Want to create simple but beautiful flower arrangements to give as gifts or brighten someone’s day? (Note: That someone can be you.) According to Andy N., Master Gardener, Photo Stylist, and all around great guy, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Look out your window
- Clip a few stems or a branch
- Grab a container to “plop them in!”
We asked Andy to share a teeeeeeeensy bit more detail about his “1, 2, 3s” of floral arranging with a workshop in his home garden. Here’s a peek.
HOW TO CREATE SIMPLE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
Andy just asked his guests to bring a container and a smartphone for photos. You’ll need a little bit more:
FLOWER ARRANGEMENT SUPPLIES
CONTAINERS, DEFINED AS “ANYTHING THAT CAN HOLD WATER”
FLOWERS, WEEDS, AND GREENERY—OR ACCESS TO A GARDEN
GARDEN CLIPPERS AND PRUNING SHEARS
OASIS FLORAL FOAM
It was a gorgeous day, so I pulled chairs and work tables outside and we started the day with a tour of my yard. (Well, we really started with lots of sugary pastries, but I digress!) It was important for everyone to get a feel for what was in my yard since they would be clipping and snipping from it—but I also wanted them to envision the potential in their own yards. After the yard tour, it was time to attack the first of four assignments.
Flower arrangement 1: Teeny, Tiny & Cute
Select a tiny container. (I’m always finding little glass bottles, S&P shakers, etc. at flea markets.)
Now, clip a single stem from the yard to stick in the bottle.
Boom!
Pro tip
Attach a handwritten tag with string to make a sweet little gift!
Flower arrangement 2: Bottled up
Choose an old glass pop bottle or milk bottle—something with a wider opening.
Grab a handful of flowers (perhaps daisies?) and plop them in!
The look can be “messy & natural.” It’s easy-peasy!
Pro tip
Don’t overthink! Don’t over-do! Don’t over-arrange!
Flower arrangement 3: Tall & Skinny
Use a tall bottle with a smaller opening.
Cut a single branch from a tree or shrub and stick it in!
One branch will do it. Stunning!
Pro tip
Keep this in mind when trimming and pruning your trees through the seasons.
Flower arrangement challenge: Choose any container!
Now it was time to get into “show-off mode “ using their own containers.
I asked everyone to go out into the yard and snip to their heart’s content.
The secret weapon of this challenge was the trusty Oasis—that green block of sponge-y goodness you put in the bottom of a container to secure your flowers and keep them wet.
More pro tips
- Use lots of greenery to create the general shape of your arrangement—then add touches of color with flowers.
- If you are using a container not intended for water (a basket, for example), line it generously with plastic, then set your Oasis in. Be careful not to poke holes through the plastic. (I learned that the hard way!)
- Experiment, try different things, and just have fun with it!
I was blown away by the all the flower power going on! So fun!
By now, we’d worked up quite an appetite so it was time to break for lunch—to eat, of course, but mostly just ooh and ahh over all the morning masterpieces.
But wait—there’s more!
In true Andy form, this was more than just your typical floral workshop—he combined his floral arranging talents with his photo-styling talents so each participant could double the fun. “I wanted each participant to learn tips about both floral arranging AND photo styling! Two of my favorite things!”
Watch for those tips in an upcoming post. In the meantime, check out more floral arranging and styling hints (and charming commentary) from Andy here and here and here.
Don’t wait to share your flower arrangements with us—post them on Facebook or tag @think.make.share on Instagram!