From Flat To Fabulous - A Step By Step Guide To Making The Perfect Flower Arrangement
Have you ever tried to build a beautiful flower arrangement that just… falls flat? You know what you want, but the final product just isn’t right. Florists know that when it comes to how to make a flower arrangement, it’s much more than just organizing flowers in a vase. It takes time, vision, and artistic flare.
There is no magic recipe that will make you an overnight floral design star. But we do have a couple of tricks we’ve learned over our 108 years in business that will help you with your DIY floral arrangement in no time. (Yes that’s right, over a century!) Lubliner is giving you a little behind-the-scenes peek at our creative process.
7 Steps For How To Make A Flower Arrangement
In this guide, we’ll show you how we turn an assortment of seemingly random flowers into beautiful floral arrangements that are delivered to your front door. Follow these steps on your own arrangements:
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Define the Vision
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The Perfect Vase
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The Flowers
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The Secret Ingredient
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Greenery
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Focal Flowers
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Filler Flowers
Step One: Define the Vision
Before we touch a single flower, we need to understand what the ideal arrangement will look like in its final stage. Arrangements are tangible, living artwork, and as such are intended to make the receiver feel – our job is to ensure the bouquet matches the mood. Will this be a celebratory bouquet, a romantic gesture, or a celebration of life?
Outlining a color pallet for the arrangement can help in this step. Sympathy flowers will look different from birthday flowers, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds while you’re arranging and forget the final product’s intent. That’s why defining the vision for your arrangement is key.
Step Two: The Perfect Vase
As is common in any creative process, a key step to making a beautiful flower arrangement is ensuring you have the right tools for the job. The basics include a sharp paring knife, a handful of thin metal wires that will support the flowers, and of course, the perfect vase.
The vase size and material vary depending on the vision for the final product. Smaller, more discreet vases can complement a full arrangement overflowing with colorful, round blooms. A tall and textured vase can add a more elegant flavor to the final product.
Step Three: The Flowers
Now the fun begins. When picking the type of flowers to build your arrangement, you should look to fill three categories: focal flowers, filler flowers, and greenery. There is no magic number or concoction to the perfect flower arrangement, so make sure you have stems that fall in each category.
Let your color scheme guide you, but don’t be afraid to add pops of accent colors that will add body and depth to the arrangement. At Lubliner, we prioritize local flowers and greens grown in the Pacific Northwest whenever possible. We love to support the local, small businesses that bring us bright, colorful, and fresh flowers throughout the seasons.
Step Four: How to Make a Flower Arrangement with The Secret Ingredient
It’s nearly time to start arranging, but before adding the flowers, we suggest using our secret ingredient to add dimension and natural detail to your arrangement. We spin a tangle of woody willow into a loop and put this at the base of our vase.
Not only is this a beautiful added texture for arrangements in clear vases, but it is also incredibly functional. The willow acts as the frame of your bouquet, allowing you to build volume in your flower arrangements.
Step Five: Greenery
Before adding any flower stems to your arrangement, spend some time arranging the greenery. Build the background of your arrangement with vines, ferns, and other leafy accents. Eucalyptus is a staple in Lubliner arrangements, but there are plenty of greenery options for you to choose from.
Step Six: Focal Flowers
Now the colorful part of arranging begins and brings your arrangement to life. Start with the must-include flowers, the brightest, most beautiful stems that have guided your vision. The species of filler flowers will vary the most depending on the intent of the bouquet.
Peonies are a soft, gorgeous, and elegant touch while roses scream romance. As you’re designing, the woody base provided by the willow should allow your focal flowers to stand alone or be grouped together for 360 degrees of engaging artwork.
Step Seven: Filler Flowers
Filler flowers are the final touch. Add your filler flowers, stem by stem, with a focus on symmetry and bold dimensions. This is your opportunity to fill holes, add complementary colors to key pieces, and deliver the arrangement you envisioned back at step one.
How did your DIY flower arranging go? We want to hear from you! Tag us on social media (@lubliner.florist) or email us a photo of your final product. And if you want us to create the perfect arrangement for a family gathering, birthday, anniversary, or anything else, take a look at our gallery and then reach out to us!
