Flowers!!!
I want to preface this by saying I am not expert on anything I write about on this blog, and for today, I am certainly not an expert on arranging flowers. I am however, a lover of fresh flowers -- fresh flowers make my heart happy! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect time to share a few tips and tricks when it comes to putting pretty flowers together. My hope is to inspire and assist you all in making some beautiful arrangements for your family gatherings!
For the last several years, my house has been the middle ground for my husband’s and my family and we blend everyone together for one big happy (and always entertaining) Thanksgiving dinner. I am so Thankful that our families really do enjoy each other and we can celebrate together instead of breaking it up with several different Thanksgiving dinners. I am also EXTREMELY thankful that they all pitch in with the cooking so I can provide a few signature dishes, but mainly focus on making everything pretty!
Last year, the demo of our deck was underway and I started dreaming about a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner out on our new screened in porch! Today, I am starting the prep for my dreams to become reality with making some flower arrangements as center pieces.
A few years ago, I helped a very talented florist (Karen from the Perfect Poppy) with some special event flowers. She taught me some effective yet simple tips to make beautiful arrangements that I know will be helpful to some of you as well.
Always trim the ends with a diagonal cut so the flowers can soak up more water, last longer, and fit the container that they are in better.
Take off the leaves or thorns on the stems. This makes for a much prettier presentation when using a clear vase.
When placing the flowers in the vase. Start with the greenery first. Then, follow with filler flowers that take up more space, and end with the smaller “thriller” flowers.
When using an opaque container for your arrangement, try soaking floral foam until saturated, place a size appropriate amount into the vase, and then stick the flowers into the foam so they stay in place. This allows you to fill up the arrangement with less flowers and minimize the possibility of shifting as well.
Check out my video on IGTV for more details. If you decide to try some of my tips, post pictures of your flowers, and also let me know if you have any other tips and tricks you like to use!