Eight Basic Flower Arranging Designs

If  you are used to working with fresh flowers, it will take some time to get used to all the possibilities and limitations when using silks. Though so similar in use, artificial flowers are an entirely different art form. The line, focal, filler technique is an excellent way to design artificial and dried flower arrangements.

 Horizontal Arrangements

1. Using a relatively shallow container, anchor foam with a lot of glue or use anchor pins, and position sprays of line flowers to establish the shape of the design.

2. Insert focal flowers in the middle so they gently droop over the lip of the container on both sides, reach towards the line material and extend on either side of the middle. Leave room for filler flowers.

3. Fill in and around focal area with filler flowers and foliage.

 

Vertical Arrangements

 

1. Wedge or secure foam in a vase with hot glue. Cut the stems of the tallest flowers or leaves to reach three or four times the height of the vase.

 2. Place the focal flowers vertically within the diameter of the vase.

 3. Fill in the areas as needed with filler flowers.

 Triangular Arrangements

 

1. Secure floral foam. Determine the vertical height and horizontal width with the smallest line flowers and/or leaves. Make the height higher than the width.

 

2. Position the largest focal flowers in the heart of the arrangement and slightly lower to give weight and balance.

3. Fill in with the filler flowers and foliage keeping within the triangular shape.

 

Crescent Arrangements

 

1. Secure foam in container. Determine length of crescent and insert curved line flowers or leaves to follow the crescent form. Angle the shape to balance in the container.

 

2. Insert the focal flowers fairly low in the bowl to achieve balance, stability and depth.

 

3. Fill in around the focal flowers with smaller flowers and foliage. Place wisps of filler flowers that gracefully taper off the ends.

Oval arrangements

1. Secure the floral foam. Determine the height with line flowers, then frame in the outer edges of the oval shape with light colored flowers and foliage.

 

 

2. Place the largest, strongest or brightest flowers in the focal area.

 

3. Fill in around the larger flowers and leaves with the filler flowers.

 

 

Minimal Arrangements

1. Adhere foam to container. Insert vertical line flowers to determine the height, and secure the horizontal line flowers to give the basic outline of the arrangement.

2. Place the focal flowers.

 

 

 

3. Fill in with filler flowers as needed.

 

The lazy "S" or "Hogarth's Curve"

 

1. Anchor the foam securely. Bend the stems gently into graceful curves and insert them in place so they balance.

 

2. Add the focal flowers following the lines of the upper and lower curves.

3. Cluster filler blossoms and foliage around the central flowers maintaining the rhythm of the ‘S’.

 

Free Standing Arrangements

 

 

1. Fill a shallow container with foam that extends one inch over the top. Secure the foam with hot glue, floral clay or floral tape. Define the shape of the design with the line flowers and leaves.

 

2. Place the focal flowers and leaves, turning the vase as you go so all the sides are even.

 

3. Add filler flowers to integrate the design.

Continue in Floral Design instruction with Arranging and Drying Flowers and Greenery

Cut the foam to fit into your container with a small amount showing above the rim. When soaking floral foam, cut to the size required and place on top of the water. Let this soak up in its own time, DO NOT PUSH IT UNDER.

Cover the top and sides of your floral foam with the plastic

Line is very important and you must establish this first with the outline material you have chosen. Line material can be greenery, branches or flowers but greenery is most often used.

Create the outline with pieces of your line material.

Design Concept: From front view, the shape of the arrangement is triangle. There is a focal point or the 'eye-catcher' spot situated in the middle of the triangular. The most awesome blooming flower, called as focus flower is composed at this focal point. Side view is also a triangle while top view appears like a diamond shape.Diagram 1 below illustrates the shapes in various view point in detail.

Diagram 1

Fundamental requirement for this design:1. Main or primary flower. For instance Rose, Carnation, Anthurium, Daisy or Chrysanthemum is used in bigger arrangement with stand. Quantity suggested a designed of 1 foot by 1.5 feet is 10 stalks. If the arrangement is larger, more primary flowers can be leveraged on.

2. Supporting or secondary flower. Common examples include Chrysanthemum Spider, Chrysanthemum Spray, Chrysanthemum Button usually in dark green color.3. Fillers are used at the last step to cover the visibility of sponge or container. Common examples are White peacock, Yellow peacock, Forget-Me-Not, Coffee Beans.4. Leaves or foliages. Common example: Fern leaf.

Pleasant color combination is an important aspect in floral arrangement as it will make the composition stands out if choose correctly. As rule of thumb, colors that contrast harmoniously or colors that appear in neighboring spectrum of different tone like the examples below are practiced.

Vivid Red + White - Harmony of contrast

Pink + Purple - Harmony of contrast

Purple + White with Pink lining - Harmony of dominant (differs in tones)

Orange + Yellow - Harmony of dominant (differs in tones)

Here elaborates extensively on good color harmony.

Getting started:1. Equipped with a water soaked round container, place the tallest stalk of primary flower (structural stalk) slightly behind (in the middle of upper circle, refer to Diagram 1 Top View) to stabilize the composition. If the structural stalk is composed in the middle of the round container, this may imbalance the arrangement as the bottom circle will be overloaded. Refer to Picture 1.

Picture 1

2. Move on to compose the second stalk on the base level facing front. Then, followed by the 'eye catcher flower' or focal flower (Number 3). Compose all the primary flowers according to the numbering sequence as shown on Picture 2, front view on Picture 3 and top view on Picture 4.

Picture 2 (Side View)

Picture 3 (Front View)

Picture 4 (Top View)

3. After satisfy with primary flowers, insert some leaves or foliages. Go by similar sequence and place the first fern to accompany the structural stalk. Based on front view, move on to add foliages until the sponge is less visible. Some tips when using fern leaves, if there are curved ferns, ensure placing them to curve-in to face front view or not let the tail facing back view/behind. Remember to compose some ferns to close up the back view as well. Picture 5 shows the composition of primary flower with ferns.

Picture 5

4. Next, introduce the secondary flower whereby in this example, they are violet chrysanthemums spider. Arrange them in-between the primary flowers and as where seems blank or empty. Also accompany the structural stalk with some secondary flower's bud of smaller bloom. Always fit the arrangement in triangular shape from front view as shown in Picture 6.

Picture 6

5. Last but not least, add in the fillers. In this example, white peacocks are placed around the flowers/ferns to instill the pleasant atmosphere. Refer to Picture 7 for the complete arrangement. Carnation number 3 is the focus flower. If observed, primary flowers (carnation) of number 4, 8, 3, 9 and 5 are blooming while the rest are carnation in buds as illustrated in Diagram 1.

Picture 7

Stay tuned for the next floral arrangement! Long CenterPiece awaits you!