I love the idea of having fresh flowers at home everyday. You see them in home decor magazines, and they always seem to be the piece that makes a simple desk/table/nightstand look complete. Yet, too often I would buy a bouquet from the grocery store or Farmer's Market, put them in my vase at home, and feel really disappointed with the way they look and then how long they lasted.
So I decided to do something about it. I signed up for class at 918 F Street with LivingSocial. While I didn't come out of the class a floral expert, I did take away a few nuggets of information that I thought were worth sharing.
TIP #1: This tip is actually not from the class but from my friend Ashley of Ashley in DC (pictured on the right). Invite your girlfriends over and have them BYOF (Bring Your Own Flowers) plus greeneries/fillers (pictured on the left) to share with the group. Make it a party! Genius, right? (See Ashley's post on How to Throw a Flower Arranging Party.)
I adore Ashley. She's a natural hostess/Martha-Stewart-type. Someone I wish I was. She provided delicious and visually stunning bite-sized snacks for everyone to nibble on and little bottles of champagne with floral straws. No detail was too small. (Pictured with Carlis, Natalie, & Ashley)
TIP #2: "Clean" the stems by gently tearing off all leaves and thorns from each flower stem. This will help keep the flower water cleaner longer.
TIP #3: Cut the flowers stems at an angle to allow more surface area for water to be taken up by the flower.
TIP #4: For beginners, an easy way to create the arrangement is in your hand. Arrange the flowers like a bouquet looking at the arrangement from the top and then all sides. Once you've created an arrangement you like, tie the flowers together towards the top of the stem using string or floral wire.
TIP #5: Hold your tied, bouquet arrangement next to your vase and use the vase as a guide for how short you want to cut the stems.
TIP #6: Add only about 1/4 a package of flower food to the water. Too much flower food can actually kill the flowers.
Voila! I can honestly say since taking the class, practicing, and following these tips, my flower arrangements are looking better and lasting longer. Do you have any flower arranging tips/tutorials to share?
I adore YOU! Thank you for coming and sharing your tips! XO
ReplyDeleteThese pics and tips are so amazing! So sad I wasn't there :(
ReplyDeleteAlissa
FeelingGoodStyle.com
Hope to see you at the next get together!
DeleteWhat a cute idea for a party!! Love this! :)
ReplyDelete<3 Elle
Very nice tips for arranging flowers at home. I love creating flowers into something good in arranging as floral decor inside the house.
ReplyDelete