How to Make a Flower Arrangement for a Monument

It is a special project to make a flower arrangement for a monument. There are many different designs of arrangements for monuments and you can use a variety of flowers. Determine the type of person or group you are honoring with the monument to help decide what kind of flower arrangement to create.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh flowers
• Garden shears
• Scissors
• Florist's wire
• Metal stake
• Ribbon
• Hat pins

Instructions

1. Think about the person or group the monument is for to help you decide what type of flowers to use. If the person was lively and fun, use brightly colored flowers such as lilies or roses. If the person was reserved, use a classic flower like a white lilac or a pale yellow rose.

2. Cut from a garden or purchase the flowers you will use for the monument. Cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom of the stems and then put the flowers in a bucket of water. Leave the flowers in the water for several hours so they absorb water to help them stay fresh.

3. Remove the flowers from the bucket and shake them to remove any loose water on the flowers. Unfurl a piece of florist's wire and gather a few flowers into a group. Then, use the wire to attach the flowers together. Continue making small groupings of flowers and affixing them together with the floral wire. Check the flowers to ensure that they do not have any damaged or dead blooms before you add them to a group.

4. Place the small groupings of flowers on a table in the order in which you wish to add them to the floral arrangement. You may wish to group the flowers by color, by size, by type or in a random pattern.

5. Use florist's wire to join the groups of flowers into an arrangement. Some people prefer to make a standard, round arrangement. Others prefer an arrangement with some blooms falling in a ribbon-like shape from the bottom of the arrangement. When the arrangement is complete, wind ribbon around the stems of the flowers and attach it with several hat pins. Then wire a metal stake to the bottom of the arrangement so the arrangement will be held to the ground by putting the stake into the earth.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose cut flowers that are known to have longevity for a monument arrangement. Use sturdy flowers so the blooms will hold up even if there is a rain storm. Create an arrangement that would please whomever the monument was built to honor.

• Do not use flowers that are extremely tempting to deer or wildlife, such as tulips, if the monument is near open woods.

Resources

• Video with Ideas for Floral Arrangements