, barrettes, earrings, and so many more options.
For this reason, I keep a box of dried flowers, leaves, grains, and grasses that may have broken off a larger stem or piece of flower.
Check out this post for a list of flowers that dry well and this post for how to dry flowers to use in jewelry and other arrangements.
All of these projects use:
Dried flowers, leaves, grains, and grasses
Glue (Oasis floral adhesive or hot glue)
Jewelry findings (earrings, rings, bracelets, hair combs, etc)
Moss for those projects that need an organic base
For most of these projects, you simply glue flowers to whatever base you are using. If the base has a large surface area, you can use moss as the first layer to provide an organic foundation on which to layer dried leaves, grains, and flowers.
Earrings and necklaces
One of the easiest projects to start with, both earrings and necklaces use small bits of dried flowers.
You will need earring findings with a flat post and necklace findings (bails) with a flat space on which to glue moss and flowers.
Glue the flower directly to the earring post or necklace bail. If the flower is smaller than the bail, glue moss down first. Then, gently glue down the flower.
Bracelets
From Erin Benzakien's book A Year in Flowers, this bracelet is one of the easiest ways to transform dried flowers into a work of art on your wrist. This also makes a beautiful corsage.
To make the bracelet, you will need a bracelet form, moss, dried flowers, leaves, and grasses, and floral adhesive.
Using the glue, attach moss to the bracelet. This will be the foundation off of which you build.
Then, begin gently gluing small petals, leaves, and seeds to the moss. I find it easier to start with bigger flowers and tuck smaller blooms, leaves, and grasses around the larger blooms.
Choose a single tone, or make the bracelet a riot of color. It's hard to go wrong with beautiful flowers.
Rings
Sometimes, you have the perfect flower or cluster of flowers to wear on your finger. You can use small buds clustered together or one big bloom to make a ring.
To make a flower ring, you will need a ring form; floral adhesive; dried flowers; and, perhaps, a little bit of moss.
If the flower covers the ring form, there is no need for the moss. Simply glue the beautiful flower to the flat part of the ring.
If you are making a small arrangement of flowers on the ring, glue down the moss first. Then, glue each flower, pushing gently until the flower is secure.
Hair clip/barrette
A hair clip makes a great base for dried flowers. Again, it lends itself to bigger blooms or smaller flowers and leaves.
Glue some moss onto the clip, then glue the flowers to the top. Gently place it in your hair when the glue has dried.
Hair comb
A beautiful way to display dried flowers is on a hair comb. This can be tucked into your hair, a messy bun, or a beautiful updo. Dried flowers shine in this format.
To attach dried flowers to a hair comb, you will need a bunch of dried flowers still on their stem, a hair comb, and paddle wire used for floral decoration.
Start by wrapping a piece of your wire around the comb a few times on one end.
Gather a few bunches of dried flowers in groups of 3-4 flowers, leaves, and grasses.
Lay the flowers on one end of the comb and begin wrapping the wire around the stems, securing the stems.
Add your next bunch of flowers below the first. Wrap the wire, moving down the comb with each wrap.
Add a final flower to cover the end, wrap the wire around the stems, and trim the stems to the end of the comb.
Trim the wire so that you have enough left to wrap back around the comb, securing everything in place.
Add to your hair and enjoy!
Brooch/pin
The final project is a pin that attaches like a brooch to your shirt, hat, or bag.
These pins come with a sticky surface. Simply peel back the top "sticker" to uncover the sticky part and arrange the flowers as you desire.
Again, there are many more ways to use dried flowers in jewelry, including pressed flowers and flowers in resin. I hope the ideas listed here get you thinking about ways to include dried flowers in your life.
Thanks to @batcaveworkshop for modeling and for creating with me.
Other helpful posts:
**None of the links above are sponsored or affiliated with the companies linked. I am merely linking to the stores where I purchased supplies.