How to Arrange Dried Flowers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
On This Page
Instructions
Preparation
Vase
Stem Sizes
Grounding
Building Out
Dried floral bouquets have been making a huge comeback over the last year. The ultra-trendy arrangements of dried blooms and pampas grasses are in such high demand, stores can't keep them in stock. (They're so popular, people even put up pampas grass Christmas trees this year!) So while you might not be able to buy them from your favorite store, you can make your own arrangement at home—and it's easier than you might think.
Plus, store-bought dried flower arrangements can cost upwards of $100. We'll show you how to create your own arrangement for much less, in just a few minutes! The hardest part will be deciding which dried blooms to use.
Related: How to Press and Preserve Your Favorite Flowers
Marty Baldwin
How to Make a Dried Flower Arrangement
Supplies Needed
Dried grass plumes
Dried flowers
Hairspray
Floral spray paint
Vase
Clear tape
Scissors
Step-by-Step Directions
With a few supplies and these how-to instructions, you can create your own dried flower arrangement. Customize your display with your favorite colorful dried flowers.
Step 1: Prep Dried Flowers
Before you can begin arranging, pick up a variety of dried flowers and grasses. You can dry your own flowers at home, or buy dried flowers ($6, Etsy) and dried pampas grasses ($17, Etsy) online. Once you've gathered your materials, spray all of the dried grass plumes with regular hairspray ($9, Target) to help prevent shedding. You can also use floral spray paint to add color to some elements as well.
Step 2: Prep the Vase
When you're ready to begin arranging, choose a vase that works with the height and color scheme of your dried blooms. Choose a vase with a wide opening at the top to allow for a fuller arrangement, then apply clear tape ($2, Target) in a grid pattern to the top of the vase This will ensure that each stem stays exactly where you want it to (and the tape will be hidden by the finished arrangement).
Step 3: Add Tallest Stems to the Vase
Start your arrangement by placing the tallest items (grasses, leaves, and greenery) at the back of the vase. We used pink pampas grass ($10, Etsy). Use the back few rows of the taped grid pattern to hold the large stems in place, then add a few stems of your largest flowers.
Step 4: Add Grounding Flowers
Once you have the tallest layer in the vase, add a shorter layer in front of the tallest flowers. These will be your larger grounding flowers or the main elements of the arrangement. We used dried pink thistles, shorter pampas grass, and dried African sunflowers ($10 and up, Etsy). For any display, we recommend working in odd numbers; we like to use 3 grounding flowers for floral arrangements. Cut the stems at three different heights, staggering the dried flowers as you add them to the vase. To determine the right height, hold each flower up to the vase and hold it at the height you want the flower to sit at, then trim the stem on the table surface before adding it to the arrangement.
Step 5: Build Out the Arrangement
After you've finished adding your three varieties of grounding flowers, use smaller flowers and accent grasses to finish the arrangement. We draped dried amaranthus out of the vase. Look for any holes in the bouquet and trim short stems of smaller blooms and grasses to fill each hole, making sure the base is full enough to hide the taped grid. When you've finished, your DIY dried floral bouquet will be ready to display.
