Super Easy Floral Arrangement Hack
Do you love to use flowers in your home decor as much as I do? I can’t imagine my life without flowers. And a room never seems fully done until there is at least one little posy of flowers somewhere. Whenever possible I prefer to use my own homegrown flowers from my garden. It is better for the environment (not all flowers are cultivated in the most environment-friendly way) and it is way more affordable.
Using flowers from the garden to make a formal fresh flower bouquet can be challenging.
One doesn’t want to cut all the flowers on a bush and have none of them left in the yard.
Or the ones that are blooming at the same time are hard to combine.
Or strong winds have broken the stems and now they are really short.
Or they don’t have strong stems that will stand up straight in a vase.
Sound familiar?
If you want to get the most out of your cottage garden flowers and want to know how to use every last one of them, I have the perfect flower arranging trick for you.
This trick works for any kind of container you want to use as a vase. It is best for containers that are not transparent. It is especially useful if you want to use a wide mouth vase or container like a can, basket, or for instance a vintage soup terrine…
How to Arrange Flowers in a Wide Mouth Vase
Use chicken wire to easily arrange flowers in a wide-mouth vase or container. With snipping shears or wire cutters, cut a generous piece of chicken wire that is larger than your containers’ base. Crumple the edges inward or fold it loosely into a ball and put it inside your vase, underneath the rim. Start arranging your flowers and foliage. It is best to start with a base layer of foliage as a filler. Then randomly place your flowers and additional greenery until you have a flower arrangement you love.
See! It only took me a few sentences to explain it all. But let me show you how I did it too.
More DIY Flower Arranging Ideas You will Love
<<<< Grocery Store Flowers Arrangement >>>>
<<<< Luscious Fall Centerpiece >>>>
<<<< Faux Flower Outdoor Centerpiece >>>>
<<<< Winter wonderland flower bouquet >>>>
Some heavy rains and winds were in our forecast so I decided to cut a generous amount of flowers from my garden that was at risk of being damaged.
I ended up with an eclectic bunch of pink and purple flowers that I normally probably wouldn’t combine.
I also cut a generous amount of green ivy branches to use as my base layer.
Since some of my flowers had really short stems and others had very bendy stems I opted for a low flower arrangement and decided to use a vintage soup terrine as my flower vessel. To make that work I pulled my trusted floral arranging hack out of my bag.
Flower Arrangement in Three Easy Steps
When you are making a really large bouquet in a wide container like a bucket, or as in this case a very mixed bouquet in a soup terrine, chicken wire makes it sooooo easy. Just form a cover in your container to help the flowers stay in place. Fill the container with water and let the fun begin.
I started with some greens to tone down that wild combination of all those pinks and purples. The chicken wire really helps to keep every stem in its place and it supports weaker stems.
And then just fill her up. Hold every flower next to your container and see how long the stem should be. Cut every stem with florist shears at a 45-degree angle.
Turn your container from time to time to see it at different angles.
Really fill up your arrangement. You will find there is always room for one more flower.. Don’t think too much about the rules, but if you have to: remember odd numbers, go for a round shape (so slightly higher in the middle than on the sides), and try to distribute the flowers evenly.
I am usually one for very loose and informal bouquets. But on occasion, I can really enjoy this more formal arrangement too. This flower arrangement for beginners is the perfect way to combine different flowers together. Or to use up the last flowers from a grocery store bouquet by combining them with blooms and greens from your garden.
If you like this flower arranging tip for beginners than don’t forget to save it to your flower board on Pinterest!
Marianne Songbird is the founder of Songbird, where she hopes to inspire everyone to create a home they love, one DIY project at a time. She shares anything from craft ideas to home decor inspiration and from DIY projects to decorating hacks. Originally from the Netherlands Marianne and her husband Lex are currently renovating a 250-year-old farmhouse in Germany.
Debi@7Gates says
You're so right Marianne, I just hate to have the frost come and the plants get all slimmy. I was thinking the same today as I looked at all the impatients still blooming their little hearts out.
Lesley says
Great tip! Never used chicken wire. Guess it doesn't get rusty. Ah ha! Thanks for the great idea. Now watch me forget it. lol
Deborah says
Beautiful bouquet Marianne!!!
Love what you did in that bucket!
Deborah xoxo
Blondie's Journal says
The chicken wire is very clever and you have done a wonderful job with the arrangement…thanks for the tips!! I also love the birdbath idea! I am going to try that next year!!
XO,
Jane
Joyce - Quilted Nest says
That's a pretty awesome looking bouquet for this time of year. There's hardly anything left in my flower beds. Love the chicken wire idea!
Patti says
You certainly make that look so easy – but you have to have a special talent to make arrangements as lovely as yours!!
Alisa Noble says
Beautiful! And the chicken wire… smart.
Jennifer Juniper says
I just got off the phone with a friend who has to make a bunch of centerpieces and is worried about her flower arranging skills! I'll have to send this along!
Μαζί... KaPa says
The chicken wire was the reason I found you at first with the Industrial Coastal Cottage theme…and there you are again.Great idea Marianne Love the photos…
Edith says
I have never seen anyone use chicken wire to set their flowers! Awesome idea!
Brenda says
Stunning. Chicken wire! I will try this come summer. Thank you.
Marianne@Songbird says
Please do! It makes flower arranging so easy! Have fun with your flowers.