Our friends came over for dinner (and poker!) on Saturday night and, instead of going to the florist to buy bouquets of blooms to brighten up the kitchen, living room and bathroom, I decided to make my own using grocery store flowers from Trader Joe’s. Here, the steps I followed…
First, choose a color palette. I learned at a recent flower arranging class that you need to select 1-2 colors to anchor your bouquet. Blooms of different sizes also help by adding texture and dimension. I wanted something sunny and spring-like (despite Friday’s snow!), so I opted for yellow daffodils and orangey red African roses.
Next, lay out your blooms side-by-side. It really helps if you build your bouquet stem-by-stem rather than grouping large bunches together at a time. By picking up one rose, then a daffodil, then some of the filler greens before grabbing my next rose, I could keep the color palette even and notice any gaping holes.
Last, vary the heights. For each vase, I used a knife to trim the stems at an angle so that some blooms sat taller than others. This trick gives the finished arrangement a more natural, fresh-from-the-garden feel.
The end result was beautiful! In fact, my friend asked me where I bought my bouquets. The best part was the value: Three flower arrangements for under $12!
Have you ever tried arranging your own blooms?
