Unique Baby Shower gifts Part 1: baby sock corsages

Use your floral tape to wrap around the stem. Start at the base of the rose bud, wrapping the tape around the bottom of the rose bud to create a "neck" to the rose bud. Keep wrapping this area until the head of the rose is firmly in place. After the rose bud is secure, keep wrapping in a downward motion around the floral wire until you reach the end of the stem. Multiple layers of floral tape is ok and even suggested, as the stem will be less flimsy. Once you've reached the end of the floral wire, cut off any excess floral tape.Bring the rose head to the middle of the floral wire and bend both ends downward. Twist both ends of wire together to make a stem. Many "how-to"s suggest only one piece of wire. However, twisting the two pieces of wire together this way creates a sturdier rose.Thread your floral wire through the bottom of the bud. Make sure that the wire goes through all layers of the sock; this ensures that the rose won't unfurl.View the list »
Begin by rolling your baby socks from the toe to the heel. This creates a spiral rose shape in the sock. As you near the ankle, roll the ankle over the bud. Doing this creates a fuller bud. If you roll all the way toward the toe, your bud will be thinner, so it really depends on what you prefer. At this point, you should have a rose bud. 

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Several months ago, I noticed a really cool trend for baby showers on the internet while brainstorming ideas for my best friend Margaret's baby shower: baby sock corsages. These creations are a nifty little gift for the new mom-to-be, for baby showers, and for grandparents-to-be. However, baby sock corsages definitely don't come cheap, especially if you have your heart set on one of the more adorable and personalized designs.

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As a more crafty minded thinker, I started contemplating the best way to design my own baby sock corsages to ensure that the recipient of said corsages received exactly what I had in mind. However, the quest for directions for baby sock corsages isn't really an easy one. This proved to be even trickier as I had never designed a floral corsage before, let alone from scratch. Further, there are no simple directions on the internet thus far for such a project. Many of the "how to"s I encountered online left out alot of important details out, leaving me to tweak the steps for more practical purposes.

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For this project, you will need:

  • Small baby socks, either ruffled or non-ruffled. Many crafters suggest ruffled socks; I found these to be pretty bulky. It really depends on whether you like closed bud or open bud roses. The ruffled socks give a more open bud appearance, whereas the straight edge baby socks have a more closed bud appearance. Also, the colored socks are more fun, and can be found in ten packs at Walmart.
  • Small silk roses in corresponding colors to your baby socks. Pink and purple silk roses mixed with pink and purple baby socks roses work well for girls, and blue and white silk roses with matching blue baby socks work well for boys. I found beautiful light pink closed bud roses at the Dollar General in the floral section.
  • Floral Wire. Your best deal will probably end up being at Walmart.
  • Baby's breath. Believe it or not, this was one of the hardest items to find on the list. The only place that carries lifelike looking baby's breath is Walmart. I wasn't too fond of the baby's breath at Michaels only because it was made out of silk and had very big buds.
  • Two rolls of ribbon. You'll need one roll in white, and one roll in either pink or blue. For my design, I chose a medium pink to compliment the hues of pink in the roses and the white ribbon. Thin ribbon is best, because you don't want it to distract attention away from the corsage itself. If you prefer thicker ribbon, just make sure the silk roses are smaller in comparison to the ribbon.
  • Corsage pins or regular jewelry pins. I used standard crafting pins because they have a more secure clasp.
  • Clear drying glue.
  • White tulle
  • Small pacifiers and other decor. (Optional).

For easy to understand directions for designing your own baby sock corsages, simply scroll through the list to view the project step by step.

View the list
  • Begin by rolling your baby socks from the toe to the heel. This creates a spiral rose shape in the sock. As you near the ankle, roll the ankle over the bud. Doing this creates a fuller bud. If you roll all the way toward the toe, your bud will be thinner, so it really depends on what you prefer. At this point, you should have a rose bud. 
  • Thread your floral wire through the bottom of the bud. Make sure that the wire goes through all layers of the sock; this ensures that the rose won't unfurl.
  • Bring the rose head to the middle of the floral wire and bend both ends downward. Twist both ends of wire together to make a stem. Many "how-to"s suggest only one piece of wire. However, twisting the two pieces of wire together this way creates a sturdier rose.
  • Use your floral tape to wrap around the stem. Start at the base of the rose bud, wrapping the tape around the bottom of the rose bud to create a "neck" to the rose bud. Keep wrapping this area until the head of the rose is firmly in place. After the rose bud is secure, keep wrapping in a downward motion around the floral wire until you reach the end of the stem. Multiple layers of floral tape is ok and even suggested, as the stem will be less flimsy. Once you've reached the end of the floral wire, cut off any excess floral tape.
  • Repeat steps 1-4 until you have at least three baby sock roses. You can use different colors of baby socks, such as purple, pink, and white so that each rose stands out.
  • Start assembling a bouquet using three baby rock roses and two small silk roses. Add two or three baby's breath throughout the arrangement.Tip: When working with florals, it's best to use odd numbers. Many people like to use even numbers, but there is such a thing as having TOO much balance.
  • Wrap the floral wire around the base of the bouquet to secure the flowers in place. You may have to move the flowers around if there is too much on one side, or not enough balance on the other side.
  • Cut a piece of tulle and wrap it around the arrangement from the side, to the back, then to the other side. Do not wrap the tulle in the front- the purpose of the tulle is to frame the corsage.
  • Starting at the base of the corsage, wrap the floral tape around the corsage to securr all of the elements in place. This should secure all of the flowers, baby's breath, and tulle into a bouquet. It is at this point you should see your corsage coming to life.
  • Wrap the floral tape in a downward motion to secure all of the items together into the corsage until you have reached the desired length of the corsage tail. Cut away any excess floral tape at the ends.
  • Wrap your two colors of ribbon around the corsage and tie a bow. It's best to put your bow near the base of the corsage. To secure the bow, I used a drop of clear drying glue to the middle of the bow. This step is optional but definitely recommended, as it prevents the bow from becoming untied.
  • Glue the corsage pin to the back of the arrangement. Hot glue is the best type of glue to use for this step. However, I could not find my hot glue gun, so I very gingerly, and very carefully, applied Gorilla glue. Gorilla glue does not dry clear, and pretty much never, ever comes off any surface. If you must use a type of adhesive this strong, you should be very delicate with it.
  • You can add additional ornaments to the corsage if you like or you can use glitter spray for floral arrangements. If giving the corsage as a gift, you can package or wrap them individually.
View the list
Suggested by the author:

, Louisville Jewelry Examiner

Katie Holmes (also known as "Buffy") is an intake specialist at a substance abuse treatment center in her hometown. She enjoys writing, and has been making and selling her own jewelry at her leisure for the past ten years. She enjoys being artistic and creative. You can view her work original...

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