Give blooms a new lease of life, and a longer one at that, by learning how to arrange flowers in different ways throughout your home. Not only is this a timeless trend but, it will help you feel less guilty about throwing away fresh blooms too. They also make great gifts if you feel like crafting a dried floral wreath or choose to arrange flowers in a pretty vase.
When you know how to dry flowers yourself, the world really is your oyster when it comes to how you arrange and display them.
The most important part is to have fun!
How to arrange dried flowers
When designing, consider the room you want to place them in, your color palette and the type of arrangement you want to make. You can opt for small and dainty in a jam jar, or tall and contemporary in a slim vase. While simply hanging dried flower bunches upside down from a hook or rail can create a decorative touch.
Supplies
1. A selection of dried flowers
2. A cute vase, jug or mini ring like this from Amazon
3. Hairspray: something generic will do
4. Scissors or secateurs
5. Decorative additions like ribbon or paper ribbon twine
6. Florist wire, I bulk buy this Gauge Green Florist Wire for crafts from Amazon
1. Create a classic jug display
The easiest way to arrange dried flowers is in a vase or jug. Simply lay your dried flowers onto a piece of paper and give them a gentle hairspray as this will help to retain the color and hold the petals together for longer. Then start placing your stems in your vase of choice. Do this in a similar way to how you would arrange fresh flowers by putting the focal flowers in the front and taller stems at the back.
2. Enhance a single stem of foliage
This is super simple, but also very effective if you have a modern and minimal space. Eucalyptus dries really well and once you have a few decent-sized stems you can arrange them to create an impactful display, remember, it's fine to just use one stem as Ginger Curtis, owner and principal designer at Urbanology Design has done here.
3. Fill an urn for an eye-catching display
Once you get into the swing of drying your own – we warn you, it can be addictive – this style of dried flower arrangement will certainly create the wow factor. Packed full of pink and white stems you can create your own – all you need is an urn, or, treat yourself to this stunning design from Gone To Seed.
Curtis adds, 'I love to incorporate dried flowers with at least one pot, vessel, or vase that's vintage. This adds so much warmth, interest, and character to the space.'
4. Make a mini wreath
A mini wreath is a cute way to display smaller dried flowers. Start by cutting your stems quite short, placing them in mini bunches on the table. We used four for this wreath as it's small in diameter and the idea was to just have the bottom half covered.
Next, attach the wire to the ring and tie it as tight as possible. Then, with one bunch in one hand, wrap the wire around your mini ring, then add in the rest of the bunches. Fasten it tightly.
Once it’s finished, choose some ribbon or string and hang it up. Give it a dust from time to time – gently of course, the downside to dried flowers is that they can become a dust haven!
What colors work well for dried flower arrangements?
‘Dried flowers look so beautiful when decorated in homes.' says Chenise Bhimull, interior designer at ZFC Real Estate, noting how a great way to preserve dried flowers is in resin. And when it comes to arranging preserved blooms, 'One must arrange them in a manner that is pleasing to the human eye, mixing several contrasting colors together and making resin trays or coasters. If you are not a resin artist, you can ask one to do it for you. Floral resin trays and coasters can be perfect home decoration pieces or gifts for your friends or family.
'Dried flowers look absolutely stunning in statement vases and can elevate the look of the entire room.' Try contrasting the color of your blooms with your vase for a maximalist finish and if you want a more pared-back and minimal look, a glass vase against a muted color scheme is a great move.
Similarly, try and pair vases and dried flowers in similar hues for a cohesive look. Mauve-dried hydrangeas for example will look great against a tonal blue but bright vase. While if you have lots of strong pinks and reds coming through from your petals, a neutral or glass pot will give a balanced finish.
How do you frame a bunch of dried flowers?
'Dried flowers can also be arranged in a glass frame to make mini art pieces,' adds Chenise. You can add their favorite colored flowers in the frames and hang them on the walls to brighten up the space.'
Whichever way you choose to arrange dried flowers, you're sure to have a beautiful display.
Note: dried flowers can be more delicate than fresh, so handle them with care and give them a gentle dusting from time to time. They should last for about a year. I like using something gentle like Green Vivid's lambswool duster on dried flowers. It's great to dust off my best indoor plants also!