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You know how florists' flower arrangements always look like that immaculate, perfectly dressed neighbor you can’t help but get a little starry-eyed at? And when you look at your own attempted flower vase arrangement, it’s wilted over like a little kid who had their candy stolen?
Sometimes our flower centerpieces can use an upgrade and the right change can enhance and draw attention to the beauty of your home décor. Below are some suggestions that can turn your fainting flowers into eye-popping conversation starters.
Change the Flowers’ “House”
Sometimes it’s not the flowers that need to be changed but their location. Swap out your vase or flowerpot for items such as mason jars, teacups, mugs, tin cans, wine bottles, baskets, and even empty water fountains. It’ll give a little crafty zest to your household, and as they are daily household items, they are easy and cheap to find and use.
Switch Around the Layout
Add a creative spin on how your flowers are arranged. Use multiple pots of different sizes to stack a tower and set it on your porch as a cool design. Pots can be tin, terracotta, or even small wooden crates depending on your tastes. You can also create a pyramid of garden boxes and have the flowers at different heights to give dimension to your yard.
Another new layout is having the flowers either sitting atop the water like lily pads, or completely submerging them in water. For the former, use bubble wrap and form a skirt beneath the flower petals to help it float. For the later, put clear pebbles at the bottom of a tall or wide vase filled with water, put the flowers inside until they fill the entire vase, and then cap it off with a floating candle if you like the idea of a dreamy look.
Consider the Fill, Thrill, and Spill
Many florists use these three key components when creating their own work. If you want your flowers to look professional, follow these three guidelines.
Fill: You know how your flowers will crane over the side of the vase even when they’re freshly cut? You’ll want to ‘cage’ each flower stalk to avoid this. Use cellophane tape and crisscross the vase’s mouth to create a small square you can put the flower in. This will help it seem “full”. Also make sure that you have enough flowers to avoid the "gaping tooth" look.
Thrill: These are the flowers that take on the role of being flashy. It helps for these flowers to be taller than the rest, and be aware that you can play around with this showpiece’s foliage, texture, or color as the main focus. Lavender, purple fountain grass, and caladium are eye-catching plants worth experimenting with to get that flashy look of beauty.
Spill: This is like topping your beautiful piece with a bow and ribbon. These flowers spill over the edges of your flowerpot and accent the rest of the arrangement. Focus on color or foliage to make your piece seem complete and topped off.
These floral design ideas will help spruce up your home and yard with their creative and appealing presentations. If anyone is interested in learning how to arrange flowers, Continuing Education and Workforce Training is offering Floral Arrangement 101 to help anyone wanting to learn about how to sculpt a beautifully scented showpiece. Visit cetrain.isu.edu or call (208) 282-3372 for more information.