Ways to Style Fresh Flowers
Think flower arranging is complicated? We've found 15 flower arrangement tips that even the blackest of thumbs can manage and talked to the experts to get their tips on how to arrange flowers - from simple flower centrepieces to flower pressing and wedding bouquets. Whether you want some DIY flower arrangement tips, or just want to know how to arrange flowers you picked up on a whim at the market, update your interior in an instant with these 15 easy flower ideas - we promise there's something for absolutely everyone...
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Claire Richardson1/16Frame Your Own Blue-Themed Gallery
Using royal blue with touches of white will help create dramatic picture groups for your walls. Offset deep blue shapes (we used leaves and pressed flowers sprayed blue) against white paper backgrounds and blue frames.
Catherine Gratwick2/16Make an Easy Floral Centrepiece
Build a beautiful table display - carefully place trays on top of each other, balanced with an upturned flowerpot, and surround with small zinc flowerpots filled with spring flowers.
3/16Flower Wall
If space is tight, decorating walls is a good solution. We mounted small pots of hot pink cyclamen onto little plinths on a wall as a dramatic display for a hall or dining room. Change the flowers for the seasons: using seasonal flowers for Christmas, and then changing to spring bulbs once it's over.
4/16Display Flowers Creatively
Fresh flowers are an occasional treat for many of us, so make sure you display them with panache. Bunch stems together with ribbons and lace and opt for a simple but interesting vessel, as seen at funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk.
David Cleveland5/16Make a Foliage Focus
Highly decorative ceramics are undergoing a renaissance; complement them with simpler designs and delicate, indoor ferns to create the ultimate peaceful corner in your living room.
6/16Vase First
Group vases together on a side table and create a spectacular flower arrangement. Big is beautiful and this rich look is easily achieved. Just use large pieces of foliage from your garden and intersperse them with festive berries and flowers.
A Beautiful Mess7/16Turn a Vintage Thermos Into a Vase
Make like blogger Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess and turn a vintage thermos (or five) into a flower vase. See the full post on abeautifulmess.com.
James Gardiner8/16Try Spray Paint
For instant Christmas twinkle, get the gold paint out! Gather objects from nature and display them in vintage glass bottles intermittently filled with water coloured with food colouring. Top tip: rather than the usual dull matt finish, try Rust-Oleum's metallic spray paint which glistens when dry.
Rory Carnegie9/16Fairy Lights & Flowers
Make like Nat Robinson (of shop Lulu & Nat) and use fresh flowers and fairy lights to keep your kitchen feeling summery all year round.
Catherine Gratwick10/16Arrange Flowers in Bottles
Group single stems of spring flowers together along a mantelpiece in an assortment of glass bottles for a simple and beautiful display.
11/16Press and Play
Up for a bit of a project? Take a leaf out of the new book by Brooklyn-based stylist Shane Powers, Bring The Outdoors In (Chronicle Books, £15.99), and create a modern, industrial take on pressed flowers. Powers eschews pre-made frames and instead puts blooms between two panes of glass, held together with binder clips or black tape. Want to try it yourself? See how to how to press flowers here.
See more flower ideas in the May issue of Easy Living, out Thursday 4 April
David Cleveland12/16Wood
Wood has polished up its act and can set off bright blooms to beautiful effect. A delve into smaller artisans for wood vases is well worth it - we particularly love the work of Gary Allson, Peter Archer and Sarah Thirwell.
13/16Wedding Bouquet
Allison Renfrew of florist Hayford & Rhodes says, "This is a beautiful bridal bouquet that is quite simple and easy for you to do. Masses of one flower are a very popular trend in weddings. Before you start your bouquet make sure you remove all of the excess leaves and give the stems a good cut. Allow the flower to drink for as long as possible. Holding the flowers with a gentle grasp, rotate the stems to create a spiral effect on the stems. This in turn gives the bouquet a dome shape. Finish it off by tightly binding the stems together with a beautiful ribbon and pins."
14/16Diamond Display
"This arrangement definitely has the wow factor," says Allison Renfrew of florist Hayford & Rhodes. "Ideal for a table centrepiece, it will bring a smile to the glummest of faces. This will take a little bit of patience but I am sure you will get there. Firstly, line your container to avoid any condensation. Next, fill with blocks of soaked oasis foam and remember to attach them using oasis tape otherwise one false move and you have a Dahlia disaster! Working from the centre point and down, cut your flowers accordingly to get your curved shape; ideally you should have a beautiful floral diamond shape."
15/16Simple Style
"Sometimes simple is better," advises Allison Renfrew of florist Hayford & Rhodes. "Take these stunning Phaelanopsis Orchids for example. The contrast between the pink flower and the turquoise vase is both elegant and exotic. Mixed with berries gives it another texture which creates depth and interest. Experiment with different foliage and twigs from the garden and you can create a beautiful piece of oriental inspired art."
16/16Flower Power
Collect tiny vases in similar colours from charity shops and car-boot sales and display on a shelf in your hallway. What could be more welcoming when coming home after a long, hard day?
