We love having big bountiful bouquets in our home and with the grocery stores really stepping up their game, fresh colorful flowers are easy to come by, but how do you go from grocery store bouquet to showstopping arrangement? It’s actually way easier than you probably think. Let’s get started!
First things first, find your inspiration. The most important thing here is knowing what colors you’re on the search for and whether you prefer the look of a monochromatic bouquet or a contrasting bouquet.
Now that you’ve purchased your flowers and you’re home, the first thing you’ll want to do is trim the stems at an angle. There’s really no wrong way to put your flowers in water, but trimming them at an angle ensures they aren’t sitting flat against the bottom of the vase missing out on good nutrition. And while you’re at it, go ahead and trim any foliage that will fall below the water line. This is an important step because underwater foliage can cause bacteria growth that will kill your flowers.
Next on the checklist is to choose a vessel for your arrangement. And the rule of thumb here is to choose one that is 50% based on looks and 50% based on what flowers you’ve chosen; for instance, if you’ve opted for more top-heavy flowers, you’ll probably need a weighted vase, while flowers that are more delicate need a taller vase to ensure they stand up. Our favorite places to find unique vases are local thrift stores, just make sure you clean your vase first.
Are you ready for the best flower arranging hack? Create a grid using floral tape over the mouth of the vase, then as you begin arranging, you’ll stick the stems through the holes to keep them in place while you create your art. Our very best advice is to start with a base of greenery so that your arrangement is full from the bottom to the top. Follow up your base with focal flowers; to create a natural look, use an odd number of focal flowers. As you’re adding flowers, you can place your vessel on a lazy Susan to better scope out your arrangement as you go. And last but not least, you’ll complete your arrangement by adding filler flowers where they’re needed to create a full bouquet. Depending on what shape you’re going for, you’ll want to snip stems as arrange your flowers.
And last but certainly not least you’ll want to finish off your bouquet with delicate blooms like baby’s breath or yarrow; these go in last so they don’t end up getting squished by larger blooms. Before you display your creation, give it a little spritz of water to mimic nature’s fresh dew.
In the following days, you’ll want to refresh the water daily to keep bacteria at bay and your flowers looking fresh.