Beautiful Floral Arrangements in 6 Easy Steps

vase of pink flowers in an apartment

Spring might have officially begun on March 20th, but the weather certainly isn’t reflecting the season yet. However, this gives you more time to give your apartment a fresh Spring look. Even if it’s not sunny and warm yet, buy some colorful flowers and begin with the floral displays! Many of you might not have an eye for flower arranging, leading to wonky and lopsided bouquets. Hence, we’re here to the rescue! Learn these instructions for obtaining the most beautiful flower arrangements, and leave your guests in awe.

woman cutting flower stems

1- Cut the Stems

First and foremost, immerse your flowers’ stems in water, and cut the base at a 45 degree angle. This results in the flowers drawing water easily from the vase, also known as ‘faster capillary action’. Alyssa Ponticello, Brooklyn-based founder of Runway Chef, suggests gently smashing the ends of woodier stems with a hammer for good measure.

woman cutting leaves off of a rose

2- Remove the Leaves

If there are any leaves that fall below the waterline in your vase, cut them off. Also, make sure your flowers aren’t cluttered by excessive leaves at the top, as the end goal is to have an elegant design.

multiple types of colorful flowers in a vase

3- Add in Odd Numbers

Time to assemble your arrangement and utilize some creative techniques! According to Refinery 29, owner of Fox Fodder Farm Taylor Patterson recommends adding the flowers in odd numbers, and maintaining a loose grip around the stems so they spread out. She also mentions that tiny pods and mint leaves allow for an element of surprise, as well as some breathing room for the flowers. After all, crammed flowers results in a messy arrangement.

Why odd-numbered groupings? The answer is easy: The rule of threes states that items arranged in odd numbers are more attractive, unforgettable, and effective. Three is apparently the magic number, but 5, 7, or 9 work beautifully too. This guideline appears in many other fields besides interior design, such as graphic design, photography, storytelling, etc. Research shows that 3 is the smallest number that can be used to form a distinguishable pattern in our minds. Moreover, our eyes move around more when we see an odd-numbered display, causing a more fascinating visual experience.

hand holding flower bouquet in front of a yellow and green backdrop

4- Secure your Arrangement

Once you’ve grouped the matching flowers, wrap the stems using a rubber band, floral tape, or even a ribbon to keep your assortment in place. Be careful not to wrap it too tight, or your flowers might shift and appear wobbly. A smart move would be using a clear elastic that won’t show after the flowers are inside the vase. If you’re presenting the bouquet to someone, wrap the ribbon into a bow to achieve a simple, neat look.

An arrangement of multiple different types of flowers in clear glasses

5- Create a Unique Vase

Not finding an acceptable arrangement? No problem, you can come up with several sophisticated vase hacks. One idea would be to place each flower in its own water bottle/cup and then group the vases together on your living room table. Therefore, each flower will stand out and you’ll have the effect of a floral arrangement.

A variation on this idea would be tying the bottles together with a twine and adding some wildflowers. This option has a wild feel to it, but it’s suitable for an apartment with a casual design.

To get a mystical appeal, create a flower arrangement in a jar and fill the bottom with 1-2 inches of water. For aesthetic purposes, only group flowers of the same species together. Continue doing this until you have a wide arrangement.

flowers in a glass of water

6- Keep the Flowers Fresh

We all fear our flowers will wilt quickly a few days after buying them. For this reason, store the vase in the fridge overnight and we guarantee the flowers will remain fresh and vibrant longer than you expect. Based on Apartment Therapy’s experiment, this was the winning technique to keep the flowers blooming. Test it out for yourself!

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