How To Wear a Corsage for your School Ball

 Corsages are worn at formal dances such as the school ball, usually on the wrist or on the left side of your chest. It is preferable to buy your corsage before the dance so that it will be fresh for the night. If you leave buying until just before, a florist may not have any flowers left and, if they do, there is no guarantee they will still be in good condition.

Go to any florist and choose fresh corsage flowers that match or even contrast with your dress. Pick up one or two extra stems - this will ensure you have enough to make a matching corsage for yourself and perhaps your date too! Remember to take into account the size of the person's wrist. The flowers might look very small on a large man's arm, whereas a child's corsage would be lost if it were made from big blooms.

When you get your flowers home, cut off any leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds using sharp scissors. These will turn brown and rank if left in water so you must get rid of them! Put some flower food in the jar and fill with cold tap water to within 1 inch of the top or just cover the stems. Press down lightly to make sure all stems are covered by water then , set your flowers out on a table where they can receive plenty of fresh air . They will need at least 4 hours before setting them in a vase of water . Don't worry if they seem a bit sad when you first put them in the jar, flowers always look a little droopy when they come out of plastic. They will perk up after 4 or 5 hours.

Check that there are no insects hiding in your blooms and then cut the stems to length. Try gathering them together in a circle with one hand and move your thumb down from top to bottom repeatedly until the flower heads bunch together naturally. If you don't have enough flowers for all your corsages, make some buds by simply tying smaller bunches of flowers together with florist tape. These make great wrist corsages and can be made very quickly!If you wish, you can wrap your corsage with tulle to make it more ornate, simply secure the tulle at either end of the stems.

Every girl needs a corsage for her left wrist and one on her dress or bust. Attach these before you leave home so that they're fresh but do not put them on too early as this will leave them limp! Put some glue on the back of each flower and stick firmly onto its chosen spot; press down firmly until it stays still - your flowers should last all night if placed correctly.

Hope this helps! Happy dancing!!