The act of arranging flowers can be extremely therapeutic for a number of reasons. But mostly, it allows you to channel your creativity while enjoying the fruits of your labor afterward.
Not everyone has a knack for florals — it takes a certain eye for detail in order to create a beautiful, yet balanced arrangement.
If you’re looking to improve your florist skills this festive season, here are a few tips on how to put together the perfect ensemble of holiday flowers.
7 Tips on How to Arrange Beautiful Holiday Flowers for Your Festivities
Ever bought a bouquet of flowers at the florist, taken them home, and tried to re-arrange them in a vase, yourself? Somehow, the results never look as good!
There is an art to floristry, as well as a bunch of insider tricks that florists use to keep their blooms perfectly in place. Here’s how to create gorgeous floral centerpieces of your own, these holidays:
- Keep Your Florals in Place
Vases come in all shapes as sizes, but this does not always bode well for tall-stemmed blooms and floral arrangements.
The wider the mouth of your vase, the more your florals will droop or fall to the side. But there are a few top tips you can implement to keep your flowers standing to attention.
You can form a grip of cellophane tape over the mouth of your vase, which helps to control the movement and drooping of your florals. Be sure to fill your vase up with water beforehand, and ensure the rim of the vase is dry.
Another great option is to use a contraption known as Budable. Specifically designed to keep flowers in position, Budable is a silicone cap that stretches over the mouth of your vase. It can stretch up to four times its size, so it can suit almost any style of vase, too.
The silicone cap is punctuated with small holes, which helps to control the movement and placement of each flower. Budable also allows for an easy change of water.
A top tip is to clean down the rim of your vase with rubbing alcohol to ensure the Budable cap doesn’t move an inch.
- Choose Colors to Suit the Season
When it comes to holiday flower arrangements, you want to choose flowers and colors that match the season. For Christmas time, opt for bright and happy blooms.
A few examples to include in your holiday arrangements include red and white spray roses, dahlias, the tuberose, rice flowers, buds of holly, plum ferns, and scented geranium.
- Create a Festive Feel With Double Vases
When it comes to statement floral arrangements, the focus doesn’t have to be on the flowers, alone. You can add an extra element of festivity by using the double vase method.
Place a small vase within a larger vase. Fill the outer vase with elements that fit the season, such as acorns, dried cranberries, or dried oranges. Then, fill up the larger vase with tall blooms that cover the rim of the outer vase.
Just make sure you choose flowers that are a little more long-wearing and aren’t too fussy about freshwater.
- Cover up Those Stems
If you prefer to showcase flowers, and flowers alone, there’s a simple way to hide the stems of the blooms you choose.
Line the inside of your vase with larger, flat leaves, such as aspidistra. Otherwise, you can also use faux leaves as they will obviously last far longer.
This creates a unique effect that hides what you can see inside the vase. But just make sure to regularly check the water as you won’t be able to see when it needs changing.
- Mix and Match Your Choice of Vase
There’s no need to be too uniform when it comes to holiday floral arrangements and decorating. In fact, an eclectic mix of vases can make your Christmas table look all-the-more festive and inviting.
Be creative and search around your house for odd containers to arrange your flowers in. Think about the concept of both high and low. Use tall vases and shorter containers to create visual interest and showcase different blooms.
- Floral Foam Is Your Friend
When you choose to use odd-shaped containers for your floral arrangements, floral foam can truly save the day.
This is a type of foam that can be shaped and fitted inside almost any size or style container. However, it’s best suited to containers that aren’t transparent!
Make sure to cut the foam and soak it in water for 20-30 minutes before arranging your flowers. Floral foam is ideal for table centerpieces, especially if you want to create a long, rectangular arrangement.
- Learn How to Make Your Blooms Last
What’s the point of going to all the effort on your holiday arrangements if all your flowers die on you? You want to make sure that your blooms last as long as possible.
First things first, always cut your stems at an angle when trimming your flowers. You must then remove any excess foliage from the stems that would sit under the waterline.
Make sure to regularly check and change the water. Don’t let the water go brown before you change it. As soon as it starts to turn murky, a water change is needed.
If your flowers have a thick, hard stem, bash down the ends a little so that they are better at absorbing more water. Lightly mist the rest of the bouquet to keep your flowers fresh. A good way to bring droopy blooms back to life is to plunge them into ice-cold water, too.
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We hope these tips on how to arrange holiday flowers have you feeling inspired to create a few festive arrangements of your own. Investing in the right tools and materials for flower arranging can make a world of difference.
If you’re on the hunt for home and lifestyle tips during the festive season, don’t miss out on the rest of this site. Learn all about how to choose carpeting, home security, backyard renovations, and more!
