Sunday, 18 January 2015

tips to make floral arrangements like a professional

Of course you don't have to be a professional florist to create some beautiful floral arrangements at your home. All you have to do is start with some beautiful flowers, have a vision, a vase, and a little bit of time--the rest is just plain simple! Armed with the right information, you too can create stunning floral arrangements for your next dinner party, get together, baby shower, wedding or any special day--or that special someone! Here are some tips that will help you make floral arrangements just like a professional florist without spending hundreds of dollars!
Make Floral Arrangements like a Florist Tip #1: Cut stems of flowers one at a time so that they can be trimmed cleanly and at an angle. This will help the blooms to suck up the water from the vase and the blooms will last longer. Always cut the stems longer than you need to begin with so that there is plenty of room for error when you begin to make your arrangement. You may find that you need longer stems or shorter so a long stem to begin with will help you to maintain that ability.

Make Floral Arrangements like a Florist Tip #2: Cut foliage such as leaves away from the stems as much as possible, especially at the water line.
This will help to prevent the flowers and stems from rotting. If you decide that you really must have that foliage you can always add in some coleus or additional leaves to the upper areas of the arrangement. Just keep as much of the foliage as possible out of the water. Only the stems themselves should be submerged in water to keep the rot to a minimum.

Make Floral Arrangements like a Florist Tip #3: Arrange the stems in floral arrangements just as you would the flowers if you are using a clear vase. With a clear vase, much of the visual appeal is not only the flowers above the vase but also the beauty of the arrangement of the stems inside the vase. Make sure stems are trimmed and cut at angles to maintain a uniform beauty from the top of the vase right down to the bottom!


  • Make Floral Arrangements like a Florist Tip #4: Use flowers that compliments one another in both size and shape. For instance, a floral arrangement that features pink gerbera daisies can be complimented with smaller dahlias or boldly colored pink and white lilies. The use of complimentary colors such as darker shades paired with slightly lighter tones or similar colors is a very common theme in the way florists create floral arrangements.


Make Floral Arrangements like a Florist Tip #5: Many large blooms can be paired with small flowers to create a complimentary floral arrangement. Small bouquets can be paired with larger bouquets in a room to create a complimentary look. Various scents can also be paired together to create a specific theme to a floral arrangement. For instance, geraniums paired with lilies, lavender paired with passionflower, and roses paired with clematis are some great options for complimentary scent and size in floral arrangements.

Friday, 9 January 2015

5 easy DIY burlap decorations for a wedding

Burlap is a key material in rustic weddings, and it is extremely popular right now. Burlap is inexpensive and can be used in a ton of ways to add that cozy charm to your special day. Here you will find instructions for 5 inexpensive and easy DIY burlap decorations for a rustic wedding.

Flowers


Burlap flowers are very easy to make and all you need is burlap, hot glue, and a glue gun. Burlap flowers can be added to stems, garlands, bows, favors, and pretty much every area of your rustic wedding! To create them simply cut a long strip of burlap and twist it at one end. Add a bit of glue to the twisted end and roll it in on itself. Add some more glue and keep twisting and rolling until your flower is the size you would like it to be. Finish by gluing the remaining strip to the side or bottom of the flower.

Placemats


Placemats are another inexpensive burlap decoration. This DIY wedding project requires burlap, scissors, ribbon, and hot glue. Simply cut the burlap to the appropriate size. Then use the glue gun and the ribbon to cover the edges of the placemat and you are done. You can add lace, flowers, or other embellishments to make your placemat even more unique if you like.

Signs


Another inexpensive rustic wedding decoration that is also very useful is a sign. Whether you would like to make a banner or a single sign all you need is burlap, ribbon or cord, paint, a brush, scissors, and no-fray glue. Simply cut the size and shape sign you would like. Glue the ribbon to the top corners so it can hang. Use the fray stopping glue to seal the edge of the burlap, and paint your message right on!

Chair Bow


A chair bow is easy to make and can be made using burlap ribbon. For this DIY wedding craft you will also need wire and scissors. Simply start by cutting a long piece of ribbon and folding it in half. Next make a simple bow just like tying your shoe. Use the wire to attach the back of the bow to a chair.

Scrap Garland


Scrap garlands are fun to make and perfect for utilizing your left over burlap scraps. Start by cutting a piece of cord or ribbon the length of your desired garland. Then tie the scraps to the cord starting at one end. Remember to leave room to tie your cord on both sides. When the entire cord is filled your garland is ready to hand.

Burlap is a popular fabric in rustic weddings. DIY decorations are a great way to incorporate your own style into your big day. These DIY wedding decorations will make your rustic themed wedding a day to remember!

5-great-dried-plants-for-Home-Decoration

If you are looking for an economical way to add some variety to your home Decoration, dried floral arrangements can be a great choice. If done correctly, they can preserve the natural beauty of flowers for years.

  • You can hand pick your own arrangement from your own back yard. There is a myriad of choices. These are some of my favorites:

1. Ornamental Grass- 

Fountain grass blooms small purplish flowers and can go in a casual or semiformal setting. It is a mound forming grass, not crawling so it will not take over your garden. Fountain grass will bloom from July to fall. They grow slowly and preferably at temperatures from 75F to 85F. Your grass or sticks are typically the tallest part of your arrangement. You usually want to avoid a flamboyant background. Your grass is the setting for your piece.

2. Tulips- 

Tulips are beautiful and can add strong saturated colors to your floral arrangement. Growing tulips can be fairly easy. Your area needs to be well prepared and clear for growing. Tulips are tougher flowers, so fertilizer is not essential, but it is always beneficial. A specialized formula like a bulb fertilizer would be best. When choosing your bulbs to buy, bigger is usually better. Also, be aware of its blooming schedule and keep them fresh.

3. Sunflowers-

 Sunflowers are a classically beautiful and are great coloring in a summer or fall flower arrangement. Sunflowers are easy to grow and require minimal maintenance. They are also easily manipulated. If you plant a single seed, you will get one large flower. If you plant multiple seeds in one pocket, you are likely to get multiple smaller flowers on a single plant. Sunflowers can grow from a couple feet tall or taller than you. Because sunflowers can be so large, you may want to plant them several feet apart. If you are growing miniatures, space them by one foot. Full sun or partial shade will work.

4. Baby's Breath- 

Baby's Breath is a common plant in bouquets, and with substantial reason. It provides a wonderful continuity between grass and flower. They are delicate with small white flowers, but grow very rapidly. They can be planted in spring and need to have partial sun and rich fertilizer. They should be planted approximately 8 inches apart. Be attentive to moisture and pH levels.

5.Orchid- 

Orchids are prized plants. While they can be highly temperamental, they are worth it. If you make an orchid arrangement, you will not be in need of many materials. This flower can be the main focal piece of your arrangement, and can be overdone with too many surrounding flowers. Orchids do best in shade and should not get direct sunlight to long in a day. They make great indoor plants. Orchids do not need to be watered everyday; it is a delicate balance. Orchids can last a very long time if properly cared for.

Any of these plants would be a great starting point for designing a dried floral arrangement or bouquet. You can recycle beauty from your backyard to your living room.

5-great-floral-arrangements

Floral arrangements perform various functions throughout the home adding a touch of beauty to a room, adorning a dinner table, or creating a backdrop of color that is awe inspiring.

  • Unfortunately, many of us get a bit apprehensive when it comes to the idea of creating our own floral arrangements because there are so many flowers to choose from. Here are 5 great floral arrangements that you can make today using some floral arrangement tips that will help you with every floral creation that you attempt!

Simple Elegance:

 A simple yet elegant floral arrangement will make your guests think that you spent a fortune on flowers from the florist, paid for the arrangements to be made and kept them looking beautiful....who has that much time and money? A beautiful centerpiece for a table can be created by using coordinating pink dahlias paired with pink surprise lilies. Keep the stems short so and use a small glass vase for the centerpiece so that when it is placed on the table your guests will not have to look over or around it to see across. The result--simple floral arrangements that are purely elegant enough for a formal dinner party yet simple enough for everyday!

Professional Look for Free:

 If you have a flower garden at home, you can make floral arrangements just like a professional florist does. Pick flowers from the garden that are all in the same color family but vary in size. Large blooms can be used in conjunction with smaller buds and blossoms to create a professional looking floral arrangement. Once you have picked blooms of the same color, add in some flowers that are a complimentary color such as a darker tone to finish the look. Pinks and purples, oranges paired with yellows, or baby blues paired with deeper blues and greens all work well together for a professional looking arrangement.

Seasonal Flowers:

 Flower arrangements can easily be created using seasonal flowers that are similar in color. The use of bold hues such as pinks and reds is a great choice when it comes to seasonal floral arrangements. Pair dahlias with roses or lilies for a look that is seasonal and still very beautiful. Always vary the sizes of the flowers that you place into the floral arrangements to create a sense of depth to the arrangement. You can also add in some seasonal foliage such as coleus or bromeliad leaves for a tropical summer look.

Scented Floral Arrangements: 

Sometimes a simple floral arrangement that boasts a strong scent is the best option. Try pairing geraniums with light purple clematis for a bold and beautiful scent that will spruce up any room of the home. Add in some sprigs of passionflower to finish off this beautiful purple floral arrangement. Another great option for a scented arrangement is to use geraniums with beautifully scented hyacinths. Together these two flowers compliment each other and the smell is just perfect!

Fall Floral Arrangements for Scent and Beauty: 

A quick and easy floral arrangement that incorporates the use of seasonal flowers in the fall which can all easily be grown in your garden is the use of geraniums, white starry jasmine and lavender for an arrangement that is both awe inspiring and smells wonderful too! Jasmine is one of the strongest scented flowers that you can easily grow. It takes off like a wild fire when placed near a trellis and you will be able to use sprigs of this beautiful flower in numerous floral arrangements thanks to it's soft white color and dark green foliage which pairs well with most arrangements!