Taking care of wood flowers isn’t hard, but special steps have to be taken in order to make sure that they last for as long as possible. A lot of people still don’t realize that choosing sola flowers for an arrangement doesn’t mean that they don’t have to do anything else in order to make that arrangement last. This is why it is so important to know what you can and cannot use these flowers for and most importantly how to use them in order to make sure they look their best for a long time.
What Not to Do When Using Sola Flowers?
The trend of using flowers made out of wood for various events has been on the rise for some years now, and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Even so, there are still some people that don’t really know how to properly use these flowers in order to get the most out of them. They simply think that if the flowers are made out of wood, they can practically use them any way they want. Although these flowers can take a lot of wear and tear, they are not indestructible and do require some special attention in order to look their best for longer.
One thing that some people use sola flowers for is to do various arrangements. That’s all fine and well as long as they are coated with the proper protective layer. The idea is that wood interacts with a lot of the moisture and heat in its environment. If properly protected by lacquer, it can withstand basically anything. But not everybody knows how to protect their flowers. And that is why, sometimes, these flowers can swell up from the moisture in the air or become brittle because of the heat that dries the wood.
Another thing these flowers shouldn’t be used for is suspended decorative elements. Garlands floating above the dance floor are truly beautiful. But garlands made out of wood tend to weigh more than those made out of regular flowers. Granted, the wood used is a very light one, but that doesn’t mean that a full garland doesn’t have a considerable weight. In the event of an unfortunate happening, the arrangement can fall and cause some serious damages and even injuries. And even if the injuries are avoided, the flowers in the garland are pretty much ruined.
People should also know that, although you can pretty much make your wooden flowers look, feel and smell like anything you want and also add almost any accessory you like, they shouldn’t try anything that could potentially harm them. For instance, some paints might be harmful to their health in case of prolonged exposure. Considering that a wedding bouquet can be carried around for as long as 4-5 hours, that pretty much means that anything used on that bouquet has enough time to interact with the person carrying it.
How to Protect Your Wood Flowers?
Wood flowers, although more resilient than natural ones, still need a bit of protection in order to look their best and to make a lasting impression on anyone seeing them. For that, the first step should be adding a protective layer to them. Wood is a porous material, that can interact with a lot of the elements, especially water. That is why special lacquers are usually added to the flowers in order to make them waterproof. Even so, it is not advisable to keep your flowers in moist or damp environments prolonged periods of time.
Another great advice for anyone looking to protect their flowers is to keep them away from any kind of open flames. Fireworks are a very big thing for most events nowadays. But sparks flying from them, or a carelessly handled lighter, can turn your dream floral arrangement into ashes in a heartbeat. Granted, special precautions can be taken, like coating the flowers with special flame retardant solutions. But, as an extra measure of safety, you should always be aware of any flames and steer clear of them. Also, if you don’t want to use chemicals in order to protect your flowers, keeping them away from too much sunlight is a good idea. The heat from the sun can make the flowers “wilt” and the paint on them fade in color.
After the event is over you can keep your arrangements almost forever. But in order to keep them looking as good as the day of the event, special steps should be taken. One of these steps is making sure that the place you put your arrangement is dry and away from any heat sources. So you should avoid placing it anywhere near bathrooms or in a damp cellar or garage. Another thing you can do, if you don’t intend on displaying it, is to preserve it in an air-sealed container. This way you can store it more easily and make sure that it doesn’t come into contact with anything that could damage it.
Why Do People Want to Keep Their Arrangements?
Floral arrangements, bouquets, garlands and corsages are a nice souvenir of a special day or moment in ones’ life. That is why most people want to hold onto that souvenir as long as possible. the best part about using wooden flowers for these souvenirs is that you can even use them again after the event has passed. Some people like to simply display their arrangement in their house, while others repurpose it into something else that can be useful and also pleasant to see. Many people use their wedding bouquets as air fresheners or even decorate other things with them.
Other people might want to hang onto their arrangements in order to create some new tradition in the family. because wooden flowers can theoretically last forever, one can pass them down from one generation to another. So, you might just see in the near future, daughters using their mothers’ bouquets as well as their dress when walking down the aisle.
