Happy Spring! Today I’m going to show you how to make not one, not two, but three floral arrangements out of one bunch of artificial flowers. The first two arrangements will hang on the front and side doors to our home, and the third will reside in the corner of the dining room. For this floral project, I’m using a different color (for me) that has left me, well, tickled pink. Let’s get started!

Looking for inspiration and needing to add some freshness to my worn-out artificial flower collection, I went to the local Hobby Lobby. I have found that their florals to be of high quality, and the higher price that goes along with nicer artificial stems is offset by their every-other-week half off sale.

Working in a fairly tight palette of white, cream, green and a small amount of dusty pink, I selected a variety of heights and styles. Selecting some stems that are tall, some that are wispy, and others to fill in the empty spaces is key to an interesting floral arrangement. In the flower potting world, they refer to this as the thriller, the spiller and the filler. Using this recipe will make your floral arrangements, wreaths, and garden pots look more natural and interesting.

The first arrangement is in a wicker basket. You have seen this one before, but it will be completely upcycled and refreshed with my new finds. The first step is to put a block of foam in the bottom to accommodate the stems and keep them in place, and in this instance, I covered the green foam with cream tissue paper to cover it up. This arrangement will use a couple of tall white stems, some cream florals, a small dose of pink, and greenery.

I stuck the tallest bloom in back, followed by two of the cream florals on each side. For this one, I took the green leafy stem with the small daisy-like flowers and broke it into thirds, making it easier to disperse it around the basket. This is an easy trick that can be done with many floral stems, either by pulling them gently or using wire cutters. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive and tear them apart.

The last steps were to put the pink cluster of dusty roses in the front, and use a fern pick as the spiller in front. I love how this one turned out, and it will reside on our side door, which many people use when they come to visit. I am hoping to reinforce this color scheme when I fill the large pot next to this door with complementary shades of white, cream, purple and pink flowers.

The second arrangement is in another vessel you have seen before, reimagined in this springtime palette. It is a metal basket that says “Bloom Where You Are Planted” on the front. What I like about using a metal container on our metal front door is that I can attach a magnet to the door and the vessel will then be held securely in place. Then when the wind blows, it won’t slide back and forth, scratching the door. Did I mention the wind blows a lot here in tumbleweed country? Yep.

Again, with this container, starting with the tallest item in the back, I inserted the curly willow sprigs with white balls on them. Next, I added the tall white stem to the right, and the cream floral on the left. Then I put the green stems with little daisy-like flowers on them.

Lastly, I filled in with the dusty pink roses and the green accents on the sides and back. I love how simple it is, and how it is asymmetrical. Once completed, I hung it on the front door, where at first it was a little too tall and the door would barely close. Oops! Back to the snippers and after lopping a little off the top, it worked great.

For the third arrangement, I simply inserted the tall willow sprig with white balls on it, and that was it! One sprig was plenty once I fanned out the branches and added it to the curly willows already in the pot. For spring, I moved this metal pot from the entryway into the corner of the dining room, and with the addition of the white lacy stem, it brightens the whole area.

For this arrangement, you could the same principles using a beautiful colored bottleneck vase, or a wine jug. Even a low vessel like the popular wooden dough bowls would work well for artificial flower arranging. Just make the whole display lower and more sprawling, which is perfect for a dining table centerpiece.

As an aside, this green metal container has come in so handy since I found it at Pottery Barn on clearance several years ago. By adding pumpkins and leaf sprigs in the fall, Christmas picks for the holidays, and branches of blossoms in the spring, this one pot is a real workhorse and so easy to change all year round just by embellishing the curly willows that are always in it.

So, there you have it…three simple ways to bring the blooms of spring both indoors and out, by using good quality artificial flowers. The total cost for these stems was $60, which is a bargain for three “new” arrangements. I am by no means a professional floral arranger, but you too can take vessels that may look tired or dated, change out the flowers, and for a small investment, give them new life.

I hope you enjoyed today’s floral updates. I for one, am so excited for the rebirth that comes with spring, this year more than ever. Our daffodils bloomed this week, other annuals are starting to show their flowers, and spring is out in all of its perfect glory. The days are longer, my birthday is coming, and the air feels so fresh…when the wind isn’t blowing, that is. All in all, you can color me tickled pink!

Good tidings,

Diane