how to arrange flowers in a glass container {tutorial}

Get out your floral design tool kit – today we’re arranging flowers in a glass container! Don’t worry, it’s all pretty easy once you get the basic steps down pat. Earlier this week, I did a set of three floral arrangements for an apartment styling job. The owner was preparing her space for television, and she had just painted a pale pink accent wall. I used her apartment colors as inspiration for the color story of the arrangements. First, select the flowers. Second, decide what type of container is appropriate for the flowers you selected. I found these fabulously girly mauve and gold containers at Jamali Garden. These pretties didn’t break the budget, ($13 a piece) and they coordinated with the color palette of the apartment perfectly. (see above)Let’s get started, shall we? Get out your flower arrangement tools and place them on your work table. You’ll also want a garbage can for scraps, leaves, and stems. You may want to roll out some paper on the floor and table top for easier clean up afterwards. As a matter of fact, I often stand upon the paper that the flowers came wrapped in when I am working. Now let’s and prep your containers…
To get started: fill the container 2/3 full of water. Tepid water works best. If you want the flowers to burst open quicker, slightly warmer water will help. Use a towel to dry around the edges of the vase and then tape a grid over the top of the container. Be sure to leave at least a quarter to a half an inch of tape over the edges. Run another circle of tape around the edge to secure your tape that is creating the grid over the top.
You’re ready to start placing your heartiest stems in the vase. These will create the structure that will keep your flowers in place. Start arranging them in a clockwise fashion. Remember to cut a fresh end on the flower stem (always on an angle so it will drink properly) right before you place it into the vase. Place one stem in each outside portion of the grid that you created with tape, laying each consecutive stem upon the one that was placed before it. Like this…It looks great just as it is, doesn’t it? You could continue to fill the arrangement out with a few more of the same bud -or- add a second variety of flower. For these arrangements, I decided to use Cala Lilies. When introducing another type of flower to the arrangement remember this: if you use it up high in the design, also use it down low in the arrangement. There should be variation in the height of the flower to keep your eye moving around as you look at it.I never like my arrangements to look too perfect – they are from nature after all – nature has movement, and looks natural! For that reason, I like to place my tallest stem off center slightly to the left or right. The rest of the flowers work off of that off-center, “center” point. Does that make sense? (It might help to look at the diagram above.)So there you have it – how to arrange flowers in a glass container. Do you have any questions that I can answer?

Posted by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo / Design and Nesting and Uncategorized

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20 Responses to “how to arrange flowers in a glass container {tutorial}”

  1. Maureen on 04 Nov 2010 at 10:49 am

    I love these arrangements and I also really enjoy arranging flowers myself. I’m not fond of greenery filler however and I notice you did not use any in these arrangements. I find it often cheapens the look and takes away from the prettiness of the flowers….Would you agree?

  2. ABC Dragoo on 04 Nov 2010 at 10:54 am

    Maureen, I absolutely agree. I prefer to use a woody stem flower or a green that has berries, like bittersweet or seeded eucalyptus ~if the season is right~ It has to be an interesting green if I am going to use it!

    Thanks for commenting!
    xoABCD

  3. Melissa on 04 Nov 2010 at 12:05 pm

    I have always been horrible at arranging flowers… thank you so much for the tutorial! Will give it a try again and see how it goes. These are beautiful, but I’ll try not to set my expectations too high for MY first re-try. :-) You are so talented!

  4. Cathy on 04 Nov 2010 at 1:55 pm

    Wow! You make this whole process simple. I usually just throw them in a vase, but not anymore!

  5. caitlindentino on 04 Nov 2010 at 2:30 pm

    Amy – when I have an arrangement with a grid, I have the worst time changing the water without a mess. Without the tape it is a bit easier, but I have yet to master this version. Any tips?

    Oh – and Jamali Garden – may be one the things I miss most about NYC… :)

  6. Maggie [The Freckled Citizen] on 04 Nov 2010 at 2:30 pm

    This post is permanently bookmarked over here… I arrange flowers nearly every week but never feel like I have any guidelines, so I have some major hits right alongside some major misses. Thanks so much!

  7. Julieann/CreateGirl on 04 Nov 2010 at 2:46 pm

    thanks Amy this is FABULOUS and perfect timing for Holiday entertaining!

  8. Chedva (Belly's Button) on 04 Nov 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Wow, love the useful tips and tricks! You can betcha I’ll use them a lot – flowers in glasses is one of my favorite arrangements.

  9. angie on 04 Nov 2010 at 3:57 pm

    pretty!!

  10. Beth on 04 Nov 2010 at 6:42 pm

    What a great tutorial! Beautiful and easy to follow! Thanks!

  11. Azure Elizabeth on 04 Nov 2010 at 9:23 pm

    So beautifully stunning! Gorgeous to die for arrangement! I love the textures you have combined & your color contrasts…Divine!

  12. Callooh Callay » Blog Archive » Weekend Links: November 5th Edition on 05 Nov 2010 at 2:02 pm

    [...] Tutorial on flower arrangements (ABCD Design) [...]

  13. NYCPatty on 05 Nov 2010 at 3:24 pm

    OMG! What a beautiful arrangment!

    Using the tape is brilliant! All this time I never knew that was the secret!
    Can’t wait to give a try!

  14. The Waspy Redhead on 10 Nov 2010 at 11:48 pm

    Thank you for this! I’ve always wanted to create more professional looking arrangements. Freckled Citizen directed me to your tutorial, and I can’t wait to try these tricks.

  15. ABCD on 11 Nov 2010 at 8:31 am

    I am so glad Maggie directed you over here! It’s nice to “meet” you @WaspyRedhead. I do hope that you visit again soon.

    ABCD

  16. hyra container on 24 Nov 2010 at 6:53 am

    You always manage to make those beautiful arrangements semm simple and quick to do.. frustrating for a newbie like myself :)

  17. Lisa Goulet on 27 Nov 2010 at 9:38 pm

    What a great tutorial! Thanks I love to arrange flowers and automatically make sure they are asymmetrical and of different heights, but I love the idea of creating a spider web out of the stems. I hadn’t thought of that, and I hate when the stems look messy in a clear vase. I’ll try your method out the next time I’m arranging flowers.

  18. L.Duncan on 01 Dec 2010 at 6:28 pm

    Love it Amy! These would look great lining my dining room table!

  19. Suzanne Cummings on 10 Jan 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Amy,

    How I missed this I do not know. Love it. So well done. It’s gorgeous and I apologize for not finding it sooner.

    Heart Heart to #spreadingtheflowerawareness!!

    Suzanne

  20. ABCD on 10 Jan 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Please Suzanne – no big deal at all! ;) I just figured since it was part of the apartment I styled for Selling NY that it could be part of the #designtv chat today!

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