DIY Floral Arrangements to Suit Your Mum's Style
This simple DIY guide will help you create a Mother's Day floral arrangement that your mum is sure to put in pride of place at home
If you’re still not sure what to get your mum for Mother’s Day (it’s coming up soon people, mark Sunday, May 8, in your calendar!) reach for some thoughtfulness and a little bit of effort rather than just resorting to the ‘same old, same old’ this year – I swear, she really doesn’t need yet another pair of fluffy slippers!
Flowers are always going to be a great gift idea for most mothers, but if you want to go that one step further, this guide will help you make an arrangement with your own two hands and, in fact, one that’s tailored to suit your mum’s interior decorating style to boot.
All of these arrangements were put together by florist Suzie Q Scott, and come with steps to help you recreate something similar yourself. If this doesn’t make you Number One Son (or Daughter) this year, you may need to considering putting your siblings up for adoption next year, because this is pulling out the big guns.
Flowers are always going to be a great gift idea for most mothers, but if you want to go that one step further, this guide will help you make an arrangement with your own two hands and, in fact, one that’s tailored to suit your mum’s interior decorating style to boot.
All of these arrangements were put together by florist Suzie Q Scott, and come with steps to help you recreate something similar yourself. If this doesn’t make you Number One Son (or Daughter) this year, you may need to considering putting your siblings up for adoption next year, because this is pulling out the big guns.
Materials and tools
- An abundance of garden roses in a soft shade
- A simple glass or crystal vase
- Pruning shears
- Rose strippers (optional)
Method
- Partially fill the vase you’re using with water. Take each one of the roses and strip off all thorns, and the leaves that will sit below the waterline.
- Arrange the flowers together in a bunch (either in one hand, or laid out on a table), keeping the flowers in the centre taller, then gradually position them lower down the closer to the outside of the bunch you get.
- Once you’re happy with the arrangement, bundle it up, trim the stems and set into the vase. ‘Zhush’ as necessary to achieve the right look.
The look
This arrangement should be simple yet elegant, and can even be mounded in a loose love-heart shape. A simple clear glass, cut glass or crystal vase would work best for this style.
TIPS: Keep the arrangement tight with an abundance of blooms, but the style should remain unstudied. Vary the lengths of your roses, but ensure the outer edge of blooms sits just above the lip of your vase.
This arrangement should be simple yet elegant, and can even be mounded in a loose love-heart shape. A simple clear glass, cut glass or crystal vase would work best for this style.
TIPS: Keep the arrangement tight with an abundance of blooms, but the style should remain unstudied. Vary the lengths of your roses, but ensure the outer edge of blooms sits just above the lip of your vase.
CONTEMPORARY
Does your mum adopt a ‘less is more’ approach when she decorates (and slap you on the back of the head if you bring clutter into her clean-lined living space)? If her interiors embrace strong lines and colours, industrial elements and some exposed brick or polished concrete, she might prefer a contemporary look.
A contemporary flower arrangement would take advantage of height and space, turning these characteristics into striking features. Do this by using long stems and strong-looking flowers that standout. Here’s how to do it yourself.
Does your mum adopt a ‘less is more’ approach when she decorates (and slap you on the back of the head if you bring clutter into her clean-lined living space)? If her interiors embrace strong lines and colours, industrial elements and some exposed brick or polished concrete, she might prefer a contemporary look.
A contemporary flower arrangement would take advantage of height and space, turning these characteristics into striking features. Do this by using long stems and strong-looking flowers that standout. Here’s how to do it yourself.
Materials and tools
- One white king protea (Protea cynaroides)
- White hyacinth spears (Hyacinthus orientalis)
- Baby’s breath (Gypsophila)
- After dark foliage (Agonis flexuosa)
- A tall, dark-toned vase
- Pruning shears
Method
- Partially fill the vase with water. Trim the stems of the foliage to size, but ensure that they still sit quite tall in the vase. Arrange them as a frame towards the back of the vase.
- Strip all the leaves off the protea and set it in front of the foliage at a much lower height, but still sitting above the lip of the vase.
- Fill in space with the hyacinth spears and a few sprays of baby’s breath.
The look
Think tall, with sculptural elements, contrasting tones and strong stems to hold each piece in the arrangement upright. A dark-toned glass vase would suit this style well – just make sure it’s tall enough to support your arrangement.
TIPS: Try to achieve a variety of heights in this arrangement. This will help each individual element stand its ground. Keep the flowers close enough so there aren’t any big gaps, but ensure the arrangement still has space to breathe.
Think tall, with sculptural elements, contrasting tones and strong stems to hold each piece in the arrangement upright. A dark-toned glass vase would suit this style well – just make sure it’s tall enough to support your arrangement.
TIPS: Try to achieve a variety of heights in this arrangement. This will help each individual element stand its ground. Keep the flowers close enough so there aren’t any big gaps, but ensure the arrangement still has space to breathe.
COUNTRY
Look around your mum’s interior. Do you see a lot of natural timber, comfy (if occasionally slightly worn from you constantly putting your feet on them!) sofas with soft, sink-into-me fabrics, and cute little touches like vintage cake stands, wicker storage baskets and maybe a piece of needlepoint? Yes? In that case, your mum may be a fan of cosy country style.
A country flower arrangement should be natural and slightly messy, but still sweet and feminine. Soft tones, old-fashioned flowers and an abundance of fresh fragrance will suit your mum to a T. Here’s how to do it yourself.
So your style is: country
Look around your mum’s interior. Do you see a lot of natural timber, comfy (if occasionally slightly worn from you constantly putting your feet on them!) sofas with soft, sink-into-me fabrics, and cute little touches like vintage cake stands, wicker storage baskets and maybe a piece of needlepoint? Yes? In that case, your mum may be a fan of cosy country style.
A country flower arrangement should be natural and slightly messy, but still sweet and feminine. Soft tones, old-fashioned flowers and an abundance of fresh fragrance will suit your mum to a T. Here’s how to do it yourself.
So your style is: country
Materials and tools
- Creamy dahlias
- Tightly-packed hydrangeas
- A jug, pitcher or bucket in pastel or rustic tones
- Pruning shears
Method
- Partially fill the jug or vessel with water. Strip all of the leaves off the flowers.
- Trim the hydrangeas so that they sit close to the lip of the vessel, but at slightly varying heights.
- Arrange the dahlias loosely around the hydrangeas, keeping some tightly packed lower down, but allowing a few taller blooms to stand above the rest.
The look
Just like you’d find in nature, a country arrangement should contain a bit of variation and unpredictability. Keep some parts of the arrangement clustered, while others can remain somewhat looser, but without big gaps.
TIPS: Use your instincts when deciding what looks best for this style. The arrangement should be built layer by layer in the vase rather than as a bouquet – as with the traditional arrangement – until you achieve something that looks fresh, simple and sweet.
Just like you’d find in nature, a country arrangement should contain a bit of variation and unpredictability. Keep some parts of the arrangement clustered, while others can remain somewhat looser, but without big gaps.
TIPS: Use your instincts when deciding what looks best for this style. The arrangement should be built layer by layer in the vase rather than as a bouquet – as with the traditional arrangement – until you achieve something that looks fresh, simple and sweet.
SCANDI
Scandinavian style is characterised by clean lines, lots of light, a minimal colour palette (think pale grey, white and coral – yes, it really is a colour) – and mostly natural materials like timber, linen, copper and hides. If this sounds like your mum’s home, she may be somewhat partial to this style.
A Scandi arrangement should be all about natural, understated elegance with minimal colour, flowing shapes and a little bit of texture. Something that will reflect the light rather than absorbing it – such as big, glossy green leaves – will be perfect alongside the ubiquitous white element.
Scandinavian style is characterised by clean lines, lots of light, a minimal colour palette (think pale grey, white and coral – yes, it really is a colour) – and mostly natural materials like timber, linen, copper and hides. If this sounds like your mum’s home, she may be somewhat partial to this style.
A Scandi arrangement should be all about natural, understated elegance with minimal colour, flowing shapes and a little bit of texture. Something that will reflect the light rather than absorbing it – such as big, glossy green leaves – will be perfect alongside the ubiquitous white element.
Materials and tools
- Small Monstera leaves
- Baby’s breath
- A squat vase or vessel, preferably with an element of copper or marble
- Pruning shears
Method
- Partially fill the jug or vessel with water. Trim the stems of the leaves to different heights and arrange them so they spread out to either side of the vase.
- Add tall sprays of baby’s breath, keeping them in the centre of the arrangement and over the lower leaves.
The look
Scandi style is simple, pared back and elegant, so this arrangement should reflect those characteristics. Try to resist the temptation to overfill your vessel: two or three leaves really are all that you need to get this look right.
TIPS: A strong sense of balance is essential to Scandi style, but that doesn’t necessarily mean symmetry. Create clean, flowing lines within your arrangement to echo, perhaps, the shape of rolling snow-covered hills or the draping curtains of the aurora borealis.
Scandi style is simple, pared back and elegant, so this arrangement should reflect those characteristics. Try to resist the temptation to overfill your vessel: two or three leaves really are all that you need to get this look right.
TIPS: A strong sense of balance is essential to Scandi style, but that doesn’t necessarily mean symmetry. Create clean, flowing lines within your arrangement to echo, perhaps, the shape of rolling snow-covered hills or the draping curtains of the aurora borealis.
MODERN NATIVE
Natural materials, subtle colours, clean lines that blend in with the bush environment and a lot of space to breathe distinguishes this interior style. Bush meets country meets urban industrial; if this describes your mum’s home interiors, modern native would be the right style for her.
Native flora (or those that we’ve adopted as our own) and colours inspired by the bush landscape should feature heavily in this kind of arrangement. Lots of texture and hard-wearing woody elements will be your best bets.
Native plants you need to know about
Natural materials, subtle colours, clean lines that blend in with the bush environment and a lot of space to breathe distinguishes this interior style. Bush meets country meets urban industrial; if this describes your mum’s home interiors, modern native would be the right style for her.
Native flora (or those that we’ve adopted as our own) and colours inspired by the bush landscape should feature heavily in this kind of arrangement. Lots of texture and hard-wearing woody elements will be your best bets.
Native plants you need to know about
Materials and tools
- Yellow king protea
- Eucalyptus leaves on the branch
- Small bunches of native seeds or berries
- A simple clear glass vase that’s wide enough to let the foliage drape
- Pruning shears
Method
- Partially fill the jug or vessel with water. Cut down the slim branches of your foliage and flowers so that they stand comfortably inside your vessel.
- Arrange the eucalyptus leaves at different heights, keeping the volume full but slightly asymmetrical: think of the branches of a growing gum tree and try to loosely emulate the look.
- Fill in spaces in the foliage with the seeds or berry sprays. Again, keep the arrangement loose and natural-looking.
- Strip the leaves from the protea and trip the stems so that they sit at roughly half the height of the foliage. Place the flowers in between the leaves at the front of your arrangement.
The look
The most important part of this style is to create a natural, informal aesthetic: the arrangement should look as though it could have just grown like that, without any help. Keep lines strong, shapes interesting and heights and angles varied.
TIP: When trimming woody stems such as those of the eucalyptus sprigs or the protea, cut them at an angle. This will help the flowers and foliage draw up more water, and will keep them alive for longer.
TELL US
What style do you think best suits your mum’s interiors, and are you going to have a go at putting together that type of arrangement? If you do, take a photo and upload it in the Comments – we’d love to see what you’ve done!
MORE
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10 Fresh Florals for the Modern Home
Peek Inside 5 Homes That Showcase True Australian Style
The most important part of this style is to create a natural, informal aesthetic: the arrangement should look as though it could have just grown like that, without any help. Keep lines strong, shapes interesting and heights and angles varied.
TIP: When trimming woody stems such as those of the eucalyptus sprigs or the protea, cut them at an angle. This will help the flowers and foliage draw up more water, and will keep them alive for longer.
TELL US
What style do you think best suits your mum’s interiors, and are you going to have a go at putting together that type of arrangement? If you do, take a photo and upload it in the Comments – we’d love to see what you’ve done!
MORE
Design Lessons My Mother Taught Me
10 Fresh Florals for the Modern Home
Peek Inside 5 Homes That Showcase True Australian Style
If your mum’s interiors lean toward a more classical style, with good quality furnishings in natural materials (maybe even a few antiques), chandeliers over pendant lights and a touch of opulence, elegance and grace, traditional style would probably be to her taste.
A traditional flower arrangement would have to include roses, of course – preferably white, pink or a soft yellow, and not stolen from Mum’s garden! – and there should be an abundance of blooms. Here’s how to do it yourself.
So your style is: traditional