Brooch Bouquet

I am making a silver tray guest book for a lady who I met at Glitterfest last year. She is getting married this February and has been collecting vintage brooches to make a brooch bouquet but didn't have anyone to put it together for her. I have seen them on Etsy but have never made one so when she asked me to make it for her I thought it sounded like fun.

I started by spreading out all the brooches and making two piles, ones for the bottom layer and the better ones for the top.

I used floral wire and tape to make stems.

First I had to start by cutting off all the pin backs.

After about two days and very sore fingers I had about 60 plus brooches ready to assemble into a bouquet.

I started off with a small bundle and kept adding to it.  I would check it in the mirror to see how it would look when being held by the bride.

I finished the handle by wrapping it with fabric from the bride.

 The bride had many pins with special meaning, like the "mother" pin and her new initials L and B.

I could not have been happier at how it turned out.