3 Gorgeous Floral Arrangements You Must Recreate

By Alexandra napoli, The Nest

Freshen up your space with these three vibrant floral arrangements.

Nothing breathes life into your home like a freshly cut bouquet of flowers. Whether for a holiday or just for fun, we always smile when we receive a delivery of beautiful flowers in office. To help liven up your space, we sat down with master flower chef, Carly Cylinder. She showed us three breathtaking arrangements you can make at home, no matter the season. Whether you're a flower pro or not, fear not, these arrangements are much simpler to recreate than you think.

Still-Life Centerpiece

The soft color palette and addition of fruits and vegetables makes this arrangement an eye-catching centerpiece. Charming, with a dash of whimsy, this arrangement is perfect for a gathering of family and friends for a dinner party. Just make sure to not pick fruit that is too soft! Also, feel free to brighten up the palette with kiwis, apricots, and even limes

Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 pieces of produce (artichokes, plums, kiwis)
• 1 bunch of white veronica or heather
• 1 to 2 bunches of stock (yellow, peach, pink, or white)
• 1 bunch of pink lisianthus or roses (10 to 12 stems)
• 1 bunch of pink, white, or peach dahlias
• 1 bunch of cream or green hypericum
• 1 to 2 blocks of floral foam (depending on bowl size)
• Wooden green floral picks (or any wood picks such as kebab sticks)
• Serving bowl
• Optional: thick green floral tap

Directions:

1. Soak the floral foam, then cut the foam so that it fits snugly in the bowl. If you're using a very low bowl and it seems like the foam is going to fall out, stretch multiple strips of the floral tape around the bowl and the foam, crisscrossing as you go so that the strips make a cross or a star shape over the top of the foam to hold it in.
2. Cut or break the floral picks so that they are about 6" long. It's OK if the end is jagged; that will make it easier to pierce the fruit or vegetable. Insert the pointy end of one stick about an inch deep into a piece of produce; spearing the produce anywhere is fine, as long as it's secure. (Note: Artichokes are the exception and should be speared 2" deep directly into the stems.) Do this with each piece of fruit and vegetable you're using.
3. Prep the flowers and then separate them by type. You can keep some foliage at the top if you'd like.
4. Cut a few stems of veronica (or heather) and stock to about 8" to 10" long. Cut another few stems of the same types of flowers to about 4" to 5" long.
5. Using the veronica (or heather) and stock, form an asymmetrical V shape as the starting outline for the arrangement (see photo at right). Insert the taller veronica and stock, angled moderately outward, on the left side. Insert the shorter veronica and stock on the right side, angled outward almost horizontally. If possible, bend the shorter pieces a bit downward, being careful not to snap the stems. The arrangement should be asymmetrical overall.
6. A very open V shape will start to form. Cut a few stems of the lisianthus, or roses, to the same height as the taller veronica and place them nearby, following the rough outline that has developed. Cut a few stems of the lisianthus, or roses, to the same height as the shorter veronica and place them near those stems.
7. Cut the dahlias to about 6" to 8" long and place them evenly throughout the entire arrangement, some at the midway height between the taller and shorter flowers, creating a smooth, gradual line. You can place a taller stem toward the left side. Cut half at 8" and place at the top of the V, then cut half at 6" and put at the bottom of the V.
8. Add in the hypericum and evenly distribute throughout. The flowers don't have to be in a certain order or pattern; just make sure the colors are balanced.
9. Add in the rest of the stock and veronica to further define the V shape. Turn the vase and add flowers so that the arrangement looks full.
10. Add in the produce at the bottom half of the arrangement. Rotate the arrangement about one quarter-turn after each insertion to ensure that the fruit and vegetables are evenly distributed.

Design Tip:

Create a matching side arrangement with leftover flowers or simply fill a pretty smaller bowl with leftover produce.

Oh Happy Day

Sunflowers are an instantly uplifting flower that can be dressed up or down and make a perfect gift for anyone—from expressing love to a close friend to giving thanks to an acquaintance. For an everyday cheerful arrangement, pair them with a yellow or green vase, and offset them with various shades of bright purple, green, and blue.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of sunflowers
• 1 bunch of fuchsia or purple stock
• 1 bunch of green dianthus
• 1 bunch of thistle
• 1 block of floral foam
• 6" square yellow or green ceramic vase

Directions:

1. Soak the floral foam, then trim the foam to fit the vase and place it snugly inside. Prep all the flowers.
2. Cut the sunflowers to about 5" to 6" long and place them evenly throughout the vase, inserting the stems an inch deep into the foam. The sunflowers should rise about 4" above the foam, since you want some height in the arrangement.
3. Cut the fuchsia stock to about 4" to 5" long. Add the stems in between and around the sunflowers.
4. Cut the dianthus to 3" to 4" long and place evenly throughout the arrangement. Cluster 2 to 3 stems of dianthus together if the flower heads are small to create a bigger impact.
5. Cut the thistle to about 6" long. Trim off any secondary stems and if they're long enough, use those too. Add in the thistle evenly throughout the arrangement. Push the thistle stems on the outer edge more deeply into the foam, so that they're resting on the edge of the vase.

Care Tip:

When transporting low arrangements, place them on the floor of the car. For tall arrangements, you can buckle them in the passenger's seat or backseat, or put them in an empty bucket on the car floor, surrounding the vase with newspaper to keep it from tipping over while the car is moving.

Everyday Hydrangeas

This is like a classic, basic pasta recipe, where you start with pasta (hydrangea) and toss in all your random veggies (a variety of other flowers) to come up with a delicious, easy meal. Simple and straightforward, it's a good starter recipe for even the most inexperienced flower chef.

Ingredients:

• 5 stems of white hydrangea
• 1 bunch of plum or red dahlias
• 1 bunch of light pink spray roses, ranunculus, or lisianthus
• 1 bunch of dark pink or plum spray roses
• 1 bunch of Bells of Ireland (or 4 to 5 stems)
• Curly willow
• Optional: lemon leaves or seeded eucalyptus
• Clear floral tape
• 6" to 8" square or round glass vase

Directions:

1. Wrap a few strands of curly willow around your hand and insert it into the vase, letting it expand to fit the interior of the vase.
2. Fill the vase three-quarters full with water. With the tape, create a 3 x 3 grid over the opening of the vase.
3. Prep and cut the hydrangea so that the blooms are slightly above the top of the vase.
4. Place one hydrangea in each corner, angled outward with the stems pointing toward the center. Place the last hydrangea in the middle of the vase. If any hydrangeas are leaning over the vase, reinsert them more toward the middle.
5. Prep and cut all the other flowers to about 8" to 10" long. Keep the flowers separated by type.
6. Place the dahlia stems through the hydrangea heads so that the dahlia blooms rest on top of the hydrangea. If the dahlias are sticking out, recut their stems so they fit snugly among the hydrangea heads.
7. Add the roses (or ranunculus or lisianthus) evenly throughout the arrangement, placing stems near the dahlias and clustering a few blooms together for impact. Rotate the arrangement midway through to make sure it looks balanced.
8. Add in the Bells of Ireland. To give the arrangement more shape and dimension, choose 2 stems of bells that are curving to the right and place them on the right side so that the blooms are slightly angled up and out. Choose 2 stems of bells that are curving to the left and place them on the left side so that the blooms are slightly angled down and out.
9. You can add one last stem of bells curving around the front of the arrangement. Place the stem in on the right side of the vase and curve it along the rim toward the left side of the vase. Tuck the top of the bells into the vase to secure it in place.
10. If using, add in the eucalyptus or lemon leaves to accent the flowers and break up the colors.

Care Tip:

If your curly willow branches seem dry or brittle and you're having trouble wrapping them, you can run hot water over them in the sink. That will soften them and make them more pliable.

All arrangements are featured in Carly Cylinder's The Flower Chef. To see more arrangements, plus purchase a copy of this book, click here.