As spring brings renewed growth, fresh blooms and sprouts are everywhere and we are refreshed. Here in Zone 5 things are just barely starting to peek through.  We have a few early flowers and trees are starting to bud, but we have a few weeks to go to really feel the full glory of spring.  So as I was contemplating what to write for the Simply Lovely Flowerpots fair hosted by Susan at Attaining Virtue, I thought of some flower pots we had crafted – ones that could be used for spiritual flowers.

What kind of flowers don’t wilt or fade away, are always in season and full of life, and can be found anywhere.  The flowers of a spiritual bouquet.   A spiritual bouquet is an offering of prayers, sacrifices, and devotional acts by one person on behalf of another.  A gift of prayer is always the right size and never goes out of style.  It seems that we don’t hear so much about spiritual bouquets these days, but I remember growing up they were very much a part of my childhood.  We made spiritual bouquet cards in my Catholic grade school for our parents, for those going on retreats, for ill classmates or teachers.  It was a common gift from my father to us on our birthdays – a gift of much love and caring – hand drawn flowers to represent his prayers for us. 

It is most often sent as a card.  But there are many ways to make and present a spiritual bouquet to a recipient.  Attached to a living bouquet is always lovely but here are some hand-made versions to consider.

Spiritual Bouquets in Flower Pots

Last year we saw an idea for making photo holder in a flower pot and used it to make a holder for a Pentecost display and an Marian images display for May.  Paint or decorate small terra cotta pot as desired.  Cut several peices of wire into desired lengths for stems.  Bend one end of wire to form a base so it will “stand” in the pot.  The other end is twisted with small jewelry pliers to form a curl which will hold the blossom/flower.  Mix a batch of Plaster of Paris according to directions, pour the plaster into the terra cotta pots (remember to plug hole), and when it starts setting place wires into the plaster.  After it hardens make your paper flowers with prayers and offerings to attach. You can also cover the plaster with small flowers, decorative moss, or other covering.  Here are a couple examples of “potted” spiritual bouquets.

An advantage of these is that they can also be used afterward as a display for pictures or holy cards by the recipient.

 

Tissue Paper Spiritual Bouquet

There are a variety of patterns available for making beautiful tissue paper flowers both online and in kits for purchase.  Make several flowers, attaching prayers and offerings to the stems.  Wrap in tissue to give as a gift.

Handmade Cards

There are numerous ways to make flowers on cards – hand drawn, painted, cut out from magazines.  Since rubber stamping is a hobby of mine it is what I usually choose as a card making tool.  There are so many beautiful and fun floral stamps available.

Catholic Rubber Stamp Co. offers a “Spiritual Bouquet” stamp that could be used to easily make a card.  Just fill in the blanks with your intented prayers and offerings.

Suggested Spiritual Activities (to include in bouquets):

  • Prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Memorare)
  • Mass
  • Eucharistic Adoration
  • Spiritual Communion
  • Rosary
  • Divine Mercy Chaplet
  • Novena
Other Resources for Spiritual Bouquets

Domestic Church.com offers this idea for a paper spiritual bouquet while teaching your children the prayers of the rosary. 

Arma Dei sells a kit for a similar activity.

Alice Cantrell offers this lovely downloadable card.

Craft Corner at EWTN inlcudes some ideas as well.