The Basic Materials to Make Beautiful Dried Flower Bouquets

Bring any setting to life with floral designs and learn how to preserve and dry your blooms

We never get tired of flowers. In nature, as in art, beautiful flowers capture our gaze and create captivating aesthetic experiences. So as well as decorating any space, floral arrangements can help you tell stories, becoming powerful tools for conveying feelings through the art of floral design.

Floral Designer Violeta Gladstone (@violetagladstone) achieves just that. She’s known for her vibrant color palettes, experimental compositions, and incredible sculptural work. Her work has been showcased in magazines including Vogue, and she works with brands like Burberry.

Here, Violeta shares her list of essential materials for floral design composition using dried flowers.

Essential materials for working with dried flowers

Scissors
Every florist must have a good pair of scissors. The range is endless, so find the most comfortable pair for you, or use some you have at home.

Vases
You don’t need to find a special vase, anything that can be filled with water will do. Violeta recommends using a medium size vase.

Chicken wire
Chicken wire helps hold your flowers in place. To use it, shape it into a ball then place it inside the vase to help keep the stems in position.

Floral tape
Floral tape holds the chicken wire firmly in the vase. It’s also waterproof, you’ll find it in any florist, and it comes in a wide range of thicknesses so you can choose the one that’s best for your arrangement.

Types of flowers

Dried flowers are an excellent material for creating a wide range of projects because many kinds of blooms can be dried to preserve their beauty. Remember that dried flowers have a less intense color and become fragile, so it’s vital to understand how to handle them. Here's a selection of the flowers Violeta uses:

Delphinium
Often pink, this bloom takes on a pastel shade when dried.

Craspedia
When dried this flower keeps almost the same color as when it's fresh making it a great choice for your arrangements.

Limonium
Like craspedia, limonium is almost true to its original fresh appearance and comes in a wide range of colors.

Carnations
Although carnations often lose their color, they can be used to add subtle splashes to your arrangement.

Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus branches are a great addition to any arrangement because they fade only slightly in the drying process.

Strawflower
Like limonium or craspedia, the strawflower is a perfect choice because it retains a color that’s very similar to the fresh bloom.

Herbs and grasses

Violeta recommends including herbs and grasses in floral arrangements to balance the overall design with softer shapes. They are also perfect for dyeing, because of their pale natural shades. Examples of great herbs and grasses are:

- Phalaris arundinacea
- Hare’s tail
- Pampas grass
- Oats

Types of palm leaves and pampas grass

Violeta also suggests adding palm leaves and pampas grass. Their grand proportions and subtle shapes can help to add a more sculptural feel. She uses hairspray to fix the pampas grass in place and prevent little bits from falling off. Her favorite palms include:

- Pampas grass
- Daucus carota
- Palm grass
- Bird of paradise leaves

Ready to make your first floral arrangement? Don’t miss Violeta Gladstone’s online course, Centerpiece Design with Dried and Preserved Flowers, in which she teaches you the best step-by-step techniques and tips to create dried floral arrangements from scratch.

English version by @studiogaunt.

You may also like:

- What is Ikebana?
- Craft Tutorial: The Do’s & Don’ts of Floral Design
- The Design and Creation of Floral Compositions, course by ORA The Floral Agency
- Floral Arrangement Design with Seasonal Blooms, course by Bloom And Burn