Spring and flowers seem to go hand-in-hand. And while I enjoy fresh blooms in my house year round, I know this is the time of year that everyone seems to treat themselves. Luckily the grocery store makes it so easy to pick up springtime favorites like tulips, ranunculus or hydrangea. I mean, that is my incentive for going grocery shopping, isn’t it yours? However, if you’ve yet to treat yourself, I hope this post inspires you to maybe bring a little spring into your home. Using ranunculus, spray roses and lemon tip leaves, I created DIY Spring Floral Arrangements in three sizes. I’ll outline the steps and provide tips to make the arrangements. I hope it demonstrates how you don’t have to be a florist to create beautiful arrangements that go beyond just buying tulips or mixed bouquets. Not that there’s anything wrong with that too.
The Flowers
All three arrangements use:
- Ranunculus in white and yellow – currently in season, I used mainly white with just a few pops of yellow
- Spray Roses in two shades of pink – usually always available
- Lemon Tip Leaves
Keep in mind you can always go to your local florist to buy these items, but here are tips and substitutes if trying to pick up flowers at your grocery store:
Ranunculus are currently in season and I often find them at my local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods; however, if you can’t find them you could substitute roses. When purchasing ranunculus it’s tempting to buy the buds that are fully open, but always buy the buds that are tightly closed. This will ensure your flowers last longer and they will start to open shortly after you bring them home.
Spray Roses are usually always available at all my grocery stores. Spray Roses are the tiny roses that grow in small clusters. If you can’t find them, you could substitute mini carnations.
As for the Lemon Tip Leaves, your grocery store will probably not have this for sale but they usually have other greenery options. If your grocery store has a florist working, ask them about the Lemon Tip and you may receive because they do use it in their mixed bouquets. Another option for the greens is to use leaves from your yard.
Making Your Arrangements
It all starts by picking your container. I like to pick containers that are opaque (not clear glass) because then you don’t see the stems, creating a cleaner look.
1: Start with your greenery.
For all three sizes, I created a base layer out by using just a few stems of Lemon Tip Leaves. Be sure to remove any leaves that will be below the water line. Have the leaves line the rim of your vase.
2: Add the Spray Roses.
Usually you’ll then add your largest bloom. Although the spray roses are small, they come in clusters on one stem so they act as your “largest” flower and why I added them after the greens. Since you’ve already created a base layer with your greenery, they should stand up nicely in your vase. One mistake I think most people make, is they cut the stems too long. Be sure to cut the stems so that the blooms are nestling right above the Lemon Tip Leaves. Again, remove any leaves that will be below the water line. I used a few stems in each arrangement size. It really just depends on how many blooms are on the cluster.
3: Add the Ranunculus
I used more white than yellow, so I started with the white and then added the yellow for a little extra pop. For reference on amounts of stems used:
- The small arrangement used only 2 white stems and 1 yellow stem plus a few of the random small closed buds.
- The medium arrangement used about 7 white and 4 yellow plus the random small closed buds.
- The large arrangement used 9 white and 3 yellow plus the random small closed buds.
I don’t like the ranunculus’ weed-like leaves, so I strip the stems of all the leaves before adding. Start with your larger blooms and then add the smaller ones. Also keep in mind that the ranunculus are going to continue to open up so you’re arrangement will look fuller on day 2, 3, 4… as your blooms open up.
I actually made the small arrangement with the left overs blooms. There’s only a couple stems of each flower, but it created a lovely little arrangement I could use on my side table. I have three similar containers and I often create three small arrangements and use them on a runner on my dining table to make a large impact.
I wish I could say I coordinated the wine bottle, but it was a happy accident. My sister is coming to visit for her Spring Break and she likes Sauvignon Blanc. When I saw the District 7 label, I had to have the pretty yellow bottle in my house and knew my sister would love it too. Kind of awesome how well it goes with my flowers.
I hope this post inspires you to try arranging your own flowers. It’s often trial and error, but it’s a fun creative exercise. This tutorial is also just in time if you want to create a centerpiece for your Easter Table. I used these same flowers in my DIY Air-Dry Clay Bunny Vase so you can actually see a fourth option for your arrangements if you go to that post. Happy Easter and happy Spring!
