Yesterday I mentioned how much I love fresh flowers in the house especially now that springtime has arrived. I also promised a simple and quick tutorial on creating an arrangement at home with store-bought flowers and hopefully this will be just that!
Yesterday, before picking up the monkeys from school, I went to the grocery store and picked up two bunches of flowers. I chose one with some red tones to it and the other was a bunch of greens to be used as fillers. I just put both bunches in some water last evening, knowing this morning I would put together a simple arrangement for you all!
I am sure many of you have either received or purchased a bunch of flowers from the grocery store, got home, unwrapped them, and then just placed the whole bunch in a vase. You take the rubber band off the bottom and an arrangement is created…at least you think. Before you know it, the flowers tip to one side, and within a few days, the flowers start to droop and die. Here are some things that I have found to be helpful after picking up that bunch of flowers!
First of all, you need a vase. It really does not need to be anything specific. I have made arrangements in ball jars, bowls, glasses, vases, you name it! As long as it holds water, you are good to go! You’ll need some tape, scissors, and the flower food that comes with the flowers.
- Fill your vase with water and add the flower food to the water.
- Use your Scotch tape to make a grid pattern over the top of the vase. You are creating some individual openings for the flower stems that will lock them into place. I typically place two pieces of tape horizontally and the other two vertically to make a tick-tack-toe pattern. Green floral tape is another option to use for your grid. You can always pick up a roll at any craft supply store.
- Begin by trimming your flower stems. I like to lay out all of the flowers and see which stem I am going to use to start. I typically pick the larger fuller stems first and I only trim off an inch or so of the bottom depending on the height of the container. Remember, always make sure to cut the stems on an angle, this actually helps them last longer.
- Start placing your flowers. I always place one type of flower first and begin in the center of the tape grid. All three stems of the initial type go into this center opening.
Sometimes my trusty assistants demand kisses during pictures! 
- Select your second flower. Trim them a little shorter than your first choice and place them in the center position of the tape grid too. You can see, the stems begin to cross and hold each other into place. You’ll rotate the flowers as if they were the three points on a triangle.
- Continue to fill up your tape grid, rotating through each type of flower. The one important thing to remember is that you want to vary the length of your stems to create depth in your arrangement. Finally, fill in the perimeter of the grid with your greens. I saved the roses for last, trimming just a small amount off the bottom, and placing them into the vase.
- Last, but not least, finish your arrangement with a ribbon. It helps to mask any tape that may be on the sides of the vase, and truly makes the arrangement look finished.
So give it a try! Stop at the grocery and pick yourself up a fresh bouquet of flowers and make your own simple arrangement! I’d love to see your arrangements, so please share your pictures!
Make it a great day!
Kellie
I can appreciate your expertise and you make it look easy, but I’m not so sure. I think I’ll give it a go and get back to you!
I have no doubt you can do it! Can’t wait to see what you make. Have fun creating!