January 04, 2021
How to Make a Bouquet for Any Occasion in 5 Easy Steps
Looking to make your own bouquet? Going the DIY route is not only fun but saves you money if you’re looking to cut down on costs. Plus, making your own bouquet allows you to customize and make it unique to you!
Whether you want a bouquet for a special occasion like a wedding or for a birthday, these tips will have you creating the perfect bouquet for your special day. Read more to learn how to make a bouquet in five simple steps.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Flowers: This is an obvious one, but pick out your favorite flowers to use for the bouquet.
Scissors: These will be needed to clean up the stems as you create the bouquet handle.
Floral tape: This will help hold your bouquet in place after you’ve arranged the flowers.
Decorative ribbon: Placing decorative ribbon around your bouquet will give it a unique and special touch.
How to Pick Your Flowers
Choose in-season flowers from your local shop so they are the freshest and look the best for your big day. In-season flowers usually cost less, too, since they don’t have to be transported from another destination and they’re readily available.
To avoid any last-minute stress, make sure you order your flowers about two months before your event to make sure the flowers you want are in stock. Then, schedule your delivery or pick up two to three days before your event. Additionally, we recommend ordering more flowers than you might need in case you make mistakes along the way!
Florist tip: Buy your flowers a week before your event if they’re in a tight bud, such as freesia or lilies — they need time to open up so they look their best!
Step 2: Prepare Your Flowers
Making sure you’re prepared is crucial when putting together your bouquet. Once you have your materials together and your flowers picked out, you’re ready to get started! Set everything on a workstation such as a tabletop. Then, make sure any extra foliage has been taken off of the stem.
Step 3: Cut the Stems Evenly
Next, cut off all the leaves and any extra foliage at the part of the stem where you’ll be tying the bouquet together. This will create a handle that is more comfortable to carry.
Florist tip: Consider setting up a mirror in front of your work station so you can get a better idea of how the bouquet will look in the eyes of others.
Step 4: Arrange Your Flowers
After you’re done prepping, you’ll need to decide how to arrange your flowers for the bouquet. Choose two to four flowers to use as your focal point or base of your bouquet. Build onto the bouquet by adding more flowers around your base flowers. Do this by continuously turning the bouquet and adding stems until your arrangement is at your desired size.
You can even add greenery and additional foliage sprigs to give the bouquet additional dimension. Make sure you also leave four to five inches of exposed stem at the bottom so you’re able to place them in water prior to use.
Florist tip: As you add more stems to your bouquet, make sure they’re placed in the same direction so that you create a spiral effect.
Step 5: Secure Your Bouquet
Once your flowers are arranged to your liking, tightly secure the stems just below the blooms with your floral tape to make sure everything stays in place. This will give your bouquet the extra support it needs before adding the final touches. If there are excess stems at the bottom, feel free to cut these until you’ve reached your desired length.
Place the finished bouquet in a vase with fresh water. When it’s time for your event, your bouquet will be all ready to go and look just like it did when you first bought the flowers.
Florist tip: Before your event, avoid storing your bouquet in direct sunlight — this will cause the petals to wilt! Instead, store in a cool and dark space like a refrigerator.
Step 6: Decorate the Bouquet Handle
Now time for the fun part! On the day of your event, personalize your bouquet and add a decorative ribbon to the handle. Make sure you wrap the ribbon completely around the bouquet so that the floral tape beneath is completely hidden. Secure this in place simply by tying it. If you’d prefer it to be more secure, feel free to hot glue the ribbon in place or pin it down.
Florist tip: Make sure your decorative ribbon is parallel with the floral tape.
Congratulations, you’ve learned how to make a bouquet! Have fun with it — experiment with different flowers and decorative ribbons to get the perfect look. Whether you’re making one as a gift or for when you walk down the aisle at your wedding, these five steps will help you create a unique floral bouquet with ease.