Simple Tips To Create Beautiful Fall Floral Arrangements

Her name was Glenda and she was a creative genius when it came to floral arrangements.

Nearly twenty years ago, when I was an Interior Designer for a large resort, she was hired to keep the property looking fresh and alive with beautiful seasonal floral arrangements all year.  And I was the clueless, untrained designer put in charge of the department and the “look” for every guest space and dining table on the property.

What she patiently taught me during those years is still the same way I make floral arrangements today, in my own personal style of course.

As I shopped and gathered supplies for new Fall centerpieces and displays this year, I realized again just how much I learned way back then.

This post isn’t a step by step tutorial on how to make the perfect Fall floral arrangement, but rather a collection of basic concepts that have guided me through the many floral designs I have created and shared on my blog since those early days of learning by her side.

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There is nothing like the colors of Fall to bring life and vibrance to a room.

Most of my tips for making beautiful fall floral arrangements in this post are for using silk and faux flowers because that is what I use when making fall arrangements for my mantel or Thanksgiving table and especially when making Fall wreaths.  However, these tips are also a guide for when I am tasked to use live fall flowers for a party or celebration.   There is just the element of water involved and timing to keep the flowers fresh.

My favorite Fall flower arrangements will always include the rich colors of Fall in rust, orange, deep browns, and of course golden yellows. Any floral bouquet of autumn flowers that encourages me to create stunning pumpkin-colored arrangements will end up in my shopping cart.

I adore all the colors of Fall.

The tools I use.

When I am working with faux floral stems for any arrangement or bouquet, I always keep on hand the following supplies and tools.

• Floral clippers
• Floral foam, both dry and wet versions
• Green and Brown floral tape
• Floral wires in various sizes
• Pipe cleaners (usually brown, green, and black for Fall arrangements)

So what did I learn all those years ago that I still practice today?

At the side of my floral design mentor, I was not taught an exact science of what to use to create the perfectly proportioned arrangement. 

I don’t even know if that is what they teach in floral design classes.  The resort was a family farm, so the expected floral decor on the property needed to express that environment.  One of using what was readily available in nature on the property or grown in the farm’s gardens.

She delivered that look so well.  I learned so much just by watching and repeating what she did.  We would put on our mud boots if needed and walk the gardens, or the woods, for nature’s perfectly imperfect focal flower to start an arrangement.

These days my searching is through the floral aisles and not the woods, but I still start with the focal flower to lead the rest of the selections for any arrangement.

That is tip number one from me, is to start with the focal flower or flowers first in the arrangement.

These are the flowers that will take center stage so you must make a place for the important item first or it won’t fit in the container in the end.

In the photo above, I started with the sunflowers and added the accent floral around them to allow them to take up the most space for the box.

My favorite Fall flower is the sunflower which is evident in the arrangements I put together this year. 

While the focal flower is center stage in an arrangement, the accent pieces bring the texture, the change of colors, and the drama to a centerpiece.

Meant to keep the eye moving, things such as branches, grasses, pine cones, pumpkins, and even ribbons and raffia are meant as compliments to the focal flowers but are staged at various heights for more interest.

So tip number two is to cut and use the accent pieces at various heights for more interest.

These were the floral arrangements for my daughter’s recent wedding.  Sorry that the purple walls are an eyesore as a background color but you get the idea of the overall theme of the Fall wedding look. 

Tip Number Three is then to complete the look with softly spilling stems over the edge of the container.

After finding the perfect placement for the focal flowers and the varying heights of the accent pieces, my final tip is to find stems or other bouquet-type items that will spill over the edge of the container.  Adding something to spill over the sides will soften the look and create visual movement for an arrangement.

Most often my preferred floral to create that spill-over-the-edge effect is faux leaves in their vibrant mixed colors of the Fall season.  If I was making a live arrangement, ivy or a trailing vine is my go-to accent to distract from the hard edges of the container. 

The above photos for two of my new Fall arrangements, I used not only the faux leaves but also seasonal ribbons to cascade down the edge of the floral arrangement.  The ribbon softened the edges of the small crates but also distracted the eye from the floral foam visible through the openings in the crates. 

When making a wreath, this idea is created by adding small floral stems, greenery, raffia, twine, or even ribbon behind the main focal items that peek out all around the wreath form as tiny little visual accents of interest. They should be accents and not distractions. 

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3 Simple Steps I Learned Long Ago

I follow these simple steps every time I make a new floral arrangement for my house, and when making a wreath.  It is a habit that has become so ingrained in my process that I don’t even notice it anymore.  

Since leaving employment at the resort many years ago, I have also lost touch with Glenda, but her gentle teachings and methods will stay with me as a reminder of her. 

The rich colors of the flowers of Fall always inspire me to practice these deeply rooted steps when I create another year’s beautiful Fall flower arrangements.  These are such easy decorations to make this time of year. 

Hugs,

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in HIm!”

Other Fall posts to enjoy:

Creating the Perfect Patio For the Fall Season

Fall Floral Arrangement with Painted Pine Cones

DIY Wood Log Faux Floral Arrangement