Floral arrangements do not have to be expensive. 

A few bouquets from the grocery store arranged with skill & style can look just as good or even better.

Sharing my flower arranging advice & tips - along with a step by step guide.

Beauty ~ accessible & inexpensive.  You can do this!  Go get some flowers, your little clippers and a vase...

You probably need to go to the market anyway, so pick up a few bunches!

Nothing picks me up like an arm load of flowers, even if I pick them up along with tp & pickles.  Either way you get 'em, my tips will have you designing arrangements like a pro.

Once you have flowers in hand:

How to Arrange Flowers

• choose a container

In doing so, don't under estimate the power of a glass jar.  I have personally never seen a jar I didn't like…akin to my affinity for pinecones.  (another simple & inexpensive obsession of mine!).  It is great to have bunch of clean jars on hand when the blooms start tumbling in...

Flowers, container & look in mind ( I am going for romantic & lush ) we begin to arrange.  Nice work, if you can get it!  (um,…"why was I a lawyer when I could have been doing this all along?")

Ok, back to the tips:

• add something to the bottom of the container to secure the stems.  Especially if you are using a wide mouth one.

I chose the hand painted pitcher & filled it with about an inch of glass chips.  You can use pebbles, floral foam or a flower frog.  Anything heavy enough to sink which will keep the stems in place.

There are three general types of flowers in a mixed arrangement:

1. Line flowers - focal flowers which give height & width - such as snap dragons, lilies, branches
2. Mass flowers - the flowers that give mass - such as roses, tulips, stock
3. Filler flowers - stems with lots of little flowers - such as heather, bachelor button, greenery

I like to start with the focal flower. Mine is a stargazer lily stem.

• hold focal flower and size it to the container
• trim the stem on an angle, if you want to be really professional cut under water
•  you can always cut again, so when in doubt, trim longer & cut again if necessary

• then add in the mass

Use a mix of flowers in different stages from bud to full bloom.  This will give your arrangement a sense of movement.

• use an odd number of each flower
• balance your arrangement
• have the colors & textures flow throughout
• make sure there is no "back" side - should look lovely from all angles

I added all three types of flowers to my arrangement and trimmed off wayward blooms.

• put in a .5 teaspoon of sugar to aid in absorption (1 TB to a quart)
• add more water to fill half way
• find a perfect spot

• stand back & admire

So what do you think? Lush & romantic?  Amazing what you can pick up at the super market!

** Kelly **