Simple Flower Arrangement For Beginners

Have you been afraid to try bringing home fresh flowers because you might not be very good at arranging them? I have NEVER tried to arrange flowers before. I tend to be too cheap to purchase them and dare I say it, I hate to receive flowers as a gift!

I have always thought flowers were a giant waste of money. Why not get a plant that lives on instead? Does anyone else feel that way?

Recently I have been listening to a podcast called Decorating Tips and Tricks. One of the hosts, Kelly Wilkniss, has a youtube video that explains how to arrange your own flowers.

After watching this video, I thought maybe I could do that. It didn’t look very hard. On my weekly trip to Trader Joe’s I purchased some greenery and some hydrangeas.

I tried to follow her tips. Here was my process and what else I learned.

Steps To Arranging Flowers

If you are having people over, try to cut and arrange your flowers at least an hour before guest arrive. They can wilt a little bit but they perk back up.

1.) Clip some greens from your shrubs (or at the park). I made the mistake of buying them and they looked awful in my arrangement, they flopped over. The greens I purchased from Trader Joes went directly into the trash.

2.) Measure your flowers against the vase to see what height you want. I own zero vases due to my bias against purchasing fresh flower. I borrowed a pitcher from my mother.

3.) Cut the flowers right above the closest node (which is the bulge in the stem every few inches). Be sure to cut them at an angle. Err on the longer side so you have room to trim more later.

4.) Add flower food to the water in your vase, pitcher or jar. I used the flower food that came with the flowers but they sell this on Amazon so you can refresh the water and the food in your flowers.

5.) Add your flowers and keep moving them around until you like the way they look. I started out small. The arrangement has only 3 hydrangeas.

Tips For Better Floral Arrangements

Use real floral shears. These make a cleaner cut and they are better for the flowers because it doesn’t crush the stem.

Start small. If you have never arranged flower, start with a smaller vase and a smaller number of flowers before branching out to larger, more expensive flowers.

If possible (this is key for people who hate to waste money) refresh the water daily. If you really want to make them last, trim the bottoms of the flowers every day or two. It’s best to trim in the sink under running water.

Inexpensive Alternatives to a Vase

As I said at the beginning, I don’t own a single vase. I’ve come up with a list of vase alternatives for the budget minded.

1.) Glass jars – These can be canning jars, or glass water bottles.

2.) Tin Cans – I saw an amazing small arrangement in an oatmeal metal tin. I also love the square Harney & Sons tea tins.

3.) Watering can – if you have an old watering can, especially a metal one, you can put flowers directly in that.

Arranging flowers on a budget is possible, even if you've never done it before.  Click here for tips.

What are your favorite tips for arranging flowers?

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