By SHA’URI SHIPLEY-CLARK
Tiger Media Network
The first Hays Public Library “How-To-Series” event of the academic semester took place last week. HPL, which was joined by Forsyth Library, invited Chestnut Street Floral to show attendees how to make their own corsages and boutonnieres.
“Since the last event we did with them went so well, we asked them to come back and do another event with us,” said Forsyth Library Engagement Specialist Anna Towns.
The event required an RSVP to assist Chestnut Street Floral with the number of flowers needed; however, that didn’t stop many individuals from going to the event. The guests ranged from those looking for fun to those wanting to make flower arrangements for their grandkid’s upcoming wedding.
Chestnut Street Floral showed how to make a corsage and listed the supplies that would be needed. They also showed what different types of ribbons could be used for the base and what different types of bracelet material to use.
After they presented how they made their corsages, the guests were invited to make their own boutonnieres.
Chestnut Street Floral Owner Kayci Schumacher led the guests through the craft.
“You would start out with the two flowers of your choice and stick and wire through the bulb of the plant and have the wire even on both sides,” she told attendees during the presentation, offering guidance before and after each step. “Then you would angle one side of the wire down and wrap the other side around the bulb and stem of the flower.”
The next step was to get a special kind of tape made for making boutonnieres and corsages, and wrap that around the wiring and stem. Then you add the “filler flowers” that go around the two main flowers, and start taping the “filler flowers” around the center flowers.
The last step in the process is to wrap a satin ribbon around the stem of the flower and tie it off at the top. Attendees were then given the choice to connect a pin to the boutonnieres to wear.
Hays Public Library will have a How-To event every month. September’s event will be How-To-Series: Meeting Makeover.