My Bare-Minimum Floral Design Tips

Posted bymtnmamafloralsPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

(And how to say F**k-it to Fear)

If you’ve read my previous post on being an ‘Accidental Wedding Florist,’ you know that I didn’t start out knowing what I was doing. In fact, I’m still learning and figuring that out. When I say that the very next time I made an arrangement was AFTER I decided to officially become a Florist (which also happened to be years later), I’m not exaggerating. **If you’re bored of stories and only interested in my Bare Minimum Floral Design Tips, scroll to the bottom.**

Fast forward to when I began making moves to become a Florist, my desktop is filled with lists (things to learn, things to buy, etc.), and I’m dying to make my “first” arrangement! What I wouldn’t tell a soul at the time was that I mostly wanted to see if I was even any good at arranging flowers. As much as I wanted to jump in, I was having this inner battle on which came first: the chicken or the egg? And by that I mean, I couldn’t possibly make the arrangement without buying the tools first, but I also couldn’t buy the tools unless I was sure this was going to work (cue steam coming out of my ears).

This is the moment where I reiterate one of my long-standing mottos: F**k it and go!

I swallowed my danged fear (yet again) and just went for it! I drove to the local grocery store, picked out flowers I thought would look nice together, got a cute vase, and took them home to be floristed…designed?…arranged?? Whatever you want to call it, I did it to those flowers. And guess what, they looked be-YOU-tifully sub-par. (Don’t mind me, the tears are from cracking up at this creation still) Honestly, at the time I was darn proud of those flowers, but even that is not the point! DON’T STAND IN YOUR OWN WAY (I’m creating more mottos for myself every day if you can’t tell). All that mattered was that I did it and I decided to continue to get better. You don’t always need to be a pro to attempt something, in fact I challenge you to (safely) do something you’ve always wanted to but didn’t think you were quite ready. Who knows, you might just be amazing, or love it enough to work towards becoming amazing!

Warm floral arrangement, sunflower, tulips, orange roses, flower centerpiece
Warm floral arrangement, sunflower, tulips, orange roses, flower centerpiece

The Bare-Minimum Floral Design Tips

And for you beginner Florists out there (whether you’re designing for yourself or others) here are some tips that may help:

  1. Bare minimum things you need:
    1. Flowers
    2. Knife or scissors
    3. Water
    4. Container to put the flowers in (preferably one that will hold flowers)
  2. Pick flowers of varying sizes (small, medium, and large blooms)
  3. Pick flowers in colors that you like together (don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise!), whether that’s similar colors or opposing colors, have fun with it!
    1. You can also use different textures to add interest
  4. Whatever knife or scissors you use to trim them, make sure they’re sharp and clean
  5. Make sure to cut off at least 1-2 inches of the stem, and try to cut at a 45° angle to help the flowers take in more water
  6. Take off any leaves that would be sitting in water, otherwise they cause bacteria to build up a lot more quickly
  7. To allow your flowers to open more (but not too quickly) and look healthier, after you trim them, keep them in water in a cool and darker room
  8. Arrange flowers so that the blooms fall on varying planes to add interest, rather than all sitting at the same height and same direction

Happy Floristing!

Sincerely,

Savannah Wichman

Leave a comment