Small groups of flowers should be grouped in odd numbers as it is more pleasing to the eye.
Flower arrangements can be used for all types of gift situations. Whether you want to let someone know that you love them or bring a little bit of joy to a sick friend, a good flower arrangement can make a great impact. Unfortunately, a nice flower arrangement can set you back anywhere from $20 to more than $100. Learning to make the best power arrangements on your own can save you lots of money. And it's fun too.
Instructions
Building Your Bouquet
1. Select the flowers you would like to have in your arrangement. Take into consideration the purpose of the arrangement. You can make the best arrangement by tailoring the design to your gifting needs. If you are creating a "love" bouquet, pink or red roses would be appropriate. If the purpose of the arrangement is to congratulate a couple on their wedding, try white carnations. If the arrangement is holiday-related, try to stick with warm colors like orange, purple and yellow for autumn arrangements and red, green and white for winter. Combine loud colors like yellow, pink, light blue and bright red for spring and summer. Popular main flowers for an arrangement include roses, carnations, sunflowers, lilies, zinias and spring bulbs.
2. Choose the greenery that you would like in your arrangement. Baby's breath is a popular filler, but you can use ferns and even fresh herbs like basil and dill to fill in your arrangement. These secondary flowers and greenery fill in the spaces between your "main attraction" flowers, allowing the flower oasis or frog to be hidden from view.
3. Select a container for your arrangement. If your arrangement is going to be tall, make sure that your flowers are at least twice the length of the container. If you are making a wide arrangement, like a rectangular basket, make sure that you have enough flowers to fill the arrangement and still allow the flower petals to hang over the edge of the container.
4. Place the floral oasis, or frog, in the base of your container. A floral oasis is a block of green foam that is capable of retaining a large amount of water. If your oasis needs to be trimmed to fit the container, cut it down with scissors before soaking it. To fill it, soak the oasis in a bucket of water until it is halfway between sinking and floating. A frog is a ceramic base with holes in it to hold flower stems in place. This option is reusable but limits your placement abilities.
5. Add your main flowers to the arrangement first. Cut about half an inch off the bottom of the stems before placing. Remember to group your flowers in odd numbers to keep the arrangement pleasing to the eye. Your main flowers do not need to be restricted to the center of the arrangement; instead, try to build a frame for your arrangement by placing the main flowers in a triangular shape around your container. The three points of a triangle adhere to the odd-number pattern that you are building. Insert the stems of your flowers into the foam oasis or in the holes in your frog to hold them in place.
6. Place your secondary flowers and greenery in the arrangement. Fill all the spaces that you can see between your main flowers. If the arrangement is too green, try adding single instances of your main flower to spread the color around.
7. Add a ribbon around your container to add a final decorative touch to your arrangement. You can also add a floral "pick" to further customize it. A pick can hold either a personalized card or a small design to highlight the occasion.
