Flower Arrangements for Gifts and Home Décor

Flower arrangements make great gifts and add color, texture, and drama as inexpensive and interesting home décor elements. If you have never tried your hand at creating something like this, it may seem a bit daunting. Do not worry, though. It is easier than it looks. All you need are a few inexpensive tools and supplies, and an hour or so to put it all together. Keeping things simple can be the key to creating a beautiful centerpiece.

The yellow arrangement at your right was done with one natural floral element and placed in an old brass pitcher. It is delicate and elegant enough for the most discerning taste, but was quick and easy to do. I like to give flowers as little impromptu gifts if I have a friend who has been stressed out or just needs a little pick up. It only takes a few minutes to go out in the back yard and pick some interesting stuff and put it in a jar or some other container.

The bouquets can be large or small, and are the perfect gift for someone who has everything, or someone who just needs a little cheering up.

Mixing silk flowers with natural elements that you find in your back yard (or a neighbor's yard, with their permission, of course) is an inexpensive way to flesh out the arrangement. The red silk bouquet above adds a dramatic color pop to a room decorated in black and white.

Pine cones and tree branches were added to add interest and texture.

The tools and supplies you will need can be found at most department stores. Just take a stroll through the craft section while you are doing your grocery shopping. You should be able to find most of the items on your list, however, depending on where you live, you may need to make a trip to your nearest craft store.

To get set up, plan on spending anywhere from $20.00 to $50.00. Of course, the more you buy the more it will cost. To keep costs down, you may find that you have some items at home that you can use in a pinch.

Here is a list of things you will need to get started with creating these easy bouquets:

• Silk flowers in colors you love, or colors that the recipient of your gift will love. Before going out and buying new silks, browse second hand shops for interesting elements. Sometimes you can buy a whole arrangement and then take it apart keeping the floral you like and discarding the rest. Doing this can save a ton of money.
• Wire cutters. If you have needle-nosed (narrow and pointed) wire cutters at home, this will do for beginners. Craft departments have special floral wire cutters if you do not have needle nosed cutters.
• Floral tape. Again, you can often find this in the craft section of your grocery store, but if not a craft store will carry this item. This tape is usually green and is used to wrap stems to make them stronger or look nicer and to bind them together in order to keep them where you want them to stay.
• Styrofoam floral cubes. If you are using a shallow container this is what you need. These come in a variety of shapes now, and you just press the end of the stem into the block or half-round where you want that piece to be.
• Dried rice, beans or pebbles. These are an inexpensive alternative that work in many deep containers, and you most likely have these items in your kitchen cupboards. Even dried split peas that you use in soup work well.
• Natural elements. Dried grass, shrub and small tree branches, vine clippings and even weed clippings. Explore the back yard or gather interesting pieces from road-sides in your commute.
• Interesting containers. Use things such as glass jars that pickles, sauces and other food items are packaged in make good elements, as do baskets, bowels purchased at second hand shops, and vases. You could even wrap the bouquet in colorful tissue paper and place it in a gift bag.
• Fresh floral preservative. These usually come in small packets that you add to the water in vases.

1. Plan your bouquet. First, decide on the colors you will use. To make it simple, use one color. If you do this, keep the design simple and use a container that goes well with the color of the flowers. If you are more adventurous work with two or three colors and use natural elements and greenery as fillers.
2. Select your container. The container you select should be of a size and color that balances with the size of the flowers and natural elements. Clear glass jars should be filled with rice, beans, pebbles, etc. that go well with the color of the flowers. Brown rice or polished stone pebbles that you can get from your local dollar store make nice, neutral bases for almost any color arrangement.
3. Fill your container with either the foam floral block (be sure to pack it in tightly) or the other filler you have selected. If you are working with live elements, add water to about an inch or two below the rim. Remember that the water level will rise as you add your floral pieces.
4. Trim and clip. Most floral stems will need to be trimmed so that the stem is free of excess leaves. To do this, gauge or measure the depth of your container. Very shallow containers will need less trimming. You want the stem to be free of leaves until just after it reaches the top of the container. Clip the stem off at the desired height. To add drama and texture, vary the length a little, or you could even use two or three long stems in the center and shorter stems around the long stems. Be sure to keep the stems in balance with the size and height of your container so that the container does not tip over easily.
5. Begin placement of floral elements. Usually, the longest stems will go in the middle. This is where you can use your floral tape to bind two or three stems together so that they stay in the formation you want. Create color balance by selecting a main color, and then augment that color with little pops of the the other colors. Flesh out the bouquet with your natural elements and greenery. Keep the size of the bouquet balanced with the size of the container. Stand back once in a while to see if it looks balanced in both size and color. If the container has a front and back, be sure to arrange the flowers and stems in such a way as to complement the front of the container. Remember, if you don't like the way it looks, you can just switch things around. Do not try to make it perfect. Just make it pleasing to your eye.

The most important thing to take away from this is to have a fun and relaxing time. Everyone has enough creative ability to do this project. Tapping into your creativity reduces stress and allows your brain to work on solutions to other problems while you work.