About Valentine's Day Table Flower Arrangements

No other holiday on the calendar sells as many flowers as Valentine's Day. While a dozen long-stemmed red roses may be one of the most popular purchases, there is a huge array of other ways to use flowers to honor St. Valentine. Valentine's Day table flower arrangements are a lot of fun, have a lot of options and can be as seriously romantic or as wittily whimsical as folks choose.

Effects

Table flower arrangements for Valentine's Day should definitely let people know it's a holiday. But that holiday can be heralded with a number of different ambiances. Long-stemmed flowers in elegant glass or silver containers are going to send off romantic vibes. Shorter flowers in squatty containers will have a more fun loving and care-free approach. Any arrangements decked out with little figurines or cartoon hearts will surely show that love can be fun. Leaving hearts out altogether can make the focus more on friendship, sisterhood or brotherhood and other special bonds.

Colors

Those wishing to hook up a Valentine's Day table flower arrangement should definitely think pink, red or white. Those three hues, in any combination, will definitely give off a Valentine feel. Arrangements that stick to all one color, such as all red or pink, will have the most striking effect. All white will need to be enhanced with a dash of red or pink to prevent looking like a wedding arrangement. Many flowers are available in these three hues, but a light spray paint can also be applied to color other flowers to match the theme.

Types

Roses are the flowers most commonly associated with Valentine's Day, but the table arrangement can consist of a number of other options. More important than the flower type is the flower color. Pink, red or white carnations, lilies, tulips or delicate sweet peas work equally as well as roses for a romantic, fun and heartfelt effect. Exotic Valentine arrangements can be crafted out of birds of paradise, snap dragons and other more unusual varieties.

Containers

The clear glass vase is one of the most common Valentine's Day table flower arrangement containers, but it's by no means the only one. In addition to clear glass, other container materials can include frosted glass, colored glass, ceramic, plastic or woven or material sleeves placed over a container. Shapes can range from a tall vase to a short square. Some arrangements consist of a trio or more of smaller containers, each with a red rose or two, strategically placed atop the table. Containers can also come in heart shapes, cupid outlines, double hearts, crescents, stars, moons, suns and a range of others. Any shape will work, again, as long as the color scheme stays within the Valentine parameters.

Accessories

The Valentine flowers can speak for themselves, or they can get a little help from a number of accessories that can be included in the arrangement. Plastic or glass stemmed hearts, cupids or small holders to which a note, chocolate or other embellishment can be attached are some options. Others include small stuffed animals, wrapped candies on little stems, baby's breath, satin or velvet ribbon tied around the base of the flowers or middle of container, small faux jewels interspersed on stems or on the container and heart-shaped anything. Those using clear glass containers can also consider using water beads instead of water. The gel beads are decorative, marble-like additions to the vase that give off moisture enough to keep the flowers alive but look much more dashing than clear water. Check floral and craft shops or see Resources below.

Resources

• Gel beads at FloralSupply.com