A florist does not buy a ribbon, they buy a gesture. Raffia binds, sisal wraps, organza lightens. Three materials, three moments in the bouquet, and rolls that last longer than you would think.
Binding a stem
5 mm raffia is the base tie. A 200 m roll (ref. BR0007 in red, ref. BR0002 in yellow, 9.80 € per roll) costs 0.049 € per metre. A bouquet takes about 0.80 m for three turns and a knot, so a roll covers around 250 bouquets. It is the best value in the department.
The gesture: three tight turns on the binding point, below the first leaves, then a flat knot at the back. The tails are cut at 45 degrees, never straight, and their length follows the bouquet, about 1.2 times its width.
Wrapping
40 mm sisal is the material for large bouquets. The range holds 43 references, from cream (ref. 4020, 2.90 € for 25 m) to lavender (ref. 5300) and metallic gold (ref. 1800). A 25 m roll dresses about twenty bouquets, at 1.20 m per bouquet. The cost per bouquet stays under 0.15 €: it is the line nobody counts, and it changes the margin.
80 mm sisal (ref. 0014-8, 5.10 € for 25 m) takes over on wreaths and very large bouquets. It is stiffer and holds volume without collapsing.
Lightening
18 mm glitter organza (ref. 80135, 3.90 € for 50 m) sits over the sisal on a bridal bouquet. It does not crush petals and it catches the light in photographs. 69 mm organza (ref. L8, 5.40 € for 25 m) drapes an arch or a ceremony table without weighing it down.
Pots and markets
50 mm jute (ref. 299743, 7.20 € for 40 m) dresses a terracotta pot, a basket, a market crate. It does not slide, it does not mark, it tolerates water. 300 mm jute (ref. 250151) is cut into strips for a display.
For a dried flower bouquet, 25 mm linen (ref. 80195, 2.90 € for 10 m) is truer than satin: matte, it does not shine under shop light.
Trade mistakes
The first: wetting raffia or sisal. Water stains the first and relaxes the second; the tie must stay above the water line. The second: tying a bouquet in 15 mm satin and letting it slide in the customer's hand. Double the knot, or keep satin for the gift bouquet.
The third: ordering by the roll for a single event. A florist tying twenty bouquets a week uses about one raffia roll a month. A parent marrying off a daughter uses a tenth of that. Take the 10 m cut if you are unsure, or the sample box at 6.90 € to compare materials before committing to a roll.
A last note on stock: four colours of raffia and three of sisal cover most of the year. Beyond that, rolls sit on the shelf, dust settles, and the first metre ends up in the bin. Buy the colours you reach for, not the colours on the sample card.
