Tutorial Tuesday: Victorian Tussie-Mussie

While thinking about what tutorial to feature this week, I realized I couldn't imagine a project more utterly Victorian and suited to our clip art than the tussie-mussie.

Victorian Lady Tussie Mussies by Alice M. Wingerden on Flickr

A tussie-mussie is a small flower bouquet, often created using herbs and flowers with symbolic meanings, and wrapped in a decorative paper cone. While the term tussie-mussie comes from the Victorian era (1837–1901), nosegays and other small bouquets have been a popular gift since Medieval times.

Today, many crafters and artists create beautifully decorated tussie-mussie cones that can be filled with flowers, hung as an ornament, used as a unique wrapping for small gifts, or hung on a mantle as stockings at Christmas. Here's another example from Suzie Crafter Designs on YouTube:


Now, the challenge is that this project is SO simple, I'm not even sure how to put it together in a tutorial! You simply create the paper cone, and go wild embellishing to your heart's content! So, instead, here's a list of supplies

Here's what you'll need to create your own tussie-mussie cone:

Decorative paper cut into a square of approx. 12" x 12" (use a bigger square for a larger cone) You could use:

scrapbook background paper
sheet music
wallpaper
paper you've stamped, painted or printed yourself

Embellishments are limited only by your imagination! Of course, we recommend starting with any one of our vast selection of Victorian clip art, which you can use royalty-free. But you might also use:

scrapbook embellishments
silk or paper flowers
pearls or beading
tissue, lace, or other trim
jewels and jewelry bits

There you have it! What do you think? Will you be trying your hand at your own tussie-mussie? Tell us in the comments!