When it comes to flowers, people either give overpriced, sub-par, florist-made arrangements. Or they give grocery store flowers still wrapped in plastic. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can have a professional-looking floral arrangement AND the grocery store price. It really is as simple as purchasing a few different types of flowers- the ones in plastic from the grocery store, bringing them home, trimming them down, and sticking them into the floral foam. I will show you how I quickly and easily made this DIY pink roses floral arrangement using grocery store flowers.

If you have never worked with floral foam before, maybe you should try it!

For me, it was a serious game changer! It completely changed my entire view of flowers. And honestly, you don’t even have to have an eye for flowers. All you really need to do is just place them in an evenly spaced pattern. I’ll show you how I arrange flowers for a professional look by using this simple method that you can apply to any type of floral arrangement – small or large!

You will see exactly how I made this seriously gorgeous floral arrangement using a variation of pink roses.

To achieve this fluffy textured look I used large roses, spray roses, and medium-sized pink roses. All flowers were purchased from my local Trader Joe’s 3 days in advance. Normally, when I make arrangements I like to buy the flowers only 1-2 days in advance. However, since these were for Valentine’s day I knew the demand for flowers would be at an annual all-time high. I wanted the best quality flowers and I didn’t want to risk not getting exactly what I wanted, so I shopped early.

4 days before Valentine’s day my brother texted me.

Texting from New Zealand–  he asked me if I was going to his girlfriend’s yoga class on Valentine’s day. And of course, I was. My husband was away on a work trip and I had made up my mind that a little self-love was in order. The idea of a girl’s night yoga class sounded absolutely perfect.

My brother asked, “If I send you money could you pick up flowers?” and I’m like “what chu want?” He responds “I think pink roses are nice.” and I’m like “done.”💁 But wait, there is more!  He then says “Sweet! Maybe in a cool jar?”

I’m like “lol”. That’s so cute. In my mind, this bouquet of pink roses was already in a ‘cool jar’ and it was 5 times larger and a billion times better than whatever he had already imagined! I got straight to work brainstorming this new project.

PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT A FLORIST OR A FLORAL PROFESSIONAL. I am a regular person who just loves flowers! I have crafted many arrangements for myself and for others over the years. Including ALL flowers for my own wedding of 150 guests and many other personal events. See more of my Designs here!

Let’s talk about the few things you will need.

So, normally I wouldn’t talk about the supplies. However, I find myself having so much to say about each item. I have been arranging flowers for fun for 5 years now and this is what I have learned through my experiences until now. So, let’s get to the goods that make this all happen!

The ‘jar’ or ‘vase’

– the thing that holds the flowers – was purchased at Homegoods. When looking for a container, the first place I always check is either Homegoods or Tj Maxx. I always find the best unique options at incredibly reasonable prices. While I’m there, I always make sure to take a peek over at the clearance aisle. I have found some seriously stylish jars marked down to $2-$3 because the lids were cracked – and we don’t need a lid for a floral arrangement!

The vase I’m using today is technically a jar because it came with a lid and I found it in the kitchen goods section of Homegoods. In my honest opinion, the kitchen area of Homegoods is the BEST place to find all sorts of flower-holding vessels. There are so many unique options and they hold water well.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Oasis Floral Foam.

I am in love with this stuff! 

😍 For my wedding, I decided that I would make all the flowers. ALL. THE. FLOWERS. I had dreams of opulence but being an accountant, I believed strongly in a strict budget. The only way to get what I really wanted was to just do it myself! In preparation for the big day, I bought an entire case of floral foam from a local place called San Diego Florist Supplies, which ended up being cheaper than buying multiple smaller packs.

You want to get OASIS Floral Foam. I like to get Oasis Floral Foam with Maxlife but you could get standard bricks and have great results as well.

Before I show you how to do anything I want to quickly just got over the 3 rules of floral foam.

Rule #1: Do not use force to submerge the floral foam. It must float and absorb at its own pace.

Rule #2: Always cut flower stems at an angle so they will suck up the most water. If the cut is straight, there is less surface area for the flower to drink.

Rule #3: When you choose a spot, that is where it must stay. Do not pull it out. Not even just a little bit. The flower must remain in contact with unbroken foam to stay hydrated.

That’s it! Those are the main things to know about working with floral foam to make stunning floral arrangements!

A serrated knife

You will need a serrated knife to cut the floral foam to size. You’ll want to use a slight sawing motion to cut the foam without tearing it or meeting resistance.

Pruning Shears or Scissors

You will also need a pair of pruning shears or strong scissors.

Pink Roses

Most importantly, you are going to need some fresh flowers. It is best to use 3 different flower varieties. It gives it a perfectly random look using the pattern I’ll show you. In today’s bouquet, I am using large roses, spray roses, and medium-sized pink roses. You can buy these from any grocery store but I like to get mine from Trader Joe’s, especially if it is just a single arrangement. However, when we did our wedding flowers we ordered them in bulk a couple of months in advance from Sam’s Club and had them delivered a few days before the wedding.

 

The Secret Weapon

And Last but not least – my secret weapon! Crowning Glory. (Not pictured below) Now, this is totally not necessary for making beautiful arrangements. But you want them to last as long as possible, right?! Spraying Crowning Glory on a completed arrangement will make the blooms appear to stay fresh longer. Like a lot longer! It is essentially a preservative that you spray directly onto the flowers and it makes them look more vibrant and keeps flowers for a surprisingly long time. I bought a giant jug of it and just refill a little spray bottle.

Think of Crowning Glory as hair spray for your styled arrangement.

 

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Supplies Needed:

• Container
• Floral Foam
• Serrated Knife
• Pruning Shears or Quality Scissors
• Fresh Flowers
• Crowning Glory

HOW TO CREATE A ROSE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT:

1. Trim your floral foam to fit your vessel

• Using a serrated knife cut your foam slightly larger than you need it to be. You can always take more away later but adding more foam later doesn’t have quite the same effect of keeping flowers fresh.

2. Soak your floral foam.

• You could use your sink, a bucket, or even your bathtub! (Definitely, use your bathtub if you are creating a lot of arrangements like I did for the wedding!) Today, I am using a deep glass bowl so you can see the color of the foam change as it soaks up water.
• DO NOT push the floral foam down under the water!
• Just place the floral foam on the water and walk away. Trust that it will soak up all the water it needs all by itself. When it is ready it will be under water.

3. Place floral foam into the container and secure.

• Slide the soaked floral foam into your container. Making sure it’s a nice snug fit will help keep the flowers secure.
• If the floral foam is at all loose in the container, be sure to use waterproof floral tape to secure it to the container (not pictured)

4. Decide the order in which you will be arranging your flowers.

• You want to place the largest blooms into the foam FIRST as they take up the most space, leaving the smaller blooms until the end.
  • I like to prep all my flowers before beginning by stripping the leaves and removing any outer wilted petals.
  • Then trim them down to a more manageable length and sort them into separate vases by variety.
  • You may also need to trim the top of the floral foam down if it extends more than 2 inches above your container. You don’t want it to be level with the lip but you also don’t want it to be too tall.

5. Trim your flowers as you begin arranging.

• You want them to be about 2-3 inches taller than the floral foam itself.
• Be sure to cut the stems at a diagonal to allow the most surface area for water absorption.

6. Take your largest flowers and stick them in the foam firmly.

• Once a flower goes into the floral foam DO NOT pull it out.
  • Do not wiggle it around, Do Not pull it out even a smidge.
  • You want to make sure that the stem has full contact with the floral foam around it so that it can drink up as much water as possible.
  • Pulling the flower out, even a tiny bit will create a pocket of air and the flower will not be able to drink, causing it to die. 😖 💀

7. Arrange one flower type at a time.

• To avoid a potentially uneven arrangement, place all of one type of flower evenly around the vessel before moving to the next flower type. This will help ensure a uniform look from all angles.

Place the largest bloom at 4 equal points

• You want to take the largest flower you are working with and place them at 4 equal(ish) points. Today, the largest bloom is a rose but it could be a hydrangea, peony, or dahlia. Whatever takes up the most area you want to use first.
  • After creating a sort of square shape you will want to repeat the same process within the first square by angling your points.

Using the small but fluffy Spray Roses, create 4 points in floral foam

• Next, take the second largest flower and place them at 4 equal points into the visible floral foam.
• Although spray roses are small individually, in small bunches they are much fluffier than the other roses I have. That fluffiness will help to fill in more gaps while still using less floral foam real estate than a smaller flower head might. 

Fill the remaining space with smaller, medium-sized rose

• Lastly, you want to fill in any remaining space with the flower type you have yet to use. Which should also be the smallest. In this case, it is the medium-sized rose. I liked using different sizes in the same flower family to create a uniform look while still having lots of texture. 

8. Fill in any holes and add greenery to the base.

• Turn your arrangement around and look for any gaps that need to be filled. Use your own judgment on what that missing spot really needs, you totally got this!
• Using previously stripped leaves in good condition, stick extra foliage or greenery around the base of the arrangement, underneath. A lot of people like to do it first but I prefer to do it last. Doing it last allows me to only add what I need, and not take up valuable floral foam real estate with the leafy stuff.
• Be sure to cover all visible floral foam with either greenery or a flower. Use your best judgment on the appropriate choice. 

And Complete! Give yourself a high-five!

Aren’t these pink roses just so flipping pretty?

I’m really feeling the color pink right now!

I was so excited to give these to her – I am all too familiar with what it feels like to have a loved one away on Valentine’s day. On the night of the yoga class, I decided to leave an hour early to make the 20-minute drive to my MIL’s house. I needed to drop off the baby and then drive another 15 minutes to the yoga studio. I thought I had PLENTY of time, and I guess everyone else on the road thought they did too. We all had the same good idea – all of the fifty-billion of us on the freeway.

My 20-minute drive was now estimated at 1 hour and 10 minutes. I knew I would never make it to my MILs and get to the class on time. The feeling of sadness came when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to give her these beautiful pink roses before class. I started texting my MIL (the freeway was basically a parking lot) to let her know what was going on. Upon learning of the pickle I was in, she graciously offered to instead meet me at the yoga studio. She even offered to just switch cars to keep things simple. It was a brilliant plan and so kind of her to offer it.

She was the hero of my night!

I focused on setting my intention for my practice as I navigated through the traffic. Before I knew it, the anxiety of arriving late had left me and I arrived 5 minutes before the class began. Phew!

Both my Mother-in-law and brother’s girlfriend were excitedly waiting for us to arrive. Of course only so that they could snag some baby love – duh! But the excitement on her face when she saw her pink roses was perfect. Even though the flowers were a declaration of my brother’s feelings for her, it felt good to help his plan come to life.

Using grocery store pink roses, Oasis floral foam, and a creative container you can create a beautiful floral arrangement at home by following this simple arranging pattern. Ditch the overpriced florists and delivery services! Instead, arrange them yourself for a fraction of the cost. These DIY flowers are a perfect Valentine’s day gift for yourself or someone special.

So now it’s your turn! If you try this, tag me at @goldengluegun

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See more flower inspiration here