How to make a swag for a wedding arch

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

Sunflower floral swags are an organic way to brighten up your day. It honestly couldn’t be merrier for the lovebirds to exchange vows in front of a sunflower-inspired archway filled with love, joy and personal touches. Here we made a set of asymmetrical arch swags, the lush one measuring 36” long x 10" wide, while the smaller one 18" long. Keep on scrolling for how we put together these pretty arrangements! 

You may also explore our Floral Arch for wedding for more inspirations before you start.

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

  • some greenery 
  • foam roses
  • sunflowers
  • daisies
  • baby's breath
  • petite flower accents
  • wire stems  
  • wire cutters 

How to make a swag for a wedding arch
                 

Step 1  Start by building 2 units of greenery base. Cut the gum-drop eucalyptus garlands at 3 FT long. Take 2 pieces and hold the ends together, add in a branch of willow foliage. Secure them with wire stems. 

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

Step 2  Wire your desired flowers around the base one by one. In this example, we used some faux sunflowers, with several ivory roses in varying sizes. 

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

Step 3  Insert hints of fillers such as the adorable daisies and white baby's breath for variety and depth.  

Step 4  To create the 3FT-long floral swag, we extend the base by adding more greenery in a semi-circular shape. Fill in 2~3 stems of sunflowers in the center as the star of this swag. Layer the rest of roses around the focal flowers for a lush and textural look. 

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

Viola~ Now why not give them a try by attaching them to right angles of a wooden board or your arch if you already have one!  

We hope you find joy in floral arranging as much as we do while staying home. If you are giving this project a try, let us know how you get on. Share a photo with us and hashtag lingsmoment on Instagram so that we can all see the beautiful pieces you made.

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

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Learn how to make a flower swag for your wedding arch with this simple, step by step tutorial.  You can substitute other flowers, different colors or greenery.  The basic steps are still designed the same way.

The products and fresh flowers used in this tutorial were:

  • 15 - 18 Stems Baby Blue Eucalyptus
  • 11 White Cymbidium Orchids
  • 1 tube Oasis Flower Adhesive
  • 10 Peachy Pink Fado Roses
  • Water tubes on Wooden Stakes
  • Acrylic Dethorner
  • Florist 22 Gauge Wire
  • Green Stem Wrap
  • 6 Red Roses
  • 1 Jumbo Oasis Cage (prefilled with foam)
  • Floralock Stem Adhesive
  • Finishing Touch or Crowning Glory Flower Sealant
How to make a swag for a wedding arch

leave how to make a flower swag and go to all flower tutorials

Knowing how to make a floral arch swag for your wedding arch can save you a ton of money.

You wouldn’t believe how expensive it is to have someone else do it for you!

For the price of a wedding arch rental and a few supplies, you can create a stunning swag that looks like a pro made it.

We’re going to tell you how below!

Related: Make This Stunning DIY Flower Wall

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

It’s always beneficial to be a little crafty for your wedding day.

It’ll help cut some of the costs, add a personal twist to your design, and proves to be rather therapeutic.

One of our favorite ways to get creative is with the floral decorations.

Now, well all know, weddings are filled with flowers. They’re literally everywhere.

So, making sure that they all coincide with each other is so important. We find, one of the best ways to do this is by doing it yourself.

Below, you’ll find instructions on how to make a floral swag for your wedding arch.

Related: wedding arch flowers arrangements

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”VuqtgXP4″ upload-date=”Mon Aug 03 2020 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Here’s How to Make a Floral Arch Swag for Your Wedding” description=”Knowing how to make a floral arch swag for your wedding arch can save you a ton of money. You wouldn’t believe how expensive it is to have someone else do it for you! For the price of a wedding arch rental and a few supplies, you can create a stunning swag that looks like a pro made it.”]

What is a flower swag?

A flower swag has been popular for decades, especially for weddings. However, they have been used in different settings and events.

They’re essentially decorations made of flowers, designed and pruned for special occasions. And what’s more special than a wedding?

Swag has been used to decorate ancient temples, graves, and homes. In ancient Rome, they were even worn – something you’ll often see in Renaissance paintings.

Something else to note: Flower swag, particularly garlands, have had religious connections for a period of time. So, regardless of your wedding, these wonderful pieces will always be appreciated.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into our flower swag instructions.

FYI, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we earn a small commission at no extra charge to you. 

How to make a swag for a wedding arch

What you’ll need

So, this does differ slightly for every design, and indeed, every wedding.

Below is a general rule of what you’ll need.

We’ve pointed out what is essential for every single crafty floral swag.

The links will take you to our preferred products on Amazon, but you can get them from craft stores too if you prefer.

  • 1 tube of Oasis Flower Adhesive (essential)
  • Florist gauge wire (essential)
  • 1 oasis cage, that has been pre-filled with foam (essential)
  • Stem adhesive (essential)
  • Green Stem wrap (essential)
  • Your choice of flowers (either fresh or artificial)
  • Finishing touch flower sealant

Step 1 – Pick your theme

This is an incredibly important step, so don’t miss it out.

You must decide on what you want your floral swag to look like.

Different flowers make a completely different vibe to others.

Make sure you’re picking colors and styles that will match your overall theme and aesthetic.

For instance, a forest/natural themed wedding would have a completely different selection to a traditional white wedding.

Choose your flowers wisely. After that, you can decide what type of look you will try and achieve.

Messy? Natural? Traditional? Modern?

Step 2 – Start with your greens

Every piece of floral swag needs greens.

This usually comes in the form of leaves, but can also be various flowers that are predominately green. Think fern, for example.

You should start with these green pieces, these are your framework for your design.

Make sure to place them in your oasis tub at different lengths. That will make it look a lot more natural.

We also recommend that you shorten the greens at the top and bottom, keeping them relatively long on the sides.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RvNqGHlf4/

Top tip: angle the greens forward as you make your way to the middle of the foam.

Yes, you should put greens all in the middle, too. However, make them shorter in the center.

Remember, your middle stems should be pointing forward.

P.S make sure you add different shades/types of green for a more varied look.

Step 2 – Add the flowers

Next, you’ll be placing your filler flowers into your oasis.

These will imitate the angles of the greenery, and be the centerpiece for your swag.

Just like with the flowers, make sure you shorten the flowers in the center.

This creates that desired enclosed look, that we all love from the floral decor.

Flowers that don’t have long stems will need to be taped in and wired. Make sure this is discrete.

Top tip: if you’re using roses, make sure that you de-thorn them. If you don’t, you risk ruining the foam.

You could also hurt yourself, which isn’t ideal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9QuUeVHGWS/

Step 3 – Complete your design

Admittedly, this may take a few trial and error runs.

This isn’t a necessarily hard DIY, but perfecting your colors and design can be a little tricky.

After all, you want everything to be perfect.

So, find out what works best with each color, what design matches your aesthetic, and work with it.

Step 4 – Finishing touches

Of course, you’ll need to put sealant on your amazing design – this will ensure it stands the test of time.

You can also add glitter or ribbons at this point. Anything that makes it perfect for you, for your big day.

The last step is, of course, to attach your floral swag to your wedding arch.

These pieces work the best in the corners of wedding arches, so bear that in mind.

DIY Floral Arch Swag Tutorials

Work better with visuals rather than written directions?

Take a look at some of our favorite tutorials on how to make a floral arch swag for your wedding.

1. Visual guide to our step-by-step directions

This tutorial follows the same steps that we discussed above, so it’s a great place to start.

2. Floral Swag made with pool noodles

Foam blocks and cages can be oddly expensive. This tutorial saves you money by using pool noodles instead!

3. DIY Dollar Store wedding floral arrangements

This one is fantastic for those on a super tight budget. Most- if not all- of the supplies come from a dollar store.

Learning how to make a floral arch swag for your wedding arch isn’t terribly hard, as long as you have a little patience!

Well, we hope this helps you not only achieve your dream aesthetic but do so in a truly authentic way. Remember to show us your designs, attempts, and masterpieces. 

How do you make a corner swag?

To assemble your swag, take the two smaller swags and form an upside down L. At the corner, where the two swags meet, attach the two swags with zip ties. You may use a heavy gauge floral wire if your prefer, but I found the zip ties did an excellent job securing the two swags together.