Top Ten: Simple, Stylish Floral Arrangements
After last week's tip - using fruit & flowers as decor - I thought I'd follow up with a top ten for simple, stylish floral arrangements. Now don't get me wrong, guys. I love a good florist and appreciate his/her skills more than words can express. But when it comes to daily living, there is no reason why I can't be my own florist.
I'm a sucker for a flower shop. I take pictures of them when I come across them in my travels. And buckets of fleurs at a farmers' market? This little lady gasps, and then she swoons. (And then she snaps some pics.) But let's just say, for the heck of it, that I'm busy. Maybe you can relate. And let's say my schedule is booked all weekend so no Saturday morning market. And to add another errand, like the flower shop, to my list of to-do's makes me want to yell in traffic.
Not.so.serene.
But hey, I'm already at the grocery store, and there are bouquets at the ready right as I walk in. They feel a tad generic, and they are. BUT: they are inexpensive and if I think outside the box, I can style my whole home with them. The flowers below are two bouquets I bought at Trader Joe's for under $10.
In addition to the bouquets, I've armed myself with a small collection of simple, stylish vases. I have an array of sizes for my everyday glass vases (on the left), and I have a small collection of fancy-pants vases gifted to me by the women in my family (on the right). The more shapes and sizes, the better.
With the flowers and vases, we are good to go. Here are suggestions for making the most out of a store bought bouquet.
1. Probably most importantly, and your starting off point: The Grand Assessment. Look at the bouquet and look at the vases in your house. Match the right flower to the right vase.
This works…
These suit a mason jar...
This…just…doesn’t.
... more than a fancy Waterford Crystal vase, imho.
2. When you have two different flowers that are the same color, group them together.
3. When you have the same flower in multiple colors, group them together.
4. Know when to use the greenery and when it is not really important. A teeny vase has no room for greenery, for example.
5. Odd Number Groupings. Either one flower or three. If there are three stems, one stem can be greenery (see #4). The rule of odd numbers applies to vases too. When arranging small bud vases, group them in odd numbers.
6. Fuss. Take time to try different arrangements. Play until you hit your mark.
pre fussing.
post fussing.
7. Know when to say no. If there's one flower in the whole bouquet that just doesn't belong, give it to a friend or lover. Who wouldn't love to receive a single flower or two?!
8. Height matters. Think about whether that flower looks good with a long stem or a short stem, a tall vase or short, a narrow vase or wide, etc. Think how to best showcase the flower.
These long stems need a tall vase...
…not a mason jar.
9. Deleaf within the vase. Deleaf up top if necessary too. Love them then lose them.
10. Fragrance. Put the most fragrant petals in the bathroom - the place that needs the most boost. The least fragrant put on the kitchen table so as not to compete with what you're eating.
And there you have it. No big deal. Now you have a handful of arrangements - all of your own making. And a little gift to brighten someone else's day! Take the vases around your home - the nightstand, the mantle, the desk, the window sill, the bathroom sink, the kitchen table... and on and on and on - and gaze upon at least half a dozen serene spaces you've just created.
What are your favorite suggestions for arranging flowers? Share in the comments below!
