How to Make a Fall Floral Arrangement

It’s rare that you walk into our home and fresh flowers are not in at least one of the rooms. Yes, it’s a luxury and something that costs money, but it also brings me joy to see them, so to me, the $10-$15 a week to every two weeks is worth it (even if Aaron disagrees). 🙂

I’ve loved arranging flowers and making my own floral arrangement for some time now, and while I am no means an expert, I thought I’d share some tips I have for making your own floral arrangement. With the holidays coming up, this is the perfect time to try your hand at floral arrangement and create something beautiful for a friend’s table (think hostess gift), or your own!

1. Pick your vessel and make sure it’s clean and free of debris. Fill with water. You may also need clippers or kitchen shears (how adorable are these I’m using?) to trim flowers.
2. Make sure flowers are trimmed at ends at angle and free of leaves (I just pull off any leaves that will be below water, this helps keeps water fresh and flowers alive longer). Keep leaves that will settle above the water, they are great for that “green” affect and you can always pull them off if they are in the way later.
3. Create a grid. A lot of times, we stuff flowers into a vase and they don’t stay put – it’s frustrating! You can easily use scotch tape (or chicken wire) to create a grid that acts as a placeholder for flowers. The thinner the tape the better so it doesn’t take up too much room at the mouth of the vase your using.
4. Start with your biggest flowers first. I like to use hydrangeas or other large floral because they are pretty, simple and take up lots of room. I also like to use one flower type at a time so I can make sure it’s evenly distributed throughout the arrangement.
5. Once your large flowers are in, start adding your “filler” or statement flowers. Turn the vase around and around as you work, so you can fill gaps.
6. Add greenery/statement pieces. At the end, I fill in dead spots or the bottom of my arrangement with greenery. My favorite is eucalyptus. Don’t be too precise when it comes to shape, placement, etc. I love a little “mess” to my arrangements. Don’t think everything has to be perfectly round, think of where your arrangement will go and use that space to “shape” your arrangement.
7. Voila! Change your water every other day and add flower food if you have it, this will help your floral arrangement last for at least a week, sometimes mine last 2-2.5!

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I typically pick up flowers from the 3 for $12 buckets at Kroger or Harris Teeter, Trader Joes, or sometimes Whole Foods (though more expensive). I’ve also “plucked” from our neighborhood/backyard before! Use what’s around you — it helps justify having fresh floral around if you’re able to keep the cost down! In the fall I love using branches as filler/statement pieces or even pine from trees as greenery for the winter!

Thanks for reading friends, now…get to arranging!

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