RYERSON EXPANSIBLE ORCHID FOLDER Page P. 
Ribbon bows should be in proportion to the corsage. You cannot make a small 
flower look large by "drowning" it in a huge rosette of ribbon. In fact, to my 
mind, the main purposes of the ribbon are: 1.=- To hide the stem, which is the 
least attractive part of the flower. 2.- To complement or bring out the most 
striking colors in the flower. If you use a contrasting color, choose one which 
does not swear at the colors in the bloom. 
Two=toned ribbons are effective, if one tone approximates the color of the lip, 
while the other matches the petals. A similar effect can be achieved by using 
two different ribbons of the contrasting shades. 
Start with small loops, holding the center part of the bow with fingers and thumb 
of the left hand. Work back and forth, gradually increasing the size of the 
loops until the bow is as wide as you want it; make smaller loops to correspond 
with the first ones. Cut off a short length of ribbon and center it in back of 
the bow. Cut another length of ribbon and tie tightly around the bow and the 
short, straight piece. This straight piece will later be used to anchor the bow 
to the flower stem. Open out all the loops so that the bow has a full, rather 
than stiff and formal look. 
Tie bow in place, well up the stem of the flower. If you have wire ends, 
covered with tape, spiral them with the use of a slender pencil. With the addi- 
tion of a corsage pin, the corsage is now ready to wear. 
The above is the formula for a simple Cattleya Corsage. With a little practice, 
you can add as much detail as you like. For formal occasions, a fluffy bow of 
net can be wired in place back of the flower. Small blooms or spray types lend 
themselves to a wide variety of corsages: a group above and a group below the bow 
with varying length stems augmented by wire; an artificially contrived "spray" 
cascading down from the contrasting bow at the tops; such a spray backed by fern, 
or scalloped medallions of net on each bloom, are some of the methods employed 
by nimble-fingered artists of the corsage business. 
SHIPPING CUT FLOWERS: If you plan to ship an orchid bloom anywhere for any 
reason, certain basic rules should be followed. 1.=- Ship it in a strong enough 
and large enough box so that it will travel without damage. 2.=- Load the bloom 
as instructed above, chill it in the refrigerator, stem still in water. 3.- Use 
a corsage tube or small orchid tube with the right size hole in the snug rubber 
cap, so it will neither leak, nor the cap be lost in transit. 4.- Fasten the 
tube in two places to the bottom of the box with Scotch tape. 5.=- Tuck shredded 
waxed paper or cotton under and around the bloom, between petals and sepals, 
under lip, etc., so that no part of the bloom can rub against the box or against 
any other part. 6.- Label the box "Cut Flowers, Handle with Care", and ship by 
Air Express if possible. If not, Air Parcel Post will do, but some post-offices 
will not insure cut flowers. Of course, it will travel short distances by 
Regular Parcel Post, Special Handling. 
CORSAGE KIT 
If you want to make only a few corsages, and are not near a wholesale house that 
will provide you with the material you need, we'll send you materials to devise 
a half dozen corsages: wires, floral tape, ribbons and corsage pins. Unless 
otherwise requested, the ribbons will be four different shades of lavender and 
purple, including one double-face, two-toned ribbon; one yellow and one white 
ribbon. 
PEISG O00 IN Gane sess eGou0U 
