Valentine’s Day is nearly here. Only few more days to go which means it’s time to start planning those flowers, chocolates and surprises for that special person in your life. I know Valentine’s plans can be frustrating and expensive too. Flowers are certainly not cheap this time of year and everything seems to have that Valentine’s ‘extra’ added. Which is exactly why I decided to share my DIY Valentine’s bouquet with you. It’s so much more affordable than a bouquet from a florist and looks just as impressive ( I hope).
I’ve teamed up with Dartington Crystal to create the perfect DIY flower arrangement this Valentine’s Day. I picked the Florabundance Settle vase (size large) to go with this flower arrangement. It’s so striking, don’t you think? The optical effect creates more interest and thanks to its large size it’s certainly a statement piece. I went for the large size but this vase is also available in two other sizes (small and medium). My vase collection has been missing a big statement vase and I’m so delighted I found this one. It’s a big vase which means you need more flowers and ideally taller stems. You could always go for big fluffy flowers like peonies but unfortunately they weren’t in season.
My local florist was quoting me 40 pounds to create a similar flower arrangement, so I decided to get creative myself. This flower arrangement cost me only 12 pounds and it’s so easy to make. Now I should probably mention that I have done a brief floristry course which I did find super helpful. If you’re not comfortable creating an arrangement yourself, an evening course will help you to get the hang of it. Of course you could just google flower arranging or watch a few youtube tutorials (if you don’t have the time to do a proper course).
So, how did I manage to create this big bouquet for 12 pounds? Easy. My florist was quoting me 20 pounds for a dozen of pink roses, but I got mine in Sainsbury’s for 6 pounds in stead. That’s a huge saving. However, I did buy some individual stems from the florist (6 stems) and they cost me another 6 pounds. Mixing some fancier individual stems/filler flowers together with roses will give your bouquet that professional look.
My flower shopping list (total £12)
12 pink roses (from any supermarket)
2 solidago stems (Most florists will stock them and they make great filler flowers that quickly add volume and balance to bouquets)
2 purple veronica spiacata flower stems. (Usually these look more blue, so I’m not 100% sure whether this is the right name but it’s as close as I could find. These stems are great for creating impact in bigger bouquets, although I would only use max. 3 stems)
4 sea crass stems (from a florist)
My main flowers were roses and I added the foliage and the purple veronica in the middle. I like to hold the bouquet in one hand and add a single stem at a time, criss-crossing the stems to a bouquet. I prefer two or three main flowers and then some foliage. You don’t want to add too many different type of flowers either as it can make the arrangement look a little bit too ‘busy’. Also, some supermarkets will stock filler flowers but you usually have to buy a bunch (which isn’t ideally if you’re only making one bouquet at home). That’s why I prefer to buy the individual stems at the florist and the roses at my local supermarket.
I really love the way the flower arrangement turned out. Obviously I’m no florist but I did find that my flower arranging course helped a lot. I also think that without the tall grass stems the bouquet would have looked a little short, so I’m really glad I added them. It’s also really important that your vase complements your flowers. I can see myself getting so much out of this vase that I’m considering buying it in other sizes too.
I hope this post has inspired you to create a DIY flower arrangement this Valentine’s Day and I would also make sure you have the right size/style vase to go with it. If you have any questions/comments, please leave a note below.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
*This is a collaborative post with Dartington Crystal.
