Making a Flower Arrangement

Round, Oval and Vertical Arrangements

• 1

  Select a vase for your floral arrangement. The vase should be roughly one-third the height of your tallest flower. Place floral foam inside your vase to secure the flowers once you place them. Fill the vase with room-temperature water.

• 2

  Select your line flowers. These are the flowers that will define the shape of your floral arrangement. These flowers have sturdy stems with more than one flower. Examples of line flowers include gladiola and liatris. Eucalyptus, branches of spring blooming trees or ferns make excellent line elements in your bouquet as well. Cut the flowers to the desired sizes. Position the line flowers or foliage in the center of the vase with the tallest flowers in the center.

• 3

  Add the focal flowers. Cut the stems to stagger their height, beginning about 4 inches shorter than the tallest line flower and the shortest focal flower just above the lip of your vase.

• 4

  Fill in your arrangement with filler flowers and foliage. Don't overcrowd. Too many flowers make your arrangement seem too busy.

Horizontal Arrangements

• 5

  Select a shallow, wide vase roughly one-third the height and width of your horizontal flower arrangement. Cut a piece of floral foam to fit the bottom of your vase. Fill the vase with room-temperature water.

• 6

  Place the line flowers or foliage at the sides of the foam so they stretch horizontally or parallel to the work surface on either side of the vase.

• 7

  Place the focal flowers in the middle of the arrangement with the tallest flower in the middle. Fan the focal flowers out to the sides just above the lip of the vase. Focal flowers are large and usually have one flower per stem. Examples of focal flowers include roses, daffodils, camellias and irises.

• 8

  Fill in the arrangement with your filler flowers and small pieces of foliage. These flower arrangements make ideal centerpieces as they are not very tall and will not block the view or hinder the conversations of your guests sitting across the table from one another.

Triangle-Shaped Arrangements

• 9

  Secure your floral foam at the bottom of your vase. Place the longest filler flower vertically in the center of your vase. The longest filler flower should be approximately three times the height of the vase.

• 10

  Cut two line flowers half the height of the vertical flower. Place these flowers horizontal or at a 90-degree angle to the upright line flower. These will determine the shape of your floral arrangement.

• 11

  Place the focal flowers in the center of the arrangement or where the line flowers meet. Add a few focal flowers above and to the sides of these flowers, keeping in mind the general shape of your floral arrangement.

• 12

  Fill in the arrangement with filler flowers. Common filler flowers are statice, baby's breath and limonium.