Ask Ella: Flowers For Your Hair (That Aren’t Flower Crowns)

Ask Ella is a recurring Garden Collage feature where we ask our in-house florist, Ella Stavonsky, about floral design– including the history of, origin, and maintenance that goes into some of the most intriguing flowers on the market today. This column is dedicated exclusively to common and rare varieties of flowers you’re likely to find at your local market. This week, we spotlight to how make your own floral hair pieces, perfect for weddings or other summery outdoor events. 

With Summer rapidly approaching on the calendar (seriously, where did April go?!), outdoor concerts, film screenings, and art installations are springing up in parks across the states.

For the past few years, the accessory of choice has been the flower crown, whose versatile form and carefree vibe combine to form the ideal summery fashion statement. (Besides, who doesn’t love a good flower crown?)

But the world of flowers and hair is much bigger (and dare we say better?) than just flower crowns.

Whether you’re doing your own florals for your wedding or just want to make a something cute for an afternoon spent relaxing on the grass with friends, flower hair pieces are an easy fashion choice that instantly add a bit of wild charm to your look.

You can use any basic hair comb or barrette– just look for options with larger edges, so you’ll have more room to fix the flowers on with. If you’re planning on making a floral piece for a single use, opt for flowers that have plenty of petals, like peonies. Otherwise, if you’d like to dry the floral pieces, stick with sturdy favorites like roses, celosia, or amaranth.

To attach the flowers, simply use hot glue as close to the stem as possible (you want to avoid the petals, so the heat doesn’t cause them to wilt). Don’t be afraid to get creative with using the leaves to fill out the space– embrace the carefree summer spirit!