How to Make Dried Flower Arrangements

Making your own dried flower arrangements is a beautiful way to enhance the decor of your home. Dried flowers come in a variety of flower types and colors providing unlimited opportunities to create imaginative arrangements. Whether you're making dried flower arrangements for your home or office or making them to give as gifts, the final result will be a beautiful expression of your visual creativity that will complement any decor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flower container
• Foam block
• Bag of moss
• Dried flowers
• Craft scissors
• Craft knife
• Glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Tissue paper (optional)

1. Begin your plan for creating a dried flower arrangement by first visualizing the design, style and colors you will be using to make the arrangement. The initial concept you envision regarding the ultimate look you want to achieve will help guide you as you begin putting the arrangement together.

2. Next, prepare your work area and allow plenty of room to spread out the craft supplies. If working on a table or counter top, spread newspaper over the top to protect the surface from hot glue. Any bits and pieces of flowers, stems and moss will be collected on the newspaper, as well, keeping your work area tidy. When finished, the paper can be folded up and thrown away.

3. Place your container on the work area surface where you plan to create the arrangement and then lay out your supplies in an orderly fashion by placing the primary dried flowers, filler flowers, stems and greenery in an easily reachable area to one side of the container. Plug in the glue gun and put it in a secure area that is convenient for use but not in danger of being knocked over. Place you craft scissors, craft knife and any other items you'll be using such as the foam block, tissue paper and bag of moss on the opposite side of the container.

4. Secure the foam block inside the container to hold the flowers in place. Depending on the size and shape of the container, you may need to shave off the corners of the foam block as well as cut the block to a smaller size in order to make it fit snugly inside the container. If working with a basket or metal container, the foam block should come up to just under the rim of the container. For clear glass containers, in order to hide the foam block, first place several pieces of tissue paper inside the container as a liner and then place the foam block inside. The tissue paper can extend outside of the rim and be used as a background to complement the flower arrangement.

5. Begin placing the primary flowers into the foam block. When using dried flowers, you can use the craft scissors to clip the stems to create varying heights of the flowers and to clip away unwanted leaves. Put any unused leaves aside for later use, if needed. If you're working with multiple flower types and colors, place the different selections and colors at varying areas within the container. This will give you a main platform to work around as you create the arrangement. Once you have a basic set of flowers in place, step back and look at the arrangement from all angles. Fill in any sparse areas, if needed. Add a dollop of hot glue to the base of the stem of the flower before inserting it into the foam to give it extra holding strength. Even if you're working with a container such as a tall vase or slim container with a small opening you would still begin setting the primary flowers in place first as these will be the focal point of the arrangement.

6. Start placing filler flowers, stems or greenery into the arrangement. Be sure to watch the color patterns and alternate so you don't end up with one color clumped together. Mix it up with different types of filler flowers or pieces of greenery such as ivy to make the arrangement vibrant and add small pieces of different colored flowers, such as red, blue or yellow, for contrast. Once you've placed all of the flowers and taken a look at the arrangement from all sides and there's nothing more to be done to the arrangement, take the bag of moss and gently cover the foam by working it in and around the stems. Spray the dried flower arrangement with a sealant to help protect the buds.

Tips & Warnings

• Always step back and look at your arrangement to see the overall design. By looking at the arrangement from different angles, you will be able to see any areas that need additional primary or filler flowers. You will also be able to see if too many of the same colors are clumped together or if the overall symmetry of the design is unbalanced.
• When storing dried flower arrangements, place them in a plastic bag, secure the bag tightly and then place the flowers in a cool, dry area away from sunlight.
• Craft scissors or clippers and craft knives are very sharp because they must be able to cut through wire stems. Use caution when working with these items and do not allow children to play with these items.
• Do not place your dried flower arrangement in direct sunlight as this will cause fading.
• Be sure to place the glue gun in a secure area where it can not be tipped over. Place the glue gun on a glass plate in case if should fall over and also to catch the drips. Do not use a plastic plate to hold the glue gun. Never leave a glue gun unattended around children or pets. The tip of a glue gun is extremely hot and will cause a burn if touched.