Silk flowers are so fun and easy to arrange! You don’t have to be a pro at all to create an absolutely fabulous arrangement. A pretty vase or interesting container and an armful of frothy, beautiful silk flowers will result in a beautiful arrangement almost any way you put them together, but with a few simple tips, you can change your casual arrangements into works of art! Here’s how.
First, look at the area where you plan to put the flowers. If you are creating an arrangement to place in front of your fireplace during summer, obviously it will be bigger and bolder than the arrangement you place on your dining room table. Choose blooms that complement the colors of the room and that are of an appropriate size to accomplish the task you have in mind.
Once you have decided on the general size and shape of your arrangement, you are ready to choose a container. Generally speaking, you will want a container that will give your arrangement about half of its height. The shape of your container is important, too. If you want something tall and elegant, for a corner or to place on an incidental table before a mirror, you will naturally select a slimmer container with a narrower mouth. If you want a full, tumbling arrangement for a large buffet or dining table or to grace a mantel, a short, squat container with a wide mouth is what’s needed.
Now that you have your location firmly in mind and your container in hand, let your imagination run wild! You can do anything you want! All silk flowers are always in season, and that makes the combinations you can create endless. You can choose different kinds of flowers from all over the world all of one color or in various shades of the same color. When creating that off-season hearth decoration we mentioned before, imagine a riotous combination of oranges and yellows on your hearth through the spring and summer months. It could sport everything from honeysuckle to hibiscus for a truly one-of-a-kind dazzling summer “flame”. Or you could do all violet, indigo and green for a cooling effect in a bath or quiet meditation area. Or create a rambling crazy quilt of summer blooms to brighten up your porch as soon as the weather begins to warm in spring.
To create your arrangement, start with a chunk of florists’ Styrofoam cut to fit snugly in the bottom of your container. You can stick the stems of your blossoms into this to hold them in place. Once you have your Styrofoam placed, begin with your greenery. This will make a nice background for your blossoms. For a traditional English Garden type of arrangement, I usually arrange some of the smaller blossoms nearer the greenery and spilling over a bit, with the larger blossoms of dominant colors higher and closer to the center of the arrangement. However, there are all kinds of specialty arrangements you can make. Here are a few to get you started.
A Casual Hand-Tied Armful of Blooms
You can gather up a carefully selected “random” bunch of lovely silk flowers. Secure the stems with florists’ wire, then wrap the stems in a silk scarf or a cotton bandanna, depending on the types of flowers you select. Anything from roses, to Morning Glory, to sunflowers would be lovely, depending on how you want to use the arrangement. Tie the whole thing securely with beautiful ribbon, lace, or jute. This makes a beautiful decoration lying on a table in your entry hall. It is also a lovely presentation for a hostess or for Mom or Grandma on Mother’s Day. This beautiful bouquet will bring joy for years to come!
A Little Old-Fashioned Tussie-Mussie
A Tussie-Mussie is an old fashioned gift bouquet that would be particularly sweet to give to a little girl. These miniature bouquets can be made in much the same way as the Hand-Tied Blooms, but on a smaller scale. Pick sweet-pea, violets, baby’s breath, feathery silk ferns, and other delicate, fairy-tale type flowers. After securing the stems, wrap them in a pretty silk or lace hanky. Your little girl will love carrying her bouquet when it is presented and then placing it beside her bed or in her doll house as a decoration.
A Bold, Tropical Statement
This is a style of arrangement that is quite large, dramatic and bold. It would be used in areas that need a large, bright statement. For this type of arrangement, you would use a tall, elegant vase or container filled with exotic and unusual types of flowers and plants. Look for Bird of Paradise, Calla Lilies, and other tall, bold, exotic, unusual creations. This type of arrangement is intended to look like the natural setting in which you would find the real tropical plant, so you are not constrained by rules of line and symmetry. You can allow your imagination to run free and place your choices in a manner that adds drama and flair to the entire arrangement, making it a strong focal point for the area in which it is used. This is a good style to use when making decorations for an enclosed sun room or patio.
Ikebana is particularly well suited for silk flower arrangement because in Japanese the term means “art of giving life to flowers”. With this type of arranging the thought and creativity you give to the arrangement will truly bring your silk subjects to life. You will use Far East inspired styles to make spare, simple arrangements using stark and dignified containers. You will want to look for very unusual and beautiful silk plants for this. Seek out the silk plants that are intended to honor the natural world. There are many types of silk plants patterned after natural plants and flowers you will find at the seaside, by a creek or pond, and so on. Look for cattails, water lily, sea grass, orchids, and other wild beauties. Exploring Ikebana is a chance to really concentrate on creating a work of art that will be valued for a long time for it’s lasting and classic beauty. A well-made item of Ikebana silk art would make a nice, dignified gift for a man. He would be proud to display it in his office or have it hold a spot of honor on the mantel in his home.
This video shows you how to create an Ikebana arrangement with real cherry branches. It will give you an idea of what Ikebana is. Of course it would be much simpler to create a similar arrangement using silk plants and flowers.
How To Make An Authentic Ikebana
I hope these tips have been useful to you and will get you started on the enjoyable hobby of silk flower arranging. There are many wonderful books on the subject of flower arranging – silk and otherwise. Many community colleges offer courses in flower arranging. This is a great way to hone your skills and meet fun and interesting people!
Links:
More Flowers – Be sure to check the Silk Flowers page!
http://astore.amazon.com/seeitnow-20
Roses Say It All!
http://hubpages.com/hub/Roses-Say-It-All
Gardening Tips & Advice : Instructions for Silk Flower Arranging
