Would you like to learn how to make small flower arrangements? With fresh flowers or dried flowers? Do you want to create beautiful floral decor simply and quickly?
I will help you.
As a florist, I’ve noticed in recent years the rise of the small bouquet trend. Whether using dried flowers or fresh blooms, they are often used as a table centerpiece, to adorn a table runner, or as floral decorations for events such as weddings or receptions.
Today, I’m going to show you how to easily create these beautiful bouquets, step by step.
First, start by gathering your plants, either by foraging in nature or your garden, or by buying them directly from a florist. Don’t forget to include some greenery, as it will help shape your bouquet and give it volume! Next, prepare your flowers by removing the leaves from the stems, except for the top third. Once your flowers are ready, you can arrange your bouquet by either placing the stems directly into a vase filled three-quarters with water, or by holding them in your hand as florists do.
Want more details on how to proceed? Keep reading to find out:
- When to create small bouquets
- A selection of flowers you can use for this DIY
- The detailed steps to making small bouquets
- The differences between dried flowers and fresh flowers
- How to make personalized upcycled vases for your bouquets
DIY Tutorial: Create Unique Bouquets for Every Occasion!
Do you love flowers, decorating, and crafting? Creating small bouquets is sure to delight you! To see if this activity is right for you, let me guide you through it in the following sections.
A simple and easy activity to do alone, with friends, or with family!
Easy to make, even for complete beginners in floral design or botany, homemade small bouquets are a creative and budget-friendly way to craft truly unique decor. They are perfect for:
- create a table runner for a family dinner,
- make centerpieces for a wedding, a baptism, a birthday, or any other event,
- bring nature into your home by creating a small greenery decoration,
- delight a loved one you care about, such as a friend or family member, etc.
👪 Creating these little bouquets is a perfect activity to keep children engaged. Don’t hesitate to involve them from start to finish, taking them to pick out the flowers and letting them choose and handle them. You can even use this opportunity to teach them the names of some of the more common flowers, along with a few of their properties, to foster their creativity and scientific curiosity!
Which Flowers Should You Choose?
When it comes to getting flowers, you have several options available to you:
➡️ If you’re lucky enough to have a flower garden, you can pick them right from your own yard. There’s nothing more satisfying than creating beautiful bouquets with flowers you’ve grown yourself!
➡️ You can also get flowers directly from a florist. Don’t hesitate to explain your project to them; they can offer valuable advice!
⚠️ You might be thinking about going flower picking directly in nature. However, I’d like to draw your attention to several important factors to consider in this context:
- Some plants are protected and should not be picked. This includes all plant life in France’s regional nature parks.
- Some plants, while very beautiful, can be toxic. If you have any doubts, be sure to check that the species you intend to collect is not toxic.
- Lastly, many flowers picked from the fields have a short lifespan in a vase. This is particularly true for flowers with thin stems, such as poppies, daisies, and cosmos.
Don’t forget the foliage!
To add some depth and volume to your bouquets, it’s essential to include foliage. Just like flowers, you can purchase it directly from a florist. However, it’s also entirely possible to gather it outdoors. Some plants are particularly well-suited for this purpose:
- Oak
- Fir
- Alder
- Filbert
- Laurus
- Pistachio / Mastic tree
- Strawberry Tree
- Eucalyptus
- Pittosporum
- Ivy
- Aspidistra
Common Oak / Pistachio or Mastic Tree / Eucalyptus
How to Create Your Small Flower Bouquets?
For small bouquets, you don’t need to master the complex floral arrangement techniques used by professional florists. However, here are a few tips that should help you create harmonious little bouquets that last over time and impress your guests.
🔸 Step 1: Choose Your Colors! 🎨
When it comes to choosing colors, you have several options available to you:
- The fade
Choose a dominant color, such as pink, and use various shades, both light and dark.
- The monochrome
Choose between warm tones (red, orange, yellow, etc.) and cool tones (purple, blue, green, white).
- The complementary colors
You can also choose to create your bouquets using just two colors. In this case, selecting flowers in complementary colors (red/green, yellow/purple, pink/light green) will help you achieve a beautiful contrast.
- A colorful mix
Finally, you can choose to mix all the colors for a very colorful result!
🔸 Step 2: Prepare Your Plants and Your Vase(s) 🌿
Gather or buy your flowers and foliage just before making the bouquets. If you need to get them the day before, keep them in water, in a dark and cool room.
Next, to get them ready for assembly, sort them by variety and place them on a clean workspace.
Next, remove the leaves from the upper third of each stem, so they don’t touch the water when placed in the vase. This helps keep the water clear and prevents the growth of bacteria.
Finally, clean and then fill your vase with fresh water up to three-quarters full (but not cold water).
🔸 Step 3: Assemble Your Bouquets 💐
It’s time to get started with the assembly!
➡️ You can do this directly in the vase by trimming the stems before placing them inside. This is the easiest method! Don’t forget to turn your vase 360° to make sure your bouquet is balanced!
➡️ You can also create your bouquet by hand. To do this, hold the flowers in your left hand (if you are right-handed) and alternate adding blooms and foliage. Trim the stems at the end when you are happy with the result.
Small Bohemian Bouquets with Baby’s Breath
🎁 Want to wrap your bouquet for gifting? Check out the professional technique detailed in this article!
👉 To create fuller bouquets, professionals use the twist technique, which you can find demonstrated in the video below.
The goal is to arrange the stems in the same direction to create a harmonious bouquet with a half-spherical shape. You don’t need to master this technique to create small bouquets, but you can certainly take inspiration from it to give your flowers a lovely movement!
🔸 Step 4: Some Maintenance Tips to Make the Most of It 💧
If left as they are, your bouquets may wilt quickly, especially in warm weather. Here are some tips to keep them fresh for a few more days:
- Keep your bouquets out of direct sunlight and away from any heat source (radiators, stoves, ovens),
- Change the water every 48 hours and trim the stems about 1 inch if you notice they are starting to brown or soften.
Embrace the Bohemian Trend with Dried Flowers
Would you like to make small bouquets with dried flowers? It’s easier than you think! Just follow the method explained in the previous sections to create beautiful dried flower bouquets!
The Benefits of Dried Flowers
Dried flowers have become very popular in recent years, and they offer many advantages that might inspire you to create your own bouquets with them. They are very trendy, long-lasting, and require no maintenance. Once you’ve arranged your bouquet, all you need to do is display it in a dry place, and you can enjoy it for months!
☀️ Warning: Most dried flowers fade in color and become fragile over time when exposed to bright light. Synthetic flowers and preserved plants – such as eternal roses – are more resistant to light, although it’s best to avoid prolonged direct sunlight exposure. They also last longer than dried flowers: you can keep them for years! Check them out in our online shop, where you’ll find many colorful arrangements!
Which Flowers to Use?
Not all plants are suitable for drying: while some will retain their vibrant colors, others will completely disintegrate. Today, you can find dried flowers for sale in many stores. However, if you want to try drying some yourself, here are a few tips on how to find plants that are suitable for this purpose:
- wildflowers and grasses gathered from nature: wheat, ears of grain, various herbs, thistles, marjoram, etc.
- flowers that you have grown in your garden and dried: Love-in-a-Mist, Delphinium, Larkspur, etc.
- flowers that were given to you or that you purchased from a florist or at a market: straw flowers, carnations,
Customize Your Small Vases!
Would you like to take this DIY project a step further and customize the small vases that will hold your bouquets? With a bit of repurposing, you can create beautiful decorations easily and affordably.
To do this, all you need to do is collect some nice bottles, jars, or colored or clear glass containers and decorate them with washi tape, pretty ribbon, or colorful string.
Watch the video below for an example of this very easy DIY project:
And that’s the end of this tutorial! I hope you can create beautiful bouquets from it! If you enjoyed this DIY, be sure to check out this blog post dedicated to soliflores, those trendy vases where you can showcase just one or a few flowers!
If you love floral decor, you’re sure to find something you love at our online store dedicated entirely to this theme! Check it out here!