Are you hoping to receive flowers for Valentine’s Day tomorrow? If you’re lucky enough to get a bunch from your loved one (or even just a friend) we have some great ideas on how to show them off. In the new htf. magazine, style director Vanessa Colyer Tay (right) offers seven gorgeous ways to style seasonal blooms. Read on for her expert tips…
Flowers are a fantastic way to add freshness and vibrancy to your home or party. Floral arrangement need not be stuffy and boring – try these styling ideas for an extra special touch.
1. Tie decorations onto a cut tree branch using string. Consider using cut flowers from the garden or florist, paper flowers and a tassel or two. We made our tassels using a tutorial from the red thread blog. Click HERE to read. For a longer lasting display, attach vials of water to the tips of your cut flowers.
2. Transform a plain glass vase into something special by covering it with a decorative window film. Smooth the adhesive film out with a ruler as you stick it on the vase.
3. Wrap miniature bottles (we’ve used Italian juice bottles from the supermarket) with sheets of vintage book pages (we sourced ours from the Salvation Army store). Place flowers in each bottle and line them up on the table. Look for pages with varied typography, mixing chapter openers with heavy text pages. Here’s a video of me styling this look:
4. Take a close-up photo of your favourite blooms in high resolution, then take the image to a printing services outlet such as Officeworks. Print it out to A3 size and have it laminated. Use your large laminated photographs as easy-to-clean placemats. For close-up photos try turning on your camera’s macro setting.
5. Consider arranging your flowers in a 50/50 display. Use two main flower types with each type bunched together. Unify the two bunches as one display with a little foliage mixed throughout. A large arrangement like this works well if placed somewhere it will command attention.
6. Look for vessels that will offer an easy approach to creative display. This circular piece can be dressed with mixed flowers and left as is, or you can place a round vase of flowers or candles in the centre for a layered, formal look. Tactile or fluffy flowers will sit best in a piece like this.
7. Collect a mix of vintage bottles, enough for one for each guest. Tie hand-written name tags around their necks and place a few flowers in each. Consider offering the bottle and its contents as a take-home gift for your guests.
And as an extra treat, check out the behind-the-scenes video of this photo shoot here:
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