I love having flowers around the house. Though I prefer fresh flowers, there are rarely enough available in my yard to make arrangements with, and buying fresh flowers is not in my budget. My compromise is to arrange silk flowers. They last much longer than fresh flowers, and if you can wait for a good sale, they are similar in cost.
It is quite easy to arrange silk flowers. In some ways I would say it is easier than arranging fresh flowers. Silk flowers often have wire in the stem. This makes them easy to move, and keep, where you want them. Also, if a silk flower is accidently pulled from its stem, it will usually go right back on very easily. This is just not the case with fresh flowers.
Choosing Flowers
I like to use silk flowers from a store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels when making silk arrangements because they are much higher quality than what I can find at other local stores. They also put their flowers on sale for 50 percent off every 2-3 weeks. I only ever buy them on sale.
I’m sure there are some good options online too, but I do so love to have things right where I can see them. It is also helpful to be able to hold all of the flowers you will be using together, just to make sure they look good together.
Containers
I generally find the containers that I use to arrange silk flowers at the thrift store. They only cost a dollar or two, and I can get things that are interesting, or simple, or whatever I want to go with the look I’m going for.
You can use vases, baskets, pitches, etc.
Other items you may need
- Floral wire (you can use this to tie stems together, or give strength to a floppy stem)
- Wire cutters (for cutting your stems to the right length)
- Hot glue gun with glue sticks (If a flower falls off and doesn’t go back on easily you may need to use a touch of hot glue)
- Floral foam (if you are arranging in a short basket this can be helpful but is not always necessary)
How to arrange silk flowers
Step 1 – Gather your supplies, container and flowers.
Get everything you need in one place. I like to set up on a counter so that I can hold the flowers up to the vase or basket at the height I want and see how much of the stem to cut off.
Take any tags or stickers off of your flowers and container.
Step 2 – Start with a base.
This can be some greens if you are using them or some thicker filler type flower like hydrangea, lilac, or germaniums. Cut them to the height you want and add them to your container.
Step 3 – Add in your focal or statement flowers.
I like to use 2, 3, or 5 of each individual type of flower (unless you have more than 6, then it doesn’t matter so much). I also keep the total number of statement flowers an odd number (unless I have 12 or more, again once you get that many it doesn’t really matter).
If you are making a tall arrangement, it is a good idea to stagger the heights of your statement flowers. (See step 3 picture below.) I also like to make sure my arrangement looks good from all sides.
If you are new to arranging silk flowers, or any flowers, you might feel more comfortable making the arrangement in your hand first. That way you can get it how you want it before you actually cut off your flower stems. I would still cut the base flowers to the right height before putting together your arrangement, so you know where to cut when you get it just right.
Step 4 – Add in filler flowers.
Filler flowers are great to use for filling in gaps and tying the whole arrangement together. Just know, they aren’t necessary for all arrangements.
I hope this helps you understand the basics of flower arranging. These are the same basic steps I used while working in a flower shop during college. If you are lucky enough to have fresh cut flowers to work with, the process is the same. And, as with everything, a little practice goes a long way.
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