Poseys are Hard

You can’t hide behind a posey; it’s an airy, sweet creation that sits in its tissue and wrapping, hoping to exude Posey-like charm.

What even is a posey? It’s a small bunch of flowers. They have also been referred to as a tussie-mussie. Apparently, they were a Victorian thing. People would send one another coded messages through little bunches of flowers.

So I made one today for a client who wishes to present it to a young student performing in a play. This thought, how charming and sweet the gesture, is what got me through my two dozen attempts to wrap it chicly.

For the flowers, I went with a bit of a grown-up tone using cappuccino roses, antique peppermint carnations, red ranunculus, cornflower, and variegated aspidistra.

Wrapping a posey is, no doubt, a bit of a head-scratcher, maybe even more challenging than putting together the flowers. Coaxing stiff paper to fold just right, ensuring a smooth cascade and snug wrap, all without suffocating or masking what’s inside. Arghh, I swear, the pint-sized dimensions only amplify the fussiness.

What kept me going was imagining how, once my client had the posey, it would accompany them in the car to the show and then rest in the dark on their lap. The idea of marking the occasion with flowers, the excitement of watching the performance, and knowing these blooms would eventually find a home in the student’s space—all of these elements evoked memories of my own days as a theatre kid. The surprising and overwhelming joy of being presented flowers after taking such a scary and vulnerable leap took me back.

The last time I got post-performance blooms was when I hit the stage in a no-AC Montessori auditorium. My hair stylist came and sat right up front with flowers, his arm in a sling. He bailed midway ’cause of the terrible heat in the place and the cast itch got too real. Passed the flowers to a couple next to him, and magically, they found their way to me. Left a mark, you know? I figure it’s this memory that got me through the ribbon struggles, stopping it from doing a nosedive off the posey’s cone.

I like how it turned out.

 

So I want to share this tip for anyone who would like to create their own:

Take a cue from wrapping a gift: kick things off at the back, thread the ribbon through the layers of tissue or wrapping paper, tie a knot behind the posey, swing those strings to the front, cinch up another knot, and seal the deal with a bow.