How To Include Your Pet in Your Floral Details

November 25, 2014

by Paul T 2,827 views 0 Comments

Many couples are seeking to include their pets on their special day and, now that a huge variety of ceremony sites are available, it’s becoming far more common to include a dog—even a horse—in the wedding celebrations. Making floral dog collars for our canine friends, as well as floral decorations for horse halters can be fun.

The easiest way to make a dog collar is to take a fabric collar and bind your flowers around this. If you can’t find professional floral wires, you can create a very basic version by tying a few robust flower heads to some ivy vines and attaching these to the collar. For more sophisticated version you will need a variety of heavy wires and some gutta-percha tape as well as some sturdy flowers. Roses are most preferable, along with hydrangeas, orchids, gerberas, Amaranthus, berries, and mixed foliage, but you can also make them with gloriosa and ranunculus. The most important thing to do is to make sure that the floral collar is comfortable for your dog. The first thing he will do if he feels irritated is roll, and that certainly will crush the flowers. This is why it’s safest and best to create an arrangement like the one we are about to show you, by wiring it onto a collar that your dog is familiar with and that fits well. Once fitted, gently spruce up the flowers. Tell your dog how handsome/pretty he/she looks and instruct not to roll.

Here are four easy steps to make a collar:

Step 1

Cut off each flower head and add supporting wire. Wire each rose by inserting a 22-guage wire through the stem and into the calyx and secure it onto the main stem wire. (Place one wire along the stem and wind the other leg over it three times.)

Step 2

Tape the gutta-percha from the top of the wire to the bottom. This helps to protect the flower, keeping in moisture.

Step 3

Measure one 20-guage wire around the dog’s neck, to tape the flowers onto. Cover the wire with gutta-percha tape first to hide any joins.

Step 4

Add the flowers and foliage, piece by piece, alternately using gutta-percha to secure; start at one end making a hook first. Cut off any unnecessary wires as you tape along. Finish the collar with another hook to act as a clasp, and secure it in place. Wire it onto the outside of the collar, adjust the fit, and talk sweetly to your dog!