Flower Arranging Part 1

Designing gorgeous and meaningful arrangements for every season, each impacting or giving joy to a friend or family member, is one of the most amazing things you could do.

Where To Begin

An excellent flower arrangement begins with a good setup. Even before gathering supplies and such, it is super important that you have a good workspace.

No matter what your goal is for your arranging skills, whether it’s to become a professional designer or to make quaint little posies for your dining room table, it is essential to have a comfortable workspace, even if it’s not permanent. It’s just a place to store your floral tools and move around while arranging. It also should be a place that can accommodate you spilling water or dropping leaves and stems.

For my arranging, I use a perfect outdoor work bench in the summer. It’s placed next to a hose where I have easy access to water, and it’s outside, so I don’t have to worry about making a mess. It has a lot of room for me to work at, though that’s not necessary. Winter is when things get a little tricky. We get a lot of rain, so outside isn’t an option. So, I move my workspace indoors. I set up a little area in our guestroom, which we move when we have guests, but is otherwise stationary. I lay tarps down so I can sweep off the mess and quickly dry the water so it doesn’t damage the floors or make a mess.

If you want a permanent area for big working spaces, a garage or a shop are perfect spots for a floral arranging station. If you want to set up a permanent place, something that might be good to add would be: a sink, shelves for vases, and cabinets or drawers for your tools. If you want to get super professional, a freezer could be a good addition.

A set up could also be super simple, like a kitchen counter. Just save some extra room for your vase and other supplies. You can set up your space quickly, and cleanup is fairly straightforward. If you're concerned with getting the floor dirty, you’re working on carpet, you can lay tarp or cardboard down to protect the floor. You can also protect your countertops by laying floral paper or magazines down.

Some things to look for in a workspace are: Plenty of light, an area to put your floral tools, an area to store your vase, and a table or countertop you can work comfortably at for a long time without straining your back or neck (You can also fix this, by placing your arrangment on a five gallon bucket to raise it while your working).

Not having room for arranging should not be a deterrent. Setting your self up for success will ensure that you will have the best and least complicated experience when arranging.

The Basic Floral Toolbox

A few supplies will make arranging much more manageable. This list can be simplified, but the more you invest, the easier it will be.

Snips – Flower snips are a florist’s best friend. They work so well for harvesting flowers and cutting off leaves and stems. What makes them so helpful is that they work well with thicker stems too. They can cut through dahlia and zinnia stems easily. They can cut woody stems like roses, but it is a little harder and will dull them faster.

Pruners – Flower pruners will cut right through woody stems and branches for you. These are super nice for cutting roses, flowering trees, and some types of shrubs.

Scissors – Scissors are more often used for the designing aspect of arranging. When arranging, scissors should be used to cut ribbons and paper. Do not use a Pruner or scissors for the ribbon or paper, as this will dull them very quickly.

Rose Stripper*: This little tool easily removes the thorns and leaves from roses, making it super handy for frequently arranging them.

Paddle Wire – Florists use many types of wires, but paddle wire is a common standard. It is super helpful when binding arrangements together, and holding flowers in a vase (though you can use other things like pin frogs and chicken wire to do that as well).

Twine – Whether Jute or cotton twine, both are used to tie flowers together and give them a cute rustic look. They are also used to make garlands and wreaths.

Floral Adhesive*—Floral adhesive helps secure the frog pins to a vase or flowers to a surface. It is waterproof and bonds quickly when arranged.

Rubber Bands —You can also use rubberbands to tie bouquets together, although they don’t have as rustic an air as twine. These are usually used when wrapping the bouquet with ribbon, so the look of the rubber band doesn’t matter.

Floral Pins – These are used to secure ribbons for bouquets, garland, or wreaths.

Ribbon — Ribbon is so pretty and adds a stunning effect to your arrangements. It's always good to get a variety of colors, but white or cream is a standard color if you only wish to purchase one.

Gloves — Gloves are always a must when working with flowers. When arranging things, though, using lightweight ones that fit perfectly so your hands are mobile is good.

Apron – This protects your clothes from getting ruined by water, dirt, and other elements.

* indicates items that are not essential but may be helpful. Other items that are not listed but fall into this category are: Brass Cuffs for corsages, Stem Wraps, Paper covered wire, and Straight floral wire.

Mechanic Supplies

Mechanic supplies are internal items used when arranging. These are the things that the flowers are built off of, like wires and pins. They either go inside the arrangement or finish it (like paper).

Pin Frogs – Pin frogs are great for holding thick, heavy, woody stems inside a vase. Their sharp little points make them one of the best mechanic supplies a florist could have.

Chicken Wire – This was used similarly to the pin frogs. They are really helpful when trying to make a more elaborate design, they help shape it.

Floral Clay —This is used to secure the pin frogs to a vase. It is waterproof and can be reused.

Waterproof Floral Tape – is excellent for securing chicken wire to a vase. You can also use it to wrap a bouquet. Another nifty trick it can do is create a grid on a vase. If you lay strips over a vase, they can provide sturdy support for an arrangement.

Wire Wreath Frame –  Without this, making wreaths is much harder. While there are ways to make your base out of sticks, this easy, reusable tool is invaluable.

Kraft Paper – A roll of cute kraft paper makes wrapping gifts and farmer market super easy and adorable. I like the rustic light brown, but white works too. You can also use wax butcher paper.

Vases

The vases could technically be classified as mechanic supplies, but I felt they needed their own section because they are so integral to the design process.

Every type of vase works best with a specific style and design. I want you to know that understanding this will help you choose which one to use with each design. For example, low, shallow vases work best with large, wide centerpiece arrangements that tend to rest lower to the surfaces and are more broad, whereas tall urns or tapers work better for tall statement pieces.