Bouquets on a budget
"Flowers are like friends, they bring color to your world"
Flowers in my home bring me so much joy. My mother was a part time florist for awhile in our little home town in rural Nevada. I think her love for floral design lives on in me. Seeing amazing bouquets just brightens my day.
I love to have at least one arrangement on display in my home at all times. Professional arrangements are so beautiful, but also expensive. If you have a flower addiction like me, you may not want to spend tons of cash on them. If it's a special event, I will order some from a local florist. Otherwise, I will make an arrangement myself from store bought flowers.
Here is my step by step guide of how to do just that with a bundle of $15 flowers from my local grocery store!
Step 1: When you get home immediately place them in a pitcher of room temp water.
Step 2: Choose your vase. This is really one of the most important decisions that will help to make your arrangement look like it was made by a florist. The size of the vase will be determined by the size of the bouquet and the number of flowers you have. If the vase is too wide, it will cause the flowers to separate and not look full. If it's too narrow, they will be all bunched up and you won't be able to see them all. For my arrangement I had 10 stems so I chose a small, wide vase.
Add room temp water to the vase along with the food packet that came with your flowers.
Step 3: Remove all the leaves that will go below the water line. The leaves will cause mold and you don't want that!
Step 4: Cut the stems to the correct size for the vase. You want half of the flower to be in the vase and the other half out. It helps to place the vase at the end of the counter so you can put the stem right next to it to see where you should cut. It's always best to start too long and cut more as needed.
Cut from the bottom, at an angel, while under running water. Then place in vase.
Step 5: As you place the flowers in the vase you will want to place them in sets of three. (Find 3 flowers that are similar and that will take up a lot of room like these ones below)
Step 6: Now find 3 more large flowers to insert into the open spaces. The bundle I bought did not have 3 of the same flowers so I had to use another kind that was similar in size.
TIP: It is good to have the stems intertwined. You can do this by placing them in the vase at an angle instead of straight down. This will keep them stable and from falling over in the vase
Step 7: Place any additional flowers you have to fill up the holes. To see where you need filling, look over the top of your arrangement. I still had a few of the smaller ones left over and was able to fill in the whole in the center.
Step 8: If greenery came in your bouquet, now you can add it.
In the floral/decorating world, they do things in 3's. Not sure why these bundles came with 2 of all the larger flowers and greenery. But if you are able to purchase single stems, you will want to pick 3 of everything.
Final step: Display your flowers so you can enjoy them daily. Direct sun will not be good for them so place them away from a window. Make sure to check the water every few days.
ADDITIONAL TIPS: If you think you will be doing this often you will want to invest in a few things. Below is a photo of the 3 products I like to keep on hand to make sure my flowers last long and look gorgeous.
Quick Dip 100: Dip the cut edge in a bowl of water mixed with Quick Dip for a few seconds before placing in vase.
Floralife Crystal Clear: Extra plant food! You will want to add more water and more food as needed to keep their long life.
Crowning Glory Solution: Spray this all over the flowers once your arrangement is complete.
