Our Foray into Floristry; DIY Flower Crowns and Centrepieces

Our Foray into Floristry; DIY Flower Crowns and Centrepieces

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Hello lovely BM readers, Claire here! I hope you're all well?

Today I'm going to tell you about the loveliest evening I had a few weeks back.

I was lucky enough to attend an Indian Sumer floristry workshop with the awesome ladies behind The Fresh Flower Co. It was a night filled with lovely company, snacks and bubbly, and lots (and lots!) of beautiful blooms.

And it made me question my chosen career path. Seriously. I think I want to be a florist when I grow up.

Well except for all the pressure. And the early mornings. And the thorn pricks from roses.

But aside from that, I'm obsessed!

The Fresh Flower Co. is a gorgeous flower shop based in leafy East Dulwich in South London.

They work on the most stunning and creative floristry for weddings all over the UK (and even overseas sometimes too!), they also work on lots of big events (the BAFTAs!), with big hotels, and they're so well regarded, they're even the official florists for St. Paul's Cathedral. (That's pretty impressive!)

Along with their pretty flower shop, they've now opened a charming workshop around the corner where they've put together classes for anyone interested in honing their floristry skills.

They can teach you how to make flower crowns or centrepieces for your wedding (that's what we did) or perhaps Christmas wreaths or table arrangements.

They also do birthdays and hen parties (such a sneaky way to rope your friends into DIYing your wedding flowers!) and they're actively seeking their first bunch of stags to take over their little workshop for the evening!

So, what did I learn on my foray into floristry? Here's a few tips I picked up from the the team at The Fresh Flower Co...

Enchanting Edibles

The workshop had an Indian summer theme, with lots of gorgeous edible-looking adornments.

Chillies, berries, peppercorns and physalis (Chinese lanterns) make the most gorgeous centrepiece flowers for a late summer or autumnal wedding.

Keep It Steady

We taped down the oasis to the tray so it wouldn't wobble or fall out (kind of important when you're a florist who has to transport 50 of these to a wedding!)

Like with Like

When you're creating a centrepiece, build it up by bunching similar items together. For example, build up the foliage in one or two places, rather that dotting leaves randomly around, which will leave a rather haphazard look.

Keep It Seasonal

Catherine from The Fresh Flower Co. created this gorgeous demo centrepiece in under ten minutes. She used moss and foliage with clashing bright hues for an exotic, Indian Summer vibe.

She says though, she'd never choose these colours at Christmas time or in spring - keep to the colours of the season for a natural look, whether that's pastel pinks and yellows for early summer or deep burgandys and plums for the festive season .

Neaten Up

Cut the stems to about an inch long so they sit tightly on the oasis.

Do be careful not to damage delicate flowers, like roses, while you're working with them - hold them by the base of the flower, rather than the petals. If the stems are too soft for the oasis, bend some florists' wire into a hair pin, and use that to push them in.

Access All Angles

Be sure to look at your creation from every angle to make sure it looks good, and there are no gaps - no matter what side of the table you're sitting on.

Start Big

Here's my final centrepiece - I was pretty chuffed with my first attempt!

One thing I did do wrong though, was that I got stuck in with the smaller details, like the dainty flowers and peppercorns, while there was still a lot of space to fill. It's easier to start with the bigger blooms, then add in the little final touches, afterwards.

Prep Your Crown

For making a flower crown, pick out all your flowers (You'll need lots of them) and before you get started, cut the stems to about one inch long, (you want to keep your crown as light as possible!) and wrap a thin piece of wire around them.

Once you have a big pile of flowers together, you're ready to get started.

Start Sticking

The ladies had kindly prepped our crowns for us in advance, with a hook and eye to close it at the back (I was so relieved that mine fit, I have a notoriously massive head!), but check out this past fresh flower crown tutorial to see a step by step guide.

We then built up the crown by twisting the wired flowers around the it, working our way down the wire and fixing it with super-sticky florist tape. Don't forget to bend your crown as you go, so there's no gaps.

It's a lot of work - but rather therapeutic too!

Making your own crown is easier than you think, but it does take a lot of time! About a 40 minutes in, and I only had it half covered! (But isn't it pretty!)

The awesome team from the Fresh Flower Co, the lovely Catherine, Fran and Alice modelling some of the evening's creations.

A snap of my lovely centrepiece with pride of place on my windowsill the next day (it lasted almost two weeks!)

A few Insta-snaps of my creations, the crown looked great for a few days after I made it, even when it wilted a little, it still looked really pretty, and a bit vintage!

Thanks so much to the awesome team from The Fresh Flower Co. for inspiring me in the world of floristry.

I'm not going to hang up my blogging hat just yet, but I'm already planning a 6am (eek!) trip to the flower market. Watch this space!

For more information on The Fresh Flower Co. and their fun workshops, visit their website.

Check out past posts on Wedding Flowers + DIY Tutorials.

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