Silk flowers add elegance to a ring pillow. A crisp fabric holds its shape well; we used silk dupion, shantung, and taffeta. For petals, cut straight-sided ovals with scallop shears. For the flowers on the garland, our petals were 8 by 16 inches; for the flowers on the tables, 5 by 12 inches or 6 by 14 inches; for the 6-inch ring pillow and the flower girls' bouquets, 4 by 8 inches.

Silk-Flower Ring Pillow How-To

1. Gather the center of one petal and hold it firmly.

2. Gather the center of a second petal and lay it on the first at an angle; continue holding the center gathers in place.

3. Repeat with a third petal, positioning the stacked petals so they make a complete rosette with no gaps. (If you want a fuller effect, make the rosette with up to 5 petals.) Wrap floral wire tightly around petals at the center, and twist underneath to secure. Excess wire becomes a stem.

4. Make 2 more rosettes (for a showier flower like the bouquets, make 4 total).

5. Stack rosettes, slipping each wire stem between the petals of the rosettes beneath.

6. Twist stems together; cover with floral tape. Fluff petals. For the garland, wrap stem around greenery. For the table flowers, cut stem short. For the ring pillow, cut stem short, sew flower into place through wires at center, and tie on a ribbon, threading it through wire on top. For a bouquet, add millinery leaves.