Try these video tutorials for arranging flowers at home

Given we’re spending a lot of time at home at the moment, it feels like a good time to share some inspo for a fun activity – arranging flowers at home!

We’re sharing this in the hope you might have a laugh, learn something new or just make something beautiful to have in your home or gift to a neighbour/friend (via a contactless delivery and whose house is on your exercise route of course ;) ).

But first up, options for how to get your hands on flowers and #stayhome: 

1. Support your local flower shop / studio who is doing home delivery and let them know it’s DIY so they don’t prearrange them for you - they might be able to give you a discount!
2. Grab some while you’re on your grocery run or add to your food delivery
3. Forage! Cut stems from your own garden or pick some on your daily walk (ask permission if it’s from a neighbour)

The videos we've chosen are either of easy arrangements, have simple instructions, are a bit entertaining, or will just leave you inspired to go and try arrange some flowers. In order of ease, here goes!    

EASY VIDS

1. For beginners with no tools or flower arranging experience who want to put flowers nicely in a vessel

Lewis Miller Design - Coffee Mug design

Lewis Miller is the absolute king of showing you how easy it is to put flowers in a vase. His philosophy is that everyone should be able to have flowers in their home (or as he puts it, there should be no excuse not to!) so he tries to keep things simple and easy for you.

What we love about this vid:

• The whole thing is done in under 3 mins
• You only need one bunch from the supermarket – cheap! Plus maybe a few little things from your garden but that’s not essential
• Lewis’ reminds you not to overthink it 
  
  

2. For anyone who wants to gift a simple bunch to their neighbour / friend using what’s in the garden or a couple of supermarket bunches.

Oh Flora Studio – Two ingredient wrapped posy

If Lewis is the King then Tanya from Oh Flora is the flower knowledge sharing queen, and her core philosophy is that it’s all in the repitition. Practice, practice, practice, repeat, repeat, repeat until it all becomes second nature.

What we love about this:

• It’s the perfect example of how simple floristry can be - it’s the gesture that matters most!
• There's no sound or commentary but it means you can focus on her technique. It’s two flower types only so it’s really easy to follow.
• There are lengthy instructions and notes in the comments 

3. For anyone who wants to put tulips nicely in a vase

Lou Flowers - Tulip Tutorial

Lou shows you a really easy way to make tulips look good in a vase, which isn't always easy! 

What we love about this:

• It's fun and quick! 
• There are instructions at points where you should drink your wine 

4. For anyone with a vase, but no floristry experience, that’s wants to arrange something a bit more complicated and professional-florist-like but in a REALLY EASY way

Lewis Miller Design: 3 minute Flower Class

This is literally my favourite flower arranging tutorial video ever, not because of the arrangement he makes (though it is pretty) but because it comes with the ultimate reminder all florists need: don’t overthink it! 

What we love about this:

• Three supermarket or florist bought bunches, a vase and some scissors are all that's needed
• There are ideas for what flower combinations will work well in an arrangement so you know what to look out for when buying. 

HARDER VIDS

5. and 6. For anyone with a cereal bowl/gravy boat who wants to play florist for a half hour and make a nice centrepiece for the dinner table

Oh Flora: Centrepiece

Tanya uses some pretty normal florists tools in this one (chicken wire and pot tape) but if you don’t have this sort of thing you could get away with making a grid across the top of the cereal bowl using sticky tape. 

What we love about this video:

• It uses very accessible ingredients – I think she has grabbed two or three dif foliages from her garden + a couple of bunches of flowers from the supermarket/florist
• It’s a super soft and pretty design that you can relax and take your time with
• Decent soundtrack if you like a bit of Ben Howard

Lewis Miller Design: Gravy boat design

This one is super recent – Lewis has filmed this during Covid-19 lockdown – and he makes a table centrepiece out of grocery store flowers in a gravy boat for a virtual dinner party on Zoom. He literally has no florist tools and no access to amazing florist bought flowers (he’s in the US where things are locked down tighter) and he still manages to whip up the cutest little thing, proving how uncomplicated floristry can be.

What we love about this vid:

• Lewis likes to talk! There is a lot of helpful and detailed commentary on the process
• Because of COVID-19 he’s had to go back to basics, using twigs and string as his base

7. For experienced florists who want to watch another experienced florist’s technique (IT ME! I do this all the time and always learn something new)

Jenn Chez Design - bowl arrangement 

Jenn is funny! She's sarcastic and endearing and it was fun to watch her make this arrangement out of foraged things from her neighbourhood and garden. Jen makes a good point that the arrangement is a beautiful snapshot of Spring in the US in her garden, not Spring at the flowermarket – one of the silver linings of this whole situation. Definitely a vid for the florists though as there’s not a lot of explanatory commentary.

What I love about this vid:

• The arrangement is so gardeny, natural and free-flowing – a stripped back example of how floristry celebrates nature.
• It’s a very relaxed example of just going with the flow.
• There are a few lols and a good soundtrack

HARDEST VID

8. For experienced florists wanting to learn the mechanics of more intricate bowl designs

Tulipina Design: Urn Arrangement

Kiana rules when it comes to individual arrangements that look like old paintings. In this vid she shares a look at her process and the mechanics using a series of images strung together.

What I love about this:

• It’s such a vibrant, colourful design that could actually be really well replicated on a foraged walk where you pick just a stem or two of whatever you can find
• Her philosophy: “Beauty has more power when you can share it with others”  

 Thanks for watching! Let us know if you gave any of them a crack and how you went. 

We have some great books in our online store for arranging flowers at home if you'd like to learn more. Check out our Styling with Flowers and Foliage  and Florists and Flower Arranging collections. Some recommdendations are:

The Flower Expert by Fleur McHarg

Flowers Every Day by Florence Kennedy