How to Make Woven Lavender Bouquets

I'm determined to enjoy everything the garden gifts me this year, and the lavender is spectacular:@) In an effort to preserve a little I made a couple Woven Lavender Bouquets. This is a play on lavender wands, the main difference, the bouquets show the actual blooms instead of completely covering them. This does mean some of the buds may fall off, but I'm ok with that. They vacuum up nicely and help naturally fragrance the vacuum too. 

Any 1/4" wide ribbon will work and embellishments are totally optional. I added a ribbon to the back so the one with the bee could be hung up. The bee is a button from my stash and the green bow is from Dollar Tree Christmas craft items. You can find lots of YouTube videos if you search lavender wands or lavender baskets.

✂What I did:

1. Cut an odd number of stems (I used 9 and 11 for these two). Cut them long, but leave an inch or two of green stem on the plant above the woody part so it continues to grow. It's best to cut them early in the morning, once the dew has dried but before the sun gets hot.
2. Gather the flowers into a bouquet, tie ribbon around the stem about 2 inches or so below the flowers to hold them together. Where you tie the ribbon will determine how long the woven part will be.
3. Gently crease each stem with your fingernail and fold it back over the ribbon so it creates a stem and lays on the flowers.
4. Begin to weave the ribbon through the folded stems, over then under... Getting started is the hardest part, once the first two rows are done it will get easier.
5. Weave the ribbon all the way to the flowers. Tie or hot glue ribbon to secure it. 
6. Carefully trim the stems that aren't covered in ribbon so they don't show in the bouquet.
7. Add any desired embellishments.

The lavender I planted last year: Technically a second year plant, even though I did move it in very late summer/early fall. I did trim it to right above the woody growth at end of season. This one seems to grow in a very wispy, loose, style. 

And to get an idea of the size... They are about 1:6 scale:@) Ken is such a romantic devil!

Let's preserve a little bit of summer and

Have a Happy Day:@)