Floral Arrangement Tools

Shears or Wire Cutters

• Shears for fresh and dry flowers or wire cutters for false flowers are necessary to trim stems, leaves and dead or crushed flower petals. When dealing with fresh flowers, it may be necessary to trim thin stems into points so they will take their place in the arrangement's base rather than break or bend when trying to place them. Cutting live flowers that have been cut some time ago provides fresh tips with which to absorb water and nutrients, giving them a longer "fresh" appearance. Dry flowers may need crushed or disintegrating leaves trimmed from their stems before they can be used. Wire cutters must be used with fake flowers that have wires running through their stems and leaves to make them appear lifelike. Scissors only bend, break or crush the plastic stems even more tightly around the wires, leaving you with a mess.

Knife

• A knife is necessary for detail work on any flower arrangement. Not only can you trim away dangerous thorns or briars on stems and greenery, you can also cut into areas of the flower too delicate to reach with the shears. The knife can also be used to replace dulling shears in long periods of flower arrangement or with large arrangements if you do not have the ability to stop and sharpen your shears. A knife must not be used on false flowers with wire cores. The knife can slip and harm you.

Binding Materials

• Binding materials range from lightweight thread and ribbon to heavy twine and wire. Small green wire sticks can be easily hidden within the flower arrangement to repair snapped stems or to pull heavy flowers upright. Ribbon can be used to twist around flowers to make them appear more colorful. When working with fake flowers a weight must be used at the end of each flower so it can stand upright when in a shallow container.