Are you curious about how to use floral wire? Floral wire is standard supply for floral arrangements. Know the right floral wire gauge and how to use floral wire cutters in today’s blog.
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What is Floral Wire?
Floral wire is a kind of threading manufactured from various kinds of metal, like stainless steel, aluminum, and iron. Floral wires come into two variations: floral stems, and then you will see the spools of thinner floral wire. The floral stems are excellent for strengthening bouquets and making arrangements to stay firm and an upright when you arrange them.
The stems are also highly recommended for the reinforcement of heaving flower arrangements. Flower stems that have become pliable or soft also need support from stem wires to ensure that they stay in shape no matter what. After applying stem wire, the floral tape can be used to maintain the bouquet’s appearance further.
There are different kinds of stem wires based on use, coating, and design. There are the coated or painted variety, bare wire, and the wrapped variant.
The type of floral wire used in different flower shops is usually the wrapped variety.
These instant wires are convenient for use because they already have a right look, so no matter what kind of arrangement you’re planning, the wires will match the final arrangement’s intent and design.
Did you know that floral wires can also be used for creating wire art? Many advanced florists and flower designers use various floral wire to create art that is then integrated into separate arrangements later on.
Wire art for floral arrangements includes artificial stems of different appearances. If a floral arrangement isn’t balanced, you likely have to make up for it by creating wire art so that the arrangement becomes visually striking.
Floral Wire Gauges
How Do You Use Floral Wire?
Floral wires come in different gauges, depending on the user’s need. Like other wire gauges, the lower the floral wire’s value, the thicker and more durable it is.
- Gauge 16 – This is the ideal kind of floral wire because of its thickness and density. Denser wire tends to be more durable, too. Use gauge 16 wire if your arrangement contains much more massive flower bunches; you need more durable stems. Otherwise, you may have to double the quantity of wire you are using to make it work.
- Gauge 18 – Gauge 18 wire is perfect for creating floral wire art. It’s malleable enough to be manipulated repeatedly. It’s also ideal for regular stemming work. Combine these two activities in most arrangements, and you will see how useful gauge 18 wire truly is.
- Gauge 22 – Gauge 22 wire is manufactured specifically for fixing greenery in floral arrangements. Use this when you are creating smaller arrangements and art pieces, such as corsages and wreathes. In particular, wreathes require many small details, and the spaces that need to be appropriately bound to maintain the aesthetics are far more than a traditional bouquet. Smaller wires can help keep the balance of your arrangement without taking over the color and appearance. Thinner wires are still durable, but they are far less conspicuous.
- Gauge 26 – Gauge 26 floral wire is used mainly for attaching different ribbons to any bouquet. This wire is also necessary if you work with smaller and more delicate flowers that would likely break or be torn apart by bigger wire. Smaller wires can be adjusted by the millimeter and not break smaller flowers.
How Do You Use Floral Wire with Tape?
If you are making only small arrangements, it’s possible to succeed with just floral tape
.
Please take note that floral tape is unique in the sense that it won’t stick to itself unless you stretch it. Stretch breaks the special wax lining on top, which prevents the adhesive from stick to the tape’s body. Small areas can be secured with floral tape.
However, for the arrangement itself, you need to use any of the available floral wire methods.
Corkscrew – The corkscrew method is simply winding the wire around the step near the flower base and taping the end.
Cranking – Cranking is used to attach a larger stem to another object tightly. The wire is wound around the stem before being twisted to a doubly durable wire.
Feathering – This is called the Frenching method. A wire is used to segment a flower and create partitions before the flower base is pierced and then secured with some floral tape.
Hairpin – The hairpin method is just a u-shaped wire that can secure a petal, a group of petals, or stems. The tape is used to secure the closest base to the u-shaped wire.
Palette – This is the most basic insertion, with a single loop going into a flower base. The rest of the wiring can be twisted loosely.
Stitching – A stitch means that the wire will go through a leaf or any other object and exit through the underside, like stitching with a thread.
Cross-piercing – A cross-pierce is using a thicker wire to cut through a stem vertically and horizontally.
How to Cut Floral Wire?
The best tool for cutting floral wire is using a wire cutter. Wire cutters are super convenient to use, and they can be handled so that you can make quick cuts at whatever angle is needed.
Can You Use a Box Cutter?
Box cutters can be used for the thinnest wires, but they’re not safe, and you will likely end up with a banged-up blade afterward. We recommend using the right tool – a pair of wire cutters. There are different kinds of wire cutters, so we recommend the ones made for florists to handle just right and are easy to use.
