How to Arrange A Playful Flower Bouquet

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Austin Day

Des Moines flower shop owner Maya Boettcher shows how to build a bouquet that is loose and improvisational. Just play!

Start Slideshow

1 of 6

Getting Started

Austin Day

Unless you are arranging in a narrow vessel, you need a way to keep blooms in place.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

The Base

Austin Day

Wildflower shop owner Maya Boettcher likes to nestle in some chicken wire. (Itā€™s more eco-friendly than floral foam.)

3 of 6

The Materials

Austin Day

Boettcherā€™s most important tip is this: Anything goes! Floral materials get pricey; consider buying special stems at a florist, then raiding your backyard.

Advertisement

4 of 6

Add Your Favorites

Austin Day

In addition to summer cutting flowers, such as peonies or zinnias, snip anything unique, shapely or textural, like boxwoods, hosta leaves or lambā€™s ears.

5 of 6

The Arrangement

Austin Day

Remove leaves for clean stems. Place a few bits of greenery at angles to start building a supportive network of stems. Follow with focal flowers, smaller blooms, more greens, ļ¬‚uļ¬€y filler, and (if you like) spiky accents. Pause to look at the arrangement at eye level as you go.

6 of 6

Finishing Touches

Austin Day

Keep in mind that droopier stems and trailers are OKā€”they add horizontal shape.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com