You will need a pair of sharp snips or heavy
shears to cut the twigs. And you will also need some pussy willows which
are native to our north east.
The trick is to know where they grow.
If you are having a spring wedding you will be in luck as this is when
they are blooming.
If the event is later in fall or winter you can force them to bloom by
cutting shoots from last years growth and placing the stems in water.
The buds will swell and blossom in a few days to a week.
As soon as the pussy willows are open remove them from the water and let
them dry.
Start by measuring the raffia.
Clip pieces of pussy willow to the desired size using the end pieces
if you have enough.
An extra finger goes a long way when tieing the final knot
Lay the raffia out in front of you on your work space and place
the box in the center.
Bring the ends of there raffia up and over and tie one over hand
knot.
Lay a sprig of pussy willow across the knot and tie a final double
knot on top.
Trim the ends and fan them out a bit,
Optional, place a small bit of hot glue in contact with the raffia
and the twig for security in the event the twig shrinks.
Pussy willow and raffia.
Pay attention to the angle of the knot. Use it to your advantage to keep
the twig at a 45 degree anger on the top of the box.
This box should travel fairly well. Try stacking them on the side to keep
from knocking the blossoms off.
For a variation use red dogwood or dark birch twigs or a few small dried
cone flowers on stems.
As with other materials we use there may be artificial options available
in stores and online.