floral basics: container prep
tools needed
sturdy, clean, waterproof container or vase
waterproof tape or wire for securing floral foam to container
wire cutters
sturdy, protected, waterproof surface on which to work
tub or bucket for soaking floral foam blocks
water
tools appreciated
turntable or lazy susan
riser to raise work up for ease of work
actual long spout small watering can
What is a riser?
A riser is anything that raises your work up to a comfortable level. Why’s it not called a raiser? We don’t know, but we are ALL about saving the backs, so raise your work up instead of stooping over it on the kitchen table, mkay? A riser should be able to hold weight and be steady on a surface with a broad top. Vase and containers with soaked floral foam are really heavy. Adding greens and flowers in soaring designs often make those same vases or containers likely to tip over, so make sure whatever you use to raise up your arrangement in the workshop or at the event is up to the job. Having the project at hand up a bit helps with a common problem. None of the equipment or material used to prop up the floral stuff should ever EVER be visible. We are willing to concede that what used to be verboten is current and modern folks put dried flowers with fresh nowadays, but seeing the floral foam or tape or wires are strict no-nos. So look up the skirt of what you are doing and check that all underpinnings are disguised.
What is a turntable?
Not the HiFi old timey record player type, but a good old solid, non-tippy lazy Susan. Often found at thrift stores for reasonable sums, these table top relics for the 70’s breakfast table are often solid wood and make life easier when arranging flowers. It is a lifesaver or strength saver to be able to twirl your work around to work all sides and make sure all the gaps are filled, all the looks are balanced. Try doing a Christmas wreath on a turntable— magical! Twirls like Ginger Rogers, we are just saying.
riser with turntable
Flowers in water vs in floral foam
Floral foam such as the commercially available brand Oasis is honestly great for flowers at events especially if the arrangements are large. The stuff holds water like a two hump camel and stands up to a lot of material. If making large arrangements, there are all kinds of ways to support the soaked foam so that it won’t crumble or can be pieced together. We absolutely love it. Our life in events changed when we discovered the ultra large designer blocks… our fingers no longer shredded from encounters with chicken wire cages…
But there are times when containers with water are called for and can look stunning— so they have their place for sure.
Choosing containers: WATERPROOF
The good news? Almost anything with an opening can be a floral container. Take the ideas you have stolen, erm, researched, and put them into practice! You love the look of vintage tins with flowers? Cool. Line those puppies with well-fitting plastic containers. Spend a little time matching liners to outer containers so that your lovely flowers don’t die on the table after peeing themselves. Place clean plastic liners inside prettier baskets, wooden boxes, vases, pots, etc. You may have to tape a dark trash bag around a liner if the outer container if the liner would be visible— or you may have a quantity of excelsior or moss or other material to disguise the liner… just remember, no visible underpinnings!!
Lined pot on riser.
Secure the liner in the container. We want these vessels holding expensive material requiring lots of our valuable time to be practically bombproof. Cuttings of old foam slips down in gaps between container and liner really well if there is a large space.
One of the surprising benefits of using foam versus vases is the advantage for using short stemmed material in foam. If the liner is well placed, a block of foam can be seated 1/3 in the container and 2/3 above it. Yep. That is a lot of foam. This allows shorter material to be used all around the foam surface while keeping the height of the overall arrangement quite generous. This is handy if you don’t have access to tall wholesale flower bunches or are saving money.
(Hopefully you have checked heights and placement for where your arrangements are bound and have picked suitable container sizes. You HAVE checked, right? Truly no one loves overwhelmingly tall flowers, no matter how stunning, on a table intended for conversation.) You have GOT to see our Pinterest board: Nope.
You have acquired gorgeous copper pots but they are large? Excellent. Attach dry foam to the bottoms with clay floral adhesive and raise up a plastic liner or metal liner near the top of your container and use waterproof tape to secure soaked floral foam in that. (Because if you try to fill large containers with JUST wet floral foam? You will have to hire a crew to move these super heavy bits everywhere.)
In fact, if you are doing this more than once, assess every use of foam for how much is really need to keep your arrangement fresh. If it can be narrowed or raised, do it! Always look to cut the weight of arrangements and save on material. Arrange in transportable bits that can be easily packed and assembled on site. Use this trick, people, use it! Your back will thank you.
Prepping containers for floral foam
If arranging in foam, it must be soaked, submerged, for the time needed. If you hurry this process, the foam could be dry in the middle, which is not only bad for flower life, but makes the foam more likely to crumble.
Once the container is lined, trim and place well-soaked floral foam in or on a liner and attach to the container with waterproof floral tape or wrapped wire, if a basket. A couple criss crosses across the foam should secure your working surface pretty well. We always tape the ends on the outside surface, often by ringing the top of the container with the same type of tape so they don’t detach. If you are doing multiple arrangements, get all the containers prepped before bringing in the flowers. Floral foam once soaked, can be watered to keep it full.
Example of liners too tall, too small, and just right:
Prepping vases for arranging
Ack. Sigh. Okay, you don’t have floral foam or want to bother with it.. we get it. It’s just glass. We hatez it. So very breakable… and sharp… and heavy.
Enough whining. Vases are amazing for floral arranging. They are readily available, economical, hugely reusable (SPING!) and the perfect choice if you are on a low budget. Some things to make using them better for your event: think about what can be seen, especially if the vase is clear… think about how to transport sloshing water in fragile containers… and think about not overthinking them.
If you are using vases, stems become more relevant to arranging than working in floral foam. The stems of each element have to reach the water in order for everything to stay fresh, so shorter material is usually out. There is also limited display area for design as compared to foam, so it is often best to think of a vase arrangement as a bouquet set in water. This helps with narrowing the focus of design.
Starting with super clean containers— yes, even cleaner than foam containers where fingerprints don’t usually show-- run a checkerboard of clear waterproof tape across the mouth of the vase so the material will be supported as it is inserted. Fill partway with water and et voila, you are in business.
Dried flowers
Containers for dried material can be prepped in much the same way as for live material with the exception, of course, of not adding water or soaking foam. Floral tape, especially clear, can be criss crossed on the top of a container or vase to help support stems of the arrangement. Dry floral foam commercially available specifically for dried arrangements can be attached to a container. It saves material to pre-cover the dried foam before arranging in moss or preserved leaves or other dry material. It may be necessary to weight the bottom of a container for dried material as it may be top heavy and, therefore, tippy, without the weight of water to hold it steady.
Dry foam, prepped to start.
Dry foam vs. foam to soak for fresh flowers.
For more tips and tricks, take a look at our Floral Design and Floral Arranging DIY boards on Pinterest.
