Whether you’re creating a simple arrangement for your home or bringing some life to your next party, flower arranging is an art. Learn how to master the basics and you’ll be able to put together a bouquet that will impress your friends and family.
The first step is to choose the right flowers and greenery. These elements need to complement one another and add texture.
1. Choose the Right Flowers
Flower arranging is a great way to add color, life and interest to your home. But it’s also an art form that requires careful planning and attention to detail.
The first step to flower arranging is choosing the right flowers for the occasion and your home decor. Martha Stewart Living suggests selecting blooms in three primary colors and using them together for a cohesive effect that won’t overwhelm your design.
Depending on the size of your vase, you may need to consider the amount of flowers needed to make it look full. Keeping this in mind can help you avoid excess blooms and create a more organic, plucked-from-nature effect with less flowers overall.
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing flowers is seasonality and the theme of your wedding. Whether you’re hosting a spring, summer or fall wedding, you’ll want to consult your florist early in the planning process about which flowers are readily available year-round.
2. Select the Right Vase
The vase plays a critical role in the look and feel of your arrangement. It should coordinate with the style and proportion of your flowers as well as the location where you intend to display them.
Vases can come in a variety of shapes, including rectangles, squares, spheres, and more. They also come in different materials, including glass, metal, and ceramics.
Glass is a popular choice, as it allows you to see the stems and foliage. It also gives your flowers a modern touch without compromising the aesthetic of your arrangement.
Alternatively, metal vases are an interesting alternative. They offer a more industrial feel and are usually safe from breakage. They can be colored or clear, and they offer a clean aesthetic that works for most decor styles.
3. Start With Greenery
Whether you’re arranging flowers for an event or just to add some seasonal cheer to your home, it’s important to know how to put together an arrangement that will look stunning. To get started, start with greenery—think fern fronds or ivy—to set the stage for your bouquet.
Floral designer Julio Freitas of The Flower Hat notes that greenery helps your arrangement have both a vertical and horizontal presence. Plus, it helps keep your bouquet costs down by cutting back on the amount of flowers you need to purchase.
Once you have your greenery and vase, it’s time to choose the right blooms for your design. Generally, you’ll want to select flowers that work together for their color, texture, and shape.
This means choosing monochromatic blooms if you’re working with a single color palette or a combination of colors for depth and balance. You’ll also need to consider your vessel, selecting one that will help the florals stand up and look beautiful.
4. Add the Final Touches
A floral design isn’t complete without a few final flourishes. Accents like ribbons, twine, mini foil balloons or ornamental grasses add some sparkle to a vaseful of flowers. You could even go the extra mile and place your design in a larger container to give it some depth.
Choosing the right vase for your floral display is one of the most important decisions you will make. A vase that will hold water without leaking is key. You can also get creative with non-traditional containers, like scraped out pumpkins and hollow logs. It’s also worth noting that you should take the time to choose a vase with a diameter that is about 1-1/2 times that of your chosen stems. This will give your arrangement a bit of sloshing room for the flowers and keep them from wilting. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid using the same vase for multiple arrangements to prevent cross-contamination. The best flower arrangements are those that are both beautiful and functional.
