Hi everyone! Happy new year!

I want to start the year off right –by giving thanks to the people around me and by spreading the love. What better way to do that than by sending cute personalized cards to people?

Before I start with this super short tutorial, I just want to say sorry for not being online that much. I’ve been juggling bits of thesis work, the National Debate Championship in Baguio City (I’ll blog about this and other things someday), and miscellaneous org duties this past December. But I’ll have enough time to post more things this year. Hopefully :)

And with that intro out of the way, let’s start!

What is Floriography?

Floriography refers to the language of flowers. The practice of assigning cultural meanings to different flora is ancient (especially prominent in east asian societies), but its refinement and popularization in the West really began in the Victorian era, when the first flower dictionaries were published. Everything from the cut of the specimen to the arrangement of the bouquet meant something in the context of intricate courtships, familial ties and friendships.

I adored the thought of sending unique arrangements to people to convey how I felt about them, and what I wish for them in the future. But I doubt anyone has the time or the budget to get bouquet arrangements in real life, so I thought, why not send virtual flowers? They’re similarly unique and thoughtful, with the added bonus of being pocket-sized and extra personal/artistic. After all, you “grow” the flowers yourself, and they’ll never wilt!

1. Gather Materials

The step “gather materials” reminds me of every scientific procedure I had to do in grade school to high school.

Anyway. Here’re the materials required:

• Watercolor paint and brush
• Black ink pen
• Scissors
• One-hole puncher
• Thin ribbon
• Plain board paper
• Envelopes

2. Compose your Message

I’m no expert in floriography (beyong knowing that red roses mean passionate, romantic love), so I had to consult a flower dictionary to compose my messages.

For example, I wanted to tell my mom how much I adored her strength and her awesomeness, and I also wanted to wish her good health and fortune for 2016. So this is the selection I came up with:

White Camellia (Adoration, perfection, loveliness)
Apple Blossom (Better things to come, good fortune)
Canterbury Bells (Gratitude)
Red Daisy (Beauty unknown to possessor)
Sage (Wisdom, good health and long life)
White Lily (Majesty)

Feeling a little lost? Dictionaries are pretty accessible online, but I’ve uploaded some references to share here anyway: 1 2 3

3. Paint the Bouquet

With a trusty black pen and my favorite watercolor set, I made quick impressions of the flowers I wanted to send. Because they were quick designs with more feeling than planning, the flowers weren’t necessarily accurate down to the size and style. But I think they turned out pretty well!

4. Tie it all up

No one is really well-versed in floriography nowadays (at least, the people I was sending to aren’t), so it’s helpful to attach a guide to the meaning of the flowers.

I added ribbons to ‘tie’ the bouquet together, just to give the floriography card a more interesting, three-dimensional effect.

5. Sign and Send!

I signed the cards and wrote the names of my loved ones on the envelopes.

And we’re good to go! :)

xxx

See you!