Leslie Fischer-Preuss has a passion for creating unique flower arrangements suitable for many occasions.
“Unique” doesn’t come close to describing the arrangements because each flower in them is made of wood. The arrangements feature wooden flowers that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. Fischer-Preuss’ lifelike floral arrangements are lasting, sustainable and look like real flowers.
Opening her own floral business was a longtime dream that Fischer-Preuss had. It came to be in 2023 as Timber + Petal Floral Studio, based in Birnamwood.
In her arrangements, she uses greenery and fillers that are faux or dried, with the wooden flowers as the stars of the pieces. The pieces are all natural and will last for a long time.
Fischer-Preuss enjoys crafting pieces for weddings. She said that brides can choose the type of flowers that they want, without the cost of fresh flowers.
The bouquets and arrangements she creates for weddings and other occasions last forever.
She also creates arrangements for funerals, which provide a lasting memento and reminder of a significant person in someone’s life.
“For funeral flowers, I feel like I have a special calling for that,” Fischer-Preuss said.
She said that after a funeral, the flowers die, which she compared to a secondary loss.
“This is a way to remember that special person and have that lasting arrangement to display in your house,” Fischer-Preuss said. “I feel that I have a special connection to grievers.”
Turnaround time for a funeral arrangement is usually a day or two, but it depends on how busy she might be.
Fischer-Preuss has a background in working for a professional fresh flower florist, but she’s completely self-taught as a wood flower crafter.
The wooden flowers that she makes start out as a roll of paper formed from the pith of the Sola tree, which grows in parts of Southeast Asia. Fischer-Preuss cuts out individual petals for a flower from the roll and puts them together to assemble a specific type of flower.
The wooden flowers are lightweight, so a finished piece may be lighter than a live floral arrangement.
Fischer-Preuss is also able to get some wood flowers already assembled from a distributor.
“There are some really great small businesses that I support that have these flowers,” she said. “One is actually from Wisconsin.”
Fischer-Preuss has to dye, airbrush and hand paint each petal to mimic a real flower. She uses rice glue to put the petals together.
“Once I have all of the petals ready to assemble, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to create a flower,” Fischer-Preuss said. “I want them to look real, not fake.”
She said that she likes making arrangements that people can enjoy forever. She makes pieces to sell, creating items that appeal to anyone who enjoys floral arrangements. Fisher-Preuss also makes arrangements specific to a customer’s wishes.
In addition to selling her arrangements, Fischer-Preuss will rent some of them to her customers, such as swags and centerpieces, for special occasions. This gives customers the chance to display larger pieces for special evens without the higher prices.
Working as a luxury wood flower florist, she doesn’t have the expense of refrigerating live flowers, and she doesn’t have to worry about flowers wilting or dying.
Arrangements for sale range in price from $10 to just over $400.
“I’m trying to grow my business, but I just want people to feel loved and supported, and if this is a way that I can help and spread that, that’s what I try to do,” Fischer-Preuss said.
As a business owner, Fischer-Preuss is very customer-oriented.
She said that the floral arrangements she creates are a lasting memento or a lasting reminder of a significant occasion in people’s lives. She said that she really enjoys making custom arrangements for her customers.
Her first husband, Jeremy Fischer, passed away unexpectedly and tragically in 2018. They have two children, Kailyn and Beau.
When she remarried in 2022, she was intent on making the floral arrangements for their wedding held in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Her interest in a sustainable floral product led her to making the wooden flowers she used for her wedding pieces, the same wooden flowers she specializes in today. She made her bouquet, her attendants’ bouquets and boutonnieres for her husband and groomsmen, in addition to other floral arrangements.
Fischer-Preuss has a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. She also has a master’s degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in adult education.
She works full time for the Medical College of Wisconsin, placing students in their medical rotations.
The Timber + Petal venture is a side job that Fischer-Preuss fits in between her Medical College position and running around with her children, who are both involved in sports.
She works out of her home in a little studio. Hours are by appointment only.
Fischer-Preuss runs classes for eight to 30 people at her home to learn how to create wood flower arrangements.
Her arrangements can be seen and purchased at Chet and Emil’s, 388 Main St., Birnamwood.
Fischer-Preuss will run a workshop at the Birnamwood Berry Merry Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair on Nov. 28 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The event is held at Chet and Emil’s.
She has a Facebook page, Timber + Petal. Her website is www.timberandpetal.com
Fischer-Preuss can be reached at 715-903-0232. Her email is timberandpetal@gmail.com
Leslie Fischer-Preuss, left, owner of Timber + Petal Floral Studio in Birnamwood, explains how she handcrafts wooden flowers to Cindy Holewinski, of Pulaski. Fischer-Preuss gave an overview of how she creates wooden flower arrangements at an Oct. 13 Shawano Woman’s Club program. (Lynn Zaffrann)
