How to Add Bows to Flower Arrangements

Make flower arrangements as beautiful as any professional florist by adding bows to a vase, basket or other container of blooms. Choose one larger bow or several smaller bows to complement the flowers and greenery and add a touch of elegance.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ribbon, or ready-made bows
• Wire to twist around centers of bows and anchor in arrangement

1. Respect the arrangement's focal point. It may be symmetrical, asymmetrical, triangular or another shape, but in each case will have a spot to which your attention is drawn most strongly. Do not upstage this area with bows or anything else.

2. Decide whether you want to add bows that contrast with the flower colors or complement them. Either way, use colors with the same richness, such as navy blue with burgundy, lemon yellow with lavender or royal blue and kelly green. Colors from the same family also work well, such as light blue and navy or sage and hunter green.

3. Determine where to add bows to the arrangement. Choose a spot or spots that will balance the color. Complement one strongly colored flower with one strongly colored bow. In an arrangement with several pastel flowers, add several pastel bows or ribbons. Do not put more strong colors on one side of the arrangement without doing the same on the other.

4. Place a ribbon around the outside of the vase, basket or container of your choice and tie it in a bow. It can match or contrast ribbons used inside the container.

Tips & Warnings

• Wired ribbon holds its shape better than unwired.

Resources

• Bow-making basics
• The art of arranging flowers
• Instructions on floral design