Flower arrangements make a world of difference when it comes to adding color, life, and vibrancy to a room. Whether you prefer to display flower arrangements only when you’re entertaining or enjoy having them in your home on an everyday basis, creating flower arrangements doesn’t have to be time-consuming, difficult, or costly.
This tutorial (inspired by a DIY flower arranging class hosted by floral expert, Oriana Maki Nelson, at Anthropologie in Carmel, California) shares tips on creating easy flower arrangements that look beautiful and take only minutes to make.
Easy Flower Arrangements
Supplies:
1. Floral Foam (Dry Foam Block)
2. Knife
4. Flower Vase or Container
5. Fresh Flowers and Greenery
How To Prepare:
1. Start by soaking the dry floral foam in water. The floral foam should be fully damp, without being over-saturated (which would make it seem soggy or mushy when touched). The floral foam is used to create a base for the flower stems to be placed in (making it easier to create elaborate looking flower arrangements). In addition, the wet floral foam keeps the fresh flowers hydrated by enabling the flowers to absorb the water in the floral foam.
2. Using the pruning shears, cut the flower stems on a diagonal angle. At minimum, the stems should be cut at least 1 inch from the bottom, but you can go shorter, to create varying heights of flowers when you arrange them.
3. Great places to pick-up fresh flowers (that are affordable) are at your local Farmer’s Market or at a Safeway supermarket. Both locations offer a wide variety of flower choices that are not only fresh and in-season, but long-lasting as well. Keep in mind that the best flower arrangements include a mixture of flowers with large blooms and small blooms. In addition, when selecting fresh flowers to use for your flower arrangements, you can focus on a particular color theme (like primary colors or pastels) that either complement your home decor or tie-in with your party’s colors. But there’s no limit to the variety of color combinations you can use – be creative!
Instructions for Creating Easy Flower Arrangements:
1. Now that you have prepped your flowers and floral foam, you are ready to being arranging. Using a knife, cut the wet floral foam down to size (to fit within the vase or container, ensuring that it is at least 1/2″ lower than the rim of the vase).
2. Start with the largest blooms first. Place them strategically in the floral foam, at slightly different angles.
3. Next, start to fill in the open spaces with smaller flowers.
4. To finish your floral arrangement, fill in with lush greenery.
That’s all there is to it! Within minutes, you’ve created a beautiful flower arrangement. You can even add more water to the vase after several days (which the floral foam will soak up) to extend the life of your flowers.
Featured here are some example flower arrangements (featuring sweet Hydrangeas and playful Gerbera Daisies) that were created during the Anthropologie floral arranging class, to give you some inspiration for making your next flower arrangement. To learn more about the DIY classes hosted by Anthropologie, visit Anthropologie’s Event Page to sign-up for event invitations from a store near you.
No matter how you create your flower arrangement, just remember to get creative and have fun!
