Handmade Ribbon Boutonnieres

Thank goodness for my wonderful mom.  

When I got the Winter 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, there was a tempting article that detailed how to incorporate bows and ribbon into one's wedding.  One of the projects listed was creating ribbon boutonnieres.  So without giving it too much thought, Todd and I went to Michael's one weekend and picked up six yards of dark blue satin ribbon.  Sitting down with the ribbon and the instructions, I saw several beautiful options for boutonnieres.  

First, there was the Figure Eight style.  Classic, easy, and not too "girly."

Then, there was the medallion style.  This was Todd's favorite.  He liked the shape and how tightly the ribbon was folded.

And finally, the rosette, my absolute favorite!  I love its volume, the thinner ribbon, and the shape.  (Now, if I could only convince Todd to wear a bow tie!  Just kidding. Sort of ;-)

So I thought about the boutonniere designs, and then I began to doubt my competence with a needle and thread.  Suddenly, images of the groomsmen looking like they were wearing a kindergartner's arts-and-crafts project filled my mind.  Then I thought of the handiest person I know, and someone who probably wouldn't mind too much if I asked for help!  So I called mom, and she agreed to do the bouts for the wedding!  I popped the ribbon and instructions into a padded envelope, and asked her to make eight bouts in all, in whatever styles she wanted.  I told her she could do all one style, or mix it up (for instance, have Todd and his dad wear a rosette style, and the groomsmen wear a figure eight style).  Now, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.  And I'm so grateful to have someone infinitely more talented than me handling this great DIY wedding project!

Below is a photo of the approximate shade (the real ribbon's a few shades darker) and thickness of ribbon that the actual boutonnieres will be made from: