How to Make a Pretty Flower Arrangement with Grocery Store Flowers

I don’t know about you guys, but there is pretty much nothing that makes me happier than having a gorgeous arrangement of beautiful flowers from a florist in my home. Unfortunately, those pretty arrangements often cost a pretty penny too. Today I’m excited to show you that you can take a few bunches of flowers and greens from the grocery store and your yard and turn them into something amazing without a lot of fancy tools or supplies. 

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I am certainly not a florist or flower expert, but I have taken a couple of classes and made many of my own arrangements…enough to hopefully be able to walk you through the process and show you how you can do it too!

WHERE TO FIND FLOWERS AND GREENS FOR FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

When you are looking to make a flower arrangement, it’s best to buy flowers in groupings that are all the same kind rather than an already mixed arrangement. (We’ll talk about those mixed arrangements again in a few minutes.) For example, a dozen pink roses, a bunch of peonies, a handful of tulips, etc. I usually like to pick one or two bigger flowers ( like roses or peonies) and then mix in smaller things like 

The first place I always check for flowers and bunches of greenery is my local Trader Joe’s. They restock their flowers every morning and they carry the best selection of flowers at the best prices. I am able to purchase flowers at our local floral supply wholesaler, and for what I want to do (since I’m not doing weddings or anything crazy) it’s often cheaper to get them at TJ’s than even to get them wholesale!

If you don’t have a local Trader Joe’s, your local Grocery store might be a great place to find bunches of flowers and greens too. The Albertson’s down the street from us has started carrying lots of options. They are just more expensive than Trader’s, so that’s why I always check TJ’s first. 

Another great place to check for greens? Your backyard and neighborhood! It’s funny, I remember the first time I paid like $15 for a bunch of olive tree branches. I LOVE olive trees and think the clippings look SO pretty in a vase. Well, as I was on my way home from the flower market, I noticed that the streets of my neighborhood (which are LINED with olive trees) were being pruned by the association landscapers. There were literally piles of clippings (just like the ones I had just paid for!) all over the sidewalks. Duh! I should have just clipped a few branches myself! But seriously, there are so many pretty greens just in your yard that you can use. Get creative!

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

You don’t need any fancy supplies to make your grocery store flower arrangement! Here is what I use and some links to where you can find some for yourself.

Vase – I prefer one with a neck on it, something that is jar shaped or bud vase shaped which makes it (easier in my opinion) to hold the flowers, especially for a beginning floral artist. 😉  Here are a few of my current favorites:

Florist Tape or Clear Scotch Tape – You can use this clear florists tape, but if you have some clear scotch tape on hand, that works too! I have used both. The benefit of the florist’s tape is that it’s thinner, so you can create a better grid out of it on top of your vase.

Good floral scissors and clippers – The right scissors/clippers make ALL the difference! These are inexpensive and make cutting through the stems SO much easier and faster!

• FLORAL SCISSORS (I am using some almost IDENTICAL TO THESE for this project, they are specifically made for floral arranging and for light weight pruning, THESE SHEARS ARE AWESOME for something even more versatile)
• FLOWER FOOD

Bucket of clean water

Steps for Creating Your Flower Arrangement

1. Start by filling your vase with water and taping off a grid on the top of your vase with the floral tape or scotch tape. The purpose of this grid is to help hold your stems in place. If you are using an opaque vase, you can also opt to put some chicken wire inside the vase to give you something to hold those stems. I usually use clear vases, so the tape trick works for me. 🙂

2. You want to start your arrangement by building a base out of your greenery. Cut your greenery stems to the size you want (I do this one at a time as I place them to get the height right…and sometimes it involves cutting more than once to get it right). You want to make sure and strip the stems of any leaves or greenery where it will be below the water. This helps the arrangement look cleaner and keeps it healthier. Leaves left under the water will start to mold. 

3. After you build your greenery, start to add in your flowers, again cutting and stripping the stems.

4. Fill in any holes with more greenery and flowers until you achieve your desired look. 

Now you can enjoy your flowers for the next few days…or a week if you’re lucky! They like cool places out of direct sun to stay healthy the longest. Be sure to check the water level every morning as they will continue to drink quite a bit of water the first day or two.

If you have room in a refrigerator, I like to put mine in the fridge at night. It helps them stay fresh and alive even longer.

Looking for more DIY ideas? Be sure to check out our DIY gallery for fun ideas. 

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Happy crafting!

Tammy