Crafty Wednesday {Flower Arranging}

I just love flowers!  My tiny craft business that I have with my BFF Rachael is called Branch and Bloom.  The Branch of Branch and Bloom is Rachael because she loves netural colors especially brown and the Bloom is for me because I love color and flowers. For Branch and Bloom we try to do a couple of classes each year using flowers or plants.  Last year we did two terrarium classes, a windowsill herb garden, a succulent pumpkin centerpiece class. and a farmhouse wreath class.    At every party I have at our house I like to have fresh flowers.  I thought I would show you how I arrange my flowers.  I think arranging your own flowers is so easy and it's a fun way to be crafty and creative.

I got this book and I love it and refer to it all the time.    I don't have any formal floral training I just love working with flowers.   The Flower Chef by Carly Cylinder

Here is an except about the book from Amazon.

THE FLOWER CHEF is a modern, comprehensive guide to floral design that caters to all readers--from beginners who have never worked with flowers before and are looking for a new creative outlet, to decorators, party planners and photographers looking to liven up their spaces. Even professionals will find ways to update their techniques! This book teaches you everything you need to know about flower arranging including tips on how to buy and care for flowers, how to cut and prepare them, and how to use floral foam, vases, and various other decorative elements in your arrangements. Filled with beautiful photographs and easy-to-follow instructions on how to create over 80 different arrangements, this is the go-to guide to floral design that every flower lover will want to add to their collection.  

In the winter I get all of my flowers from the grocery store in our town.  They have a huge selection of fresh flowers and they sort them in bunches by color. In the summer/fall I get my flowers at the Farmer's Market.  I just love fresh, local flowers!  I also get a lot of flowers from the gardens of friends and neighbors which is always so nice. 

I got three bunches of flowers and greenery and I was able to make three medium sized arrangements and one small arrangements for

When arranging flowers you
1.  Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle

2.  Remove the leaves that will be below the water line.  Leaves below the water line will rot.  

3.  Fill your vase in lukewarm water mixed with floral preservative (store bought flower 
arrangements will come with a little packet of this.  It helps to reduce bacteria in your arrangements.  You can also make your own by adding a T of sugar and a T of white vinegar to a quart of water.  

4.    Place greens and larger flower  in the back of the arrangement and smaller flowers in the front.  If you are arranging your flowers.  This is the fun part play around with your flowers and greens until you like the way your arrangement looks.  I like to use different greens and different flowers in the same color when I make arrangements. 

5.   The fun part about flower arranging is you can do what you think looks best!  I like using vases, mason jars and other glass containers I have at home. 

6.  Keep flowers away from direct sunlight and change the  water every 2 days to keep your flowers fresh.  When you change your leaves you can also trim your stems.  If there are any dead leaves in the water remove them.  

Here are the arrangements I made with my three grocery store bunches of flowers. I was able to do four of them with the three bunches from the grocery store.  I put one in our kitchen, one in our dining room, one in our living room and one in the downstairs bathroom.  

I also love giving flower arrangements to friends especially in the summer when I can use flowers from my own gardens.  
I hope this post inspires you to create your own floral arrangements.

Happy Wednesday!
Xoxo