5 Ideas for Dried Flower Crafts

Don’t throw your flowers away once they start to wilt and lose their luster! There are tons of fun and easy DIY projects you can do with dried flowers. Spruce up your bath time with floral bath bombs or make a decorative shadow box for your home. These projects are perfect to do with younger children and are great for gift-giving. See how you can get creative and start putting your old flowers to use!

1. Bath Bomb

Making a floral bath bomb is actually easier than you think. With baking soda, essential oils, citric acid, flowers, and bath bomb molds you can make your very own bath bombs!

2. Bookmark

Every book is unique and so every bookmark should be as well! With card stock, glue, a few heavy bricks, and laminating paper you can create an artistic bookmark. Play with different colors, designs and textures to find the right look you want.

3. Ornaments

With a hot glue gun, cord, your dried flowers and a glass ornament you can make beautiful decorations to hang around the house or on your Christmas tree. This craft is so simple and takes less than ten minutes! Some people even order a flower arrangement to be delivered to their house a month before Christmas so they can have plenty of time to make a tree full of handmade ornaments with the dried flowers!

4. Coaster

This is a craft that everyone raves about. Cute floral coasters bring a hint of unique design to your space that you can’t find at home decor stores. This craft requires dried flowers of course, wood slices, wax paper and epoxy resin. Get your creative juices flowing with this fun craft!

5. Shadow Box

Keep flowers that are special to your heart for years to come with a beautiful flower box. All you need for this simple craft is a display box and your dried flowers. If you want to hang the box on the wall make sure it isn’t too heavy or deep. Cherish the memory of your flowers forever with this beautiful craft.

Before you start getting your supplies together, think about what colors you want to use in your crafts.

Order a few arrangements from Barefoot Florist in the colors you like first. Then enjoy your fresh flowers until it’s time to craft!

Flower Spotlight: Aster

Asters are beautiful star-shaped flowers, dating back over 4,000 years. The purple daisy that catches your eye as Fall nears may not be a daisy at all. It’s more likely a variety of the lovely member of the Asteraceae family known as the aster. These lovely flowers get their name from the ancient Greek word for star, and the name fits not only the flower’s shape, but its place as a reliable source of color in Fall gardens and bouquets.

Keep reading to learn more about their origin, meaning, and some interesting facts!

Origin

Asters are an exotic wildflower, found mostly in North America and Southern Europe, but they can be found all over the world due to their ability to grow in a wide range of climates. The purple daisy that catches your eye as Fall nears may not be a daisy at all. It’s more likely a variety of the lovely member of the Asteraceae family known as the aster.  Named after the Greek word “aster” which means star, Asters were believed to have been made from the tears of the Greek goddess, Asterea, who looked up into the sky and was so sad she couldn’t see any stars. They have over 180 species, with the most common being Monte Casino, and are the birth flower for September. 

Facts

• In ancient times, it was believed that the fragrance from the burning leaves of Asters would ward away evil spirits.
• Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of China Asters and cultivated several varieties on his estate, Monticello.
• Some aster species were used to treat migraines, colds, muscle spasms, and sciatica.

Meanings

Asters have a variety of meanings, but they typically stand for wisdom, faith, and valor. Each color offers a different meaning, with purple symbolizing loyalty and wisdom, white symbolizing purity and innocence, and pink symbolizing love and sensitivity. Delicate and tasteful, asters make for a gorgeous addition to any bouquet!

Ask Barefoot Florist to include asters next time you send flowers! We can even include asters in our next Flower Design School class!

3 Steps For Keeping Flowers Fresh For Longer

Are you wondering whether there are ways you can make your flowers look beautiful for as long as possible?

If you are buying flowers for yourself, have received a delivered bouquet, or you have designed a bouquet yourself, there are steps you can take to increase their life.

Most flowers will only last for 4 to 7 days depending on the care they receive.

When taking care of your flowers, you should consider the type of bouquet as well as the special care tips provided by the florist.

While this is important, there are some general steps that you can follow.

1.    Transfer The Flowers

Before you move your flowers to a vase, you need to cut their stems. This is vital when you have any pre-cut flowers and arrangements. These flowers can look tired when they are out of the water.

You also need to prepare the flowers for cutting. To do this, you should fill a clean sink with lukewarm water and place the stems in the water.

Keeping the stems in the water will minimise the chance of an air bubble being drawn in. When this happens, the ability of the flower to reabsorb water will be impaired.

You should then use a pair of sharp kitchen scissors or flower snips to cut 2 to 3 cm of the stem off at a sharp angle. When you cut at an angle, you increase the surface space which allows the stem to absorb more water.

This is one of the ways that you can extend the life of your flowers by up to 32%.  If there are nodes on the stem, you should avoid cutting through them.

2.    Prepare Your Vase

The vase you use should be tall enough to cover the lower half of the flower stems. If you find it hard to fit your flowers into the vase, you need to trim the stems to help. The trimming should be done in the kitchen sink.

Before you put your flowers in the vase, you need to thoroughly clean it. All soap residue needs to be removed and you should place clean water in it.

If the foliage on the flower stem would be submerged in the vase water, you need to remove it.  This is one of the major contributors to bacteria in the water and will shorten the life of your flowers.

When it comes to choosing the right vase, you need to consider the type of flower you have, their shape, size and the overall look of the arrangement. Different vases will complement different flowers.

If you have short-stemmed flowers, a shallow vase will give them structure. If possible, you should ask the florist for suggestions on the right vase for the arrangement.

Wedding celebrant Jermaine Clarke says that use of flowers at a wedding is not only a form of expression creating the feeling or setting the mood, but is also used as an element of design.

“The rule of thumb for traditional arrangements is that the length of the flower stems should be no more than one and a half to two times the height of a vase. If you’re buying long-stemmed roses with 51 centimeters, you need a vase that is 25 to 33 centimetres high. Max.”

3.    Keep The Flowers Clean And Hydrated

After placing your flowers in a vase, you need to arrange them correctly. The lifespan of your flowers is impacted by how much sunlight, heat and air they get.

The wellness hub experts Expect Me stress the value in making the flowers last longer since they have a positive influence on your mental health. They say, “flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods causing people to feel less depressed, anxious, and agitated when being exposed to flowers on a regular basis.”

Your flowers should be kept away from direct sunlight, draughts, air conditioners, heaters and fresh fruit. While this last item might seem strange, the fruit will release ethylene age which can cause the early death of the flowers.

Your flowers also need to have a daily supply of clean water. This means that you have to top in up in case it gets low and change the water completely every 2 days.

If you have a self-contained arrangement, you will need to regularly check that there is enough water and the oasis is moist.

If you notice scum developing in the vase, you need to remove the flowers. The vase should then be cleaned and fresh water placed inside. The stems of the flowers will need to be re-cut before you transfer them back as this will increase the life of the flowers.

If flowers spark your interest further, see the offer of floristry courses and floral workshops at Flower Design School.

Merry Christmas From Flower Design School!

To all our supporters and cherished students we wish you love, peace and joy this holiday season. Thank you for helping us make 2019 so wonderful!

We are going on a family holiday break so Flower Design School will be closed for orders and deliveries from Dec 17th – Jan 18th.

Stay safe, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Years!

FDS November Newsletter

Welcome to the November Edition of the Flower Design School Newsletter

Dear Blossoms,

The year is flying past and now there are only FIVE weeks to go until Christmas! Yikes! Time to start thinking about what central decorations should be about if you’re hosting Christmas lunch. You can create a beautiful traditional advent wreath or do something a bit more modern. The good news is we can help you with that, we have Christmas workshops that are close enough to the day to ensure you have a wonderful centrepiece for the holidays!

Even if you aren’t hosting Christmas, it’s still a good time to be out in the garden (or visit someone else’s if they are inclined) or visit a floristry nursery and luckily, it’s not been too hot yet. I’ve certainly been spending plenty of sourcing wonderful materials for the festival season!

Although its not been too hot yet, things can get pretty dry fast. Ensure your plants and flowers are watered regularly, take time to soak your oasis and top up the water in your vases consistently. This will allow your blooms and creations to last that bit longer!

The November birth flower is the chrysanthemum.

The brilliant yellow chrysanthemums are a symbol of the sun and also the birth flower for (no doubt) happy and sunny-tempered November babies.

Chrysanthemums traditionally symbolise compassion, friendship, joy. Different colours can also have different meanings. Red is for love, white means innocence, and yellow denotes unrequited love.

DID YOU KNOW?
The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Ancient Greek: χρυσός chrysos (gold) and Ancient Greek: ἄνθεμον anthemon (flower).

Upcoming Classes:

FDS Spring Newsletter!

Welcome to the Spring Addition of the Flower Design School Newsletter

Dear Blossoms,

We just want to say one thing – Hurray for Spring!

I’m sure just like you you’ve had enough of the cold, wet and windy weather we’ve been experiencing in Perth the last couple of weeks and months. Whilst its great for the plants and our dams I have so missed visiting our glorious beaches and NOT shivering in bed!

Lucky for us it looks like the sun is back out and it’s a simply wonderful time to get out and about, perhaps do some spring cleaning and of course, do some more floristry!

If that tickles your fancy please read on 🙂

Flower of the Month: Irises

Irises go back to ancient times in Egypt where they were immortalised in drawings as symbols of the renewal of life. This lovely flower is named after the Greek messenger of the gods, Iris, who was said to have golden wings and to travel on a rainbow. “Iris” means “rainbow” in Greek, fittingly representing the many colours of the iris flower.Where the Story Begins …

The worldwide success story of the iris probably began in 1479 B.C., when King Thutmose III of Egypt had conquered Syria, where Irises grew in great profusion. Thutmose immortalized Irises in sculptures at the Temple of Amon at Karnak, as well as in the gardens of Egypt. That is where their story begins.

DID YOU KNOW? 

Upcoming Classes:

5 Fun Facts About Flowers You Probably Didn’t Know

5 Fun Facts About Flowers You Probably Didn’t Know

5 Fun Facts About Flowers You Probably Didn’t Know

Flowers aren’t just nice to look at and wonderful to smell, they’re pretty interesting too! Here are 5 fun facts about flowers that you probably haven’t heard!

Keyword(s): facts about flowers

When you think of flowers, you probably think about celebrating graduations, a birthday or a baby being born. You probably went to a grocery store, picked out the most aesthetically pleasing bouquet and went on your merry way.

While flowers are beautiful and pleasing to look at, they are also really interesting. When it comes to flowers, there’s more than meets the eye (or petal).

Here are five facts about flowers that you probably didn’t know!

1. The Classic Rose

It only makes sense to start our five facts about flowers with a fact about the rose! Did you know that the rose actually has a pretty big family that consists of more than just flowers? The rose is actually related to apples, raspberries, nectarines, plums, almonds and a few other fruits.

2. Sunflower Power

Here’s a quick math question for you. If someone gives you a bouquet of six sunflowers, how many flowers do you have? Did you say six? You’d be right and wrong!

Most people don’t know that sunflowers are actually composed of tons of tiny little flowers known as “florets.”

It’s safe to say that sunflowers have a ton of little secrets! But some secrets aren’t so little. The tallest sunflower to date was 30 feet tall!

3. Tulip Mania

Did you know that at one time in history tulips were the fourth largest export in the Netherlands? During the late 17th century, tulips were being sold for 10 times the average salary of a skilled craftsman!

So what made tulips so desirable during that time? In short, patriotism and people’s never-ending desire to have the most popular thing at that time. The Dutch didn’t have tulips until the 1650’s.

The flower quickly became synonymous with lavish Dutch life. Painters quickly picked up the up-and-coming trend of tulips and depicted them in a lot of work of the time.

The wealthy and upper class were the ones with access to view the art which meant that the tulip quickly became the icon of the wealthy. They were even rarer due to their short lifespan of 3-7 days.

For about 10 years, the tulip was more valuable than gold! This makes sense because the rarer the object the more valuable.

4. Betcha Didn’t Know This about Broccoli!

Would you be shocked if I told you you’ve been eating flowers since you were a kid and you didn’t even know it? Well, you have!

Broccoli is in the brassica family that is technically considered a flower. This family also includes cauliflower and cabbage.

5. Language and Facts about Flowers

Centuries ago, it was understood that the color and type of flower symbolized or meant something to the person receiving the flowers. The rose, depending on the color, can mean anything from friendship to love.

To name a few, the Begonia means “deep-thinking” and the Daisy symbolizes “innocence”.

Wrapping Up our Flower Facts

There are tons of fun facts about flowers to be learned! Aside from decoration and a sign of affection and condolence, flowers have been a staple in our global society since the beginning of time.

If you’re interested in floristry, you can even take your knowledge even further with classes on flowers and how to arrange them. The next time you see a bouquet or give one to a friend or family, you can tell them these facts about flowers!

ALSO READ: How To Become A Florist

Rose Color Meanings: From Red to White and Everything In-Between

Rose Color Meanings: From Red to White and Everything In-Between

Rose Color Meanings

Buying a bouquet? Here’s what you need to know about rose color meanings. With so many to choose from, there’s bound to be a rose for any occasion!

Keyword(s): rose color meanings

The flower business is one of the steadiest industries in the world, holding steady near $35 billion a year.

That’s because flowers are appropriate for almost every occasion, romantic, friendly, or congratulatory. You can even buy roses for a friend on their birthday, so long as the rose color meanings reflect your intentions.

For years, quality florists have grown (and lower quality florists have dyed) a virtual rainbow of different roses in every color.

Each color has a different association. Read on to learn some more about rose color meanings.

Here are the top five:

Yellow Roses

Some people have mixed feelings on yellow roses. They have a history of being given to someone who is celebrating a positive event.

In other cases, yellow roses are given to ensure someone that feelings are not romantic.

Give them to someone who you view as a friend. If this is explicitly known, a yellow rose is nothing controversial. If your friend knows you are sincerely happy for them, then there’s nothing to worry about.

Yellow roses can be given to someone who is in the hospital for a minor procedure or be given to someone you’re apologizing to.

Give a bouquet of yellow roses with this in mind.

However, yellow roses can be added to a bouquet for some extra accent. Try one of our classes to learn more about building a mixed bouquet with yellow roses.

Red Roses

These are the most obvious and loaded of all the rose colors. They mean a deep and true feeling of love. You should only give them to someone who knows how you feel and who feels the same.

Avoid giving them to someone whose feelings you’re unsure of unless this is your big moment of courtship. Don’t be upset if you’re feelings aren’t reciprocated. Red roses are a grand gesture.

Blue Roses

Dark blue roses have an interesting literary history as symbolizing the unattainable. They symbolize royalty, mysteriousness, and great worth.

Quality blue roses can be hard to find and so when you give them, know that you’re telling the receiver that they’re very special. Give them to someone who is enchanting and mysterious. The most qualified candidates will know who they are.

White Roses

White roses symbolize a sense of purity. They send a message of friendship with a hint of romance.

Giving white roses can show someone that you care or that you’re celebrating their new beginning. Perhaps that new beginning can include you, the giver.

Pink Roses

A pink rose can come in a variety of shades. The lighter the shade, the less intense the meaning is communicated.

A soft pink rose says that you feel romantic feelings toward them. Giving pink roses to someone you have romantic feelings for holds less intensity than red roses.

The deeper the shade, the stronger the passion.

They can also be a gift between parents and children to show love. Give pink flowers on the opening night of your friend’s big stage debut or art show.

Rose Color Meanings Are Flexible

The nature of your relationship to the recipient of your roses will determine what they actually mean. Be sure that you’re communicating your intention clearly.

If you’re ready to get some roses for someone, contact us today.

ALSO READ: Floristry as a Career

How To Become A Florist

Do you love floral design? Do you see yourself working in an industry that makes people smile, serving customers and creating splendid floral creations? Perhaps the floristry industry is for you!

To become a florist you do need more than just a casual interest; you will need a mix of floral industry experience, floristry training and the right attitude. The right attitude is not only desired it’s essential.

Florists view their work  as a vocation, it comes from a deep centred love of the craft, the materials and the industry. While having formal post-secondary training is advantageous it is not typically necessary but it can certainly help develop the necessary skills, competencies and knowledge.

If you want to become a florist you may first want to ask yourself WHY you want to become one, to get to a deeper reason. Like any future career path it will involve a commitment of time, energy and finances. So before you do so you’ll want to make sure it’s a good fit for skills, current interests and personality traits.

If you want to learn more about your personality traits here is a free personal trait quiz (it’s scarily accurate!).

Test Yourself:

Overall can you say YES to these questions?

• Do you enjoy learning about design?
• Do you have a keen interest in floral design?
• Can you work nimbley and skilfully with hands on crafting?
• Do you have an interest in career field that offers the possibility of self-employment?
• Are you are willing to learn all aspects of the floral industry

If you answered YES to most of the questions and you’re interested in a career as a florist but don’t know where to start, this florist career guide will teach you just about everything you need to get started.

ALSO READ: Rose Color Meanings: From Red to White and Everything In-Between

Sympathy Flowers Shouldn’t Be A Worry… Here Are A Few Tips

Here are a few of my observations and thoughts when it comes to Bereavement Floral Designing: 

Firstly, I would like to use this wonderful sentiment by Michael Reuschenbach as my introduction to this topic.

He writes: ”Let’s admit it! We have neglected the area of sympathy floristry for a long time!”

and “The palette of possibilities should be explored and new beginnings considered.

The consciousness  for nature and romance should be rekindled and flowers and feelings united in harmony.”

Traditional Flowers for Bereavements vary quite a bit from country to country, but in Europe and Australia, where I spent most of my time as a florist, I have noted that there definitely is a general tendency toward a few flower types.

In particular, the Lilies, Roses and Chrysanthemums are the most commonly used and asked for.

The rose standing for love and beauty, the lilies have a fragrance, that can really sweeten the space with its oriental aroma, the chrysanthemum having a place of endurance and solidity.

Amongst these, there is a few more types that are used rather frequently:

Calla or Arum Lillies (again, the lasting aspect and elegance, and simplicity are the main factors here)

Carnations are also a very liked floral addition to arrangements for sympathy flowers, as they have a softness to them that really is quite comforting.

The materials chosen really should resonate with the personality of the deceased.

One has to be open to the suggestions or special wishes of the next of kin.

The Colour spectrum is traditionally kept quite neutral.

Whites and Greens seem to dominate the ‘sympathy arena’ but my personal experience has shown, that many a time, the florist chooses to listen to the individuals requests when it comes to choice of colour.

Also the softer tones, all pastels for instance creme, pale or blush pinks, mauve and soft apricot are very often amongst the favourites, as they resonate with calm and gentleness and can really soothe the soul.

Everyone has different opinions and ever so often do the colours pop brightly and cheerfully to reflect the personality and happy nature of the deceased.

Flower arrangements for the closest loved ones can be one of the most meaningful assignments any florist could ever carry out.

The mostly Dreaded Card Message: 

What to write in a Sympathy flowers card really depends of how well we knew the departed.

Whether we were close to the family or we are the closest relative to the perished.

Here are a few examples, I found comforting and suitable:

We hope these flowers express what our words never will

Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Please accept these flowers and hear the words we are not able to speak

With love to you and your family

May these flowers remind you of our loving thoughts and prayers

Longer Messages could be:

Please know that we are thinking of you and your family during this time of sorrow

Flowers and prayers go out for our dear — that left us too soon

We don’t know how to ease your pain, but we hope that these flowers remind you of the beauty of life that your —- still wants you to see

May these flowers in some small way express the sympathy and sadness we feel for you during this difficult time.

May these flowers bring some comfort during this difficult time

Though words, however gentle, cannot take your loss away, still may these  sympathy flowers help comfort you today

As stated above, some of these traditions vary from Country to Country and it is therefore advisable to not jump to any conclusions when ask to deliver a sympathy flowers arrangement.

Yes, we could do the “one size fits all” thing and create a somewhat non-intrusive, neutral coloured design that blends in with the rest, OR we could ask the right questions and rather INDIVIDUALISE the design, by looking at heritage, personality and preferences the passed-on person had.

I for one, think that the floristry Industry needs to have individualised designs to suit each person they are dealing with and not make the mistake to just create yet another ‘off the mill’ arrangement that doesn’t reflect the needs of the customers 100%.

Parts of transcript is also found on these two blogs from Urban Flower

http://blog.urbanflower.com.au/2011/08/sending-sympathy-flowers-what-about.html

http://blog.urbanflower.com.au/2014/09/choosing-right-funeral-flowers-for-your.html

www.urbanflower.com.au

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My warmest regards,

Iris

ALSO READ: Considering Changing Career? Consider A New Life In Floristry