Arranging your own beautiful bouquets is a simple and fun hobby. Here are some floral accessories to stock up on before you start.
If you love to work with flowers culled from your backyard garden or enjoy arranging bunches of blooms from your local flower shop, it might be worth investing in your own florist supplies. While many florist accessories can be bought at your local discount retailer, you can also order floral supplies direct from discount retailers online.
But what should you have on hand? Here are nine easy florist supplies you’ll need to build beautiful bouquets.
1. Vases
This sounds basic but it’s handy to have a small collection on hand if you love to show off your blooms. Look for an assortment that includes a variety of colours, materials (glass, ceramic, etc.), and a range of sizes—to hold a large bouquet of roses or show off a single orchid. Also, keep your options open for vessels to hold blooms. Think metal buckets, teapots, tea tins and Mason jars.
2. Foam
These firm balls, squares, and other shapes of foam will support the stems of flowers that you poke into them. You can find them easily at florist shops or craft stores. Place a chunk of foam at the bottom of a vase and arrange from there. Be sure to follow the instructions for watering the foam.
3. Cutters/snippers
A sharp pair of stem cutters will help trim your stems accordingly. Not only will it give them clean cuts, but your hands will feel better using these over household scissors. If you prefer, you can also purchase stem strippers to pull leaves right off the stems.
4. Floral tape
Usually clear, use this tape to secure the bottoms of stems together or, as many Pinterest surfers know, make a grid on top of your vase so your arrangement will spread out in a lovely fashion.
5. Green tape
Not to be mixed up with floral tape, this non-sticky, stretchy, flexible tape is the kind you wrap around stems or bouquets.
6. Water picks
Good for transportation—especially if you know your flowers will be out of water for some time—these are the clear caps (filled with water) you find on the ends of stems when you buy flowers at a florist’s shop.
7. Cellophane and ribbon
Again, if you plan on gifting your blooms, it’s handy to have clear or tinted cellophane and bright colourful ribbons on hand to wrap up your bouquet. Or if you prefer, you could wrap your bouquets in brown Kraft paper or coloured organza.
8. Flower food
This gives your bouquets a nourishing boost to extend the lives of your flowers.
9. Vase fillers
Think coloured sand, smooth pebbles, acrylic stones, seashells and more to fill up your vases.
