A zoomed in picture of a floral arrangement

Floral Designs

I had the privilege of taking The Art of Floral Design class at Auburn University. I was so excited to take this course, as I had been trying to register every semester since the start of college, and it was definitely worth the wait! Floral design has become one of my greatest professional interests because I get to use my creativity and attention to detail (plus, who doesn't love flowers?!) As I pursue a career in event planning, I look forward to incorporating floral design to create memorable experiences and elevate the atmosphere of each event.

A pink and green, S-shaped floral design

Hogarth

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Asiatic Lily, Lilium
Snapdragons, Antirrhinum
Stock, Matthiola
Button Mums, Chrysanthemum
Limonium, Limonium
Lemon Leaf, Gaultheria
Leatherleaf, Rumohra

Floral Foam
Anchor Tape
Sticky Tac
Clippers
Knife
Tall Vase
Lomey Design Bowl

Steps of Construction

Mechanics: Place sticky tac along the rim of the vase, put lomey bowl on top of the vase and press down. Bevel corners and sharp edges of the floral foam using a kitchen knife into a smooth rectangular shape. Place the foam in the lomey bowl and bind them together using two strips of anchor tape that form a symmetrical lowercase letter "t."
Prep flowers: Remove leaves from all flowers. Carefully strip the anthers off of the Asiatic Lilies. Note that the pollen on the anthers stains the fabric, and the delicate petals are easy to damage. Trim leatherleaf shorter.
Green down with leatherleaf: Place shorter leaves at the top of the "t" with leaves facing upward and larger leaves at the bottom of the "t" pointing down.
Line flowers: First, use the natural curve of the Snapdragons to form an S-shape by placing smaller flowers at the top (curving inward and upward) and larger, fuller blooms at the bottom (curving downward). Then do the same with the Stocks, making sure the flowers stagger and stairstep down from Snapdragons to Stocks.
Form flowers: Arrange the focal point by centering open/blooming Asiatic Lilies in a star pattern. Remember that thisdesign is one-sided!
Mass flowers: Sprinkle Button Mums around the arrangement.
Foliage: Cut Lemon Leaf into individual leaves or pairs, Fill in around the entire arrangement.
Filler flowers: Sprinkle Limonium around the arrangement,
Hide mechanics: Lastly, tuck in more Leatherleaf to obscure floral foam and tape.

Hand-tied Bouquet

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Sunflower, Helianthus
Mini Green Hydrangea, Hydrangea
Alstroemeria, Alstroemeria
Blue Thistle, Eryngium
Monte Cassino Aster, Aster
Leatherleaf, Rumohra

Twine
Clippers
Cellophane

Steps of Construction

Prep flowers: Carefully pluck the lowest leaves off of stems and remove unattractive petals.
Decide whether you want to color block or mix it up! I chose to mix the colors!
Hold one form flower (in this case, a Sunflower) in your non-dominant hand.
Begin adding different colored flowers one at a time into your non-dominant hand, spiraling outward in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction using your dominant hand.
1. Tip: If the spiral is not tight enough, hold one hand at the base of the flowers and twist the stems with your free hand.
After adding the flowers, add foliage.
Cut the stems 6 to 8 inches long. The bouquet should be able to stand up on its own if the stems spiral outward correctly and are equal in length.
Tie the bouquet with two pieces of twine at the base as tightly as possible.
Wrap cellophane around stems, fill with water, & tie with a ribbon!

Wreath

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Grapevine Wreath
Artificial Oak Leaves
Artificial Pampas Grass
Artificial Thistle
Artificial Sorghum
Assorted Artifical Grass & Weeds

Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue Sticks
Scissors

Steps of Construction

Choose a theme: I chose Fall with a beige, Boho style.
Choose a visual balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, open): I chose radial.
Collect supplies
Arrange the focal point.
Arrange the foliage.
Arrange the filler.
Arrange the accents.
Adjust the design and take a reference photo.
Begin anchoring the arrangement to the grapevine wreath one piece at a time. Apply hot glue to the tip of the stem (about 1 inch) and wedge it down into the grapevine wreath. Make sure the stem and hot glue are touching the branches so that they bind together.

Small Round

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Rose, Rosa
Daisy Mums, Chrysanthemum
Cushion Mums, Chrysanthemum
Baby's Breath, Gypsophila
Grevillea, Grevillea
Leatherleaf, Rumohra

Twine
Burlap, Ribbon, or Coffee Beans
Clippers
Scissors
Floral Foam (2/3 block)
Kitchen Knife
Anchor Tape
Adhesive Strips
5-inch Cylinder Vase

Steps of Construction

Mechanics: Cut a 2/3 block of floral foam until it fits snuggly inside the 5-inch cylinder vase. The foam should be slightly taller than the rim of the vase and rounded on top so that flowers spill over the sides. Make an offset cross with anchor tape on top of the foam and attach it to the vase tightly. To hide the mechanics, either put the 5-inch cylinder inside a 6-inch cylinder filled with coffee beans or wrap the one cylinder with burlap/ribbon and secure it with adhesive strips and a bow.
Green down with Leatherleaf: Trim Leatherleaf into winged pairs and pull off broken leaflets. Use approximately two whole leaves. Place winged pairs randomly, angled in different directions. Ensure that leaves are long enough to stick out slightly farther than the flowers and that some hang down enough to hide the tape. Remember to turn the vase as you arrange flowers and foliage so that each side looks presentable from any perspective.
Daisy Mums: Cut the batch short and stick it in the center of the foam.
Roses: Cut the stems at an angle (like a needle) to about 6 inches long. Remove damaged Rose petals by pinching at the base and rocking back and forth. Spin the flower stem in between your hands, then gently fold back the outermost petals for a fuller appearance. Position 3 Roses and push each flower entirely into the foam, but make sure not to poke through the other side of the foam.
Cushion Mums: Use about 7 Cushion Mums throughout the arrangement.
Baby's Breath: Fill in gaps with small bunches of Baby's Breath.

A small round floral arrnagement wrapped in burlap and sitting on a wooden display stand

Personal Flowers

Boutonniere

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Spray Rose. Rosa
Button Mum, Chrysanthemum
Wax Flowers, Chamelaucium
Baby's Breath, Gypsophila
Florida Ruscus, Ruscus
Optional: Alstroemeria, Alstroemeria

Floral Wire (26 gauge)
Floral Tape
Twine
Clippers
Ribbon
Boutonniere Pins

Steps of Construction

Use 1 Rose, 1-2 Button Mums, a small bunch of Wax Flowers or Baby's Breath, 2 Florida Ruscus leaves, and 1 Alstroemeria (if desired). Cut each stem at 3/4 to 1 inch.
Wrap each stem in floral tape, stretching it as you spin it around the stems.
Cut the 26g wire into 3-4 inch long pieces.
Bend one piece of wire into a shepherd's hook, stick it through the top of the Button Mum in the center, and pull it down.
For the Rose, stick a wire horizontally through the ovary and bend it in half downward.
Next, fold a wire in half, forming a "hairpin," and poke it down into the Baby's Breath between the main and side stems.
Fold Florida Ruscus leaf in half (inward). Peirce a wire horizontally through the midrib near the bottom half of the blade. Bend the wire in half down the back side of the leaf. Do this to both leaves.
If you want to add Alstroemeria, wire it the same way as the Rose, but keep the design simple because men tend to prefer a minimalist boutonniere.
Arrange the 2 Ruscus leaves at different heights. Put a large flower (Spray Rose) in front of the leaves near the bottom of the design and a smaller flower next to it, slightly higher. Add a small bunch of Baby's Breath that is taller than both flowers and place it in between the two.
Wrap the stems together with floral tape, then twine. Tie a ribbon around the base of the flowers.

Corsage

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Spray Rose. Rosa
Button Mum, Chrysanthemum
Wax Flowers, Chamelaucium
Baby's Breath, Gypsophila

Wrislet (Slap Bracelet)
Plastic Bracelet Clasp
Clippers
Wire Ribbon
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
Floral Adhesive
Clamshell Holder or Corsage Bag

Steps of Construction

Create a pom pom bow using narrow wire ribbon and hot glue it to the wider side of the plastic clasp on the wristlet.
Cut flower stems completely off or to about one centimeter.
Dip flower stems in floral adhesive and wedge them in between ribbons.
Place corsage and boutonniere into a clamshell holder or corsage bag. Store it in a cooler away from fruits and vegetables, which produce ethaline gas, shortening shelf life.

Vertical Design

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Cremon Mum, Chrysanthemum
Daisy Mum, Chrysanthemum
Cushion Mum, Chrysanthemum
Hypericum, Hypericum
Goldenrod/Solidago, Solidago
Myrtle, Myrtus
Leatherleaf, Rumohra

Pumpkin
Pumpkin Carving Utensils
Bleach/Water Solution or Vaseline
Floral Foam (1/2 block)
Kitchen Knife
Clippers
Cellophane

Steps of Construction

Carve about a 5-inch-diameter circle on the top of the pumpkin—enough to fit a half block of floral foam—and scoop out as much of the guts as possible.
- Optional: To slow down bacteria growth, either spray a solution of bleach and water on the inside or coat it with Vaseline.
Cut a cellophane sheet into a circle and place it inside the pumpkin.
Next, cut the corners off the floral foam, but try to cut as little off as possible because we want it to sit still and low. Wedge the foam down into the pumpkin.
Green down with Myrtle and Leatherleaf. After trimming the line foliage, Myrtle, and stripping off the bottom leaves, place it towards the backside of the pumpkin. Then, frame the pumpkin's opening with Leatherleaf.
Remember to stairstep down from the Myrtle when arranging all of the flowers.
Form flowers: Arrange the focal point, with one Cremon Mum at the base of the design and the other slightly higher.
Mass flowers: Stairstep the Daisy Mums and Cushion Mums.
Filler flowers: Pull the lower stems off the Solidago, leaving only the top flowers. The smallest flower goes at the top, slightly lower than the Myrtle, and the two larger Solidago flowers are placed lower. Next, pluck the leaves and lower berries off of the Hypericum. Place the tallest and largest bunch a little lower than the Myrtle. Sprinkle the lower berries around the design.

a floral arrangement inside a white pumpkin

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus
Grevillea, Grevillea
Wax Flower, Chamelaucium
Button Mum, Chrysanthemum
Rose, Rosa
Leatherleaf, Rumohra
Safflower, Carthamus

Vegetative Design

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Delphinium, Delphinium
Micro-mum, Chrysanthemum
Daisy Mum, Chrysanthemum
Green Thistle, Eryngium
Green Sheet Moss, Hypnum
Dried foliage and tree branches

Floral Foam (1/3 block)
Anchor Tape
Floral Wire (22 gauge)
low bowl container
clippers

Steps of Construction

Cut a 1/3 block of floral foam in half vertically, then cut one of the pieces in half horizontally. You should now have three blocks - a large rectangular one and two smaller squares. Shave all four corners off the rectangular piece and set it in the center of the container. Cut only two corners off each square block of foam, then place one on each side of the rectangular foam in the container; They should up against the longer sides of the rectangular foam to cover as much surface area of the container as possible. Tape the foam to the container using two pieces of anchor tape that cross evenly in the middle of the design.
Establish the height of your design using three line flowers - Delphinium. The vegetative design grid is opposite of all other designs, so position the largest, fullest bloom at the top of the design and stairstep down to the smaller flowers.
1. Note: Do not arrange any flowers or foliage coming directly out of the center of the design. The finished product should look like wildflowers that were scooped up off the side of the road or out of the forest.
Cut the Daisy Mums fairly short and arrange them to look like they are growing out of the same roots. Do the same for the Thistle and Mirco-mums at different heights. These three flowers should stairstep down from the Delphinium.
Fill in areas with too much negative space using a few dried flowers and twigs.
Grab a handful of sheet moss, dunk it in water, and squeeze it to wring it out. Cover the floral foam and anchor tape with moss. Cut a 22 gauge wire into 3-inch pieces and bend them in half. Pin the sheet moss to the floral foam wherever needed.

Steps of Construction

Shave the corners off of a full block of foam at an angle until rounded. Take a mason jar, turn it upside down, center it on top of the foam, and press down to form a guide for where you will place the candle. Dig out the hole about 1 inch deep.
Wrap wide anchor tape around the base of the candle, about an inch and a half from the bottom of the candle, so that the tape used in the next step does not slip down the candle. Place the candle in the hole carved in the floral foam and put it on a plate or in a low bowl container. To secure the candle and floral foam to the container, take one piece of narrow anchor tape and attach it to the bottom of the container, then bring it up and around the candle then back down and attach the end of the tape to the container, forming a "U". Do this step on both sides of the design.
Green Down: Cut Leatherleaf into small pieces and wings, then green down.
Mass Flowers: Trim the Roses to about 5 inches long. If the Roses were not processed, use a rose stripper to remove the thorn by moving it up and down the stem. Spin the flowers and fold the outermost petals backward to make each Rose fuller. Stick two roses on the ends of the foam, then arrange three roses around the candle in a star/triangle pattern.
Filler Flowers: Cut the Button Mums to different lengths and sprinkle them around the design, with longer ones toward the base and shorter ones closer to the top of them design.
1. Note: Remember to turn the design as you go and look at it from different angles since this is an all-sided design. As you're arranging flowers, make sure the design forms an oval shape by placing longer flowers around the base of the design and making them shorter as they go up towards the candle.
2. Additional Filler Flowers: Strategically place Safflowers and Wax Flower bunches throughout the design.
Fill in negative space with small pieces of Eucalyptus and Grevillea.

A floral design with a candle in the center

Horizontal Design

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Floral Foam
Wide Anchor Tape
Narrow Anchor Tape
Low Bowl Container
Candle
Mason Jar
Kitchen Knife & Clippers
Rose Stripper

An organic-looking floral design photographed outside on grass

Button Mum, Chrysanthemum
Standard Carnation, Dianthus
Pixie Carnations, Dianthus
Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra
Green Sheet Moss, Hypnum

Succulent Dish Garden

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Elephant Bush, Portulacaria
String of Tears, Senecio
Hens and Chicks, Echeveria

Porous Soil (such as Topsoil)
Terracotta Pot

Steps of Construction

Fill a little over half of the pot with soil.
Re-pot the plants: Pull each plant out of its individual nursery pot. Gently massage the roots to remove some of the compact soil. If too much soil is removed, the plant will experience root shock.
Arrange the succulents in the pot and then add more soil around each one.

Steps of Construction

Cut the the floral foam in half ("hotdog" style) and put it in the container with the holes facing down. Take the remaining piece of floral foam and cut off however much is needed to fill the remaining space in the container. The foam should sit low in the container.
Using a kitchen knife, draw a line down the middle of the foam to create a valley/crevice, then turn the box sideways and do the same thing to form a cross. There should now be four quadrants
Cut two Cast Iron Plants in half. Then take three of the halves (save the fourth piece for later), fold them inward, and cut along the midrib using a knife. You should have six strips now. Trim two of the strips to be the width of the container and set them down in the valleys of the foam. The Aspidistra should separate each quadrant.
1st Quadrant: Cut the Standard Carnation about an inch from the bulb. Squeeze the bulb to fully open the flower, then place it in the foam in the center of the 1st quadrant. Stuff sheet moss around the flower to hide the foam.
2nd Quadrant: Use as many Button Mums as you can fit in the quadrant. Trim each Mum to a short length. Arrange the Button Mums compactly and flatly (all at the same height).
3rd Quadrant: Use the Pixie Carnations to make pieces of sushi. Cut the flower stems to half an inch and de-leaf. Cut the remaining Aspidistra strips thinner and roll them around the Mini Carnations. Tape with anchor tape at the bottom of the roll so it's not visible. Arrange the "sushi" in a formal pattern in the 3rd quadrant, and tuck sheet moss around the design.
4th Quadrant: Lay a bed of sheet moss. Use the remaining half of the Aspidistra leaf to create a spring roll. Roll the half-leaf up and tape it with anchor tape. Wrap colored wire around the roll for extra decoration, if desired. Then, cut a 3-inch piece of 22-gauge wire, fold it into a hairpin, and stick it inside the roll. Place the spring roll on top of the sheet moss and pin it to the foam to prevent it from falling off of the design.
This style of pavé floral design is called a Bento Box. The materials should be arranged in distinct, organized, compact sections, to look like neatly arranged food in a Japanese bento box.

A floral design meant to look like sushi

Pavé

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Square Ikebana Container
1/3 Block of Floral Foam
Clippers
Kitchen Knife
Anchor Tape

Fuji Mum, Chrysanthemum
Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra

A floral design meant to look like birds chirping at each other

Western Line

Flowers & Foliage:

Materials:

Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia
Liatris, Liatris
Anthurium, Anthurium
Pincushion Protea, Leucospermum
Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra
Green Sheet Moss, Hypnum

Floral Foil
Whole Floral Foam Block
1/3 Block Floral Foam
Scissors & Clippers
Anchor Tape
10 inch Tall Container
Adhesive Strips
22 Gauge Floral Wire

Steps of Construction

Put a 1/3 block of floral foam in the bottom of the container and then the full block of foam on top of it. Cut the top of the foam down to be about an inch and a half above the container rim, then round the corners. Run two pieces of anchor tape over the top of the foam, forming an "X," and attach it to the vase.
Cut a piece of floral foil 10 inches long and wrap it around the clear vase to hide the mechanics. Bind it to the vase with anchor tape or ribbon.
Form Flowers (Birds of Paradise): Cut a few inches off a Bird of Paradise flower and cut the other one shorter. Pull the orange petals out to make the flower look like a bird's beak by putting your thumb into the leaf and pushing the petals up. Separate the orange petals. Remove the cream-colored petals because they restrict the orange petals. Peel the bottom leaves off the stems if there are any. Arrange the two "Birds" in the floral foam angled towards each other to look like two birds talking.
Mass Flower: Cut the Pincushion Protea short and place it at the base of the design. Remember that we should have negative space in this design.
Form Flowers (Antherium): Cut the Antherium flowers to different lengths and arrange them at the front of the design below the Pincushion Protea, angled down and leaning towards each other.
Line Flowers: Clean up the stems by stripping it down with your hand. Cut each of the three Liatris flowers to different lengths, then cut the stems in half (don't throw the stems away!). Arrange the top halves of the flowers horizontally in the floral foam, then mimic this on the other side of the design with the bottom stems. It should be arranged the same way as if you were holding these flowers in your hand.
Fold the Aspidistra leaves backward and use adhesive strips to hold the desired shape. Place the Cast Iron Plants into the foam at the back of the design in an aesthetic way.
Grab a handful of sheet moss, wet it, and ring it out. Make a few hair pins with 22 gauge wire and use them to pin the sheet moss to the floral foam in a way that hides any tape or foam.

Steps of Construction

Take a piece of sticky tac and roll it in between your hands to form a ball.
Press the sticky tac to the bottom of the pin frog.
Position the pin frog off center in one of the container's four quadrants. Press it to the container while twisting it to make sure it stays put.
Trim a few inches off of the Aspidistra leaf and push it down into the frog pin at an angle - leaning backward so the tip of the leaf naturally curves upward. It should be the tallest element in the design, acting as a cover leaning over the flowers. It represents heaven (also known as Shin).
Cut the flowers to different heights and stick them into the pin frog. The larger, more bloomed flower is arranged on the left and should be the second tallest element to signify humanity (Soe). The other flower -the shortest element- should be 2/3 of the length of the tall flower and placed to the right of the leaf; it signifies earth (Tai).
Fill the container with enough water to cover the pin frog.