For this month’s project I’m making a DIY Fall Floral Centrepiece for our Thanksgiving table, so you’ll have to tell me what you think! Back when I joined the 12 months of DIY series and saw the line-up of items, I was most excited for the floral challenge. I love a good flower arrangement; I love it so much that I can never really bring myself to buy the fake ones – no matter how beautiful – because I enjoy making my own.
*Aflora.com provided the product for review, but all thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible.
I guess it’s the same thing inside me that enjoys arranging art on the wall, knick knacks on a shelf, and picking paint colours. I “feel” the items into place and then fine-tune. There isn’t always a rationale as to why, but there’s always a feeling.
Before I launch into my beautiful arrangement I thought I’d take you all on a quick refresher about floral arrangements. In today’s world, Putnam & Putnam are the kinds of fresh and contemporary florals. If you’re Instagram, they’re an account you should be following.
Gone are the prim and proper arrangements of our mothers’ day, in are the kinda wild and very energetic arrangements of today.
You know how flowers usually sit in a vase contained to an orb-like crest? Well, nowadays a good arrangement reads like a classic masterpiece with axes of light, dark corners, the Fibonacci sequence and so much more. Pinterest is chock-a-bloc full of beautiful arrangements that seem to defy gravity and pull from the most heavenly and exotic gardens. Take me there!
I’m drawing on our contemporary masters for my arrangement. I’m bringing you high, low, left, right, and all around. If what I said doesn’t make sense now, wait until the end.
Materials
- Bowl, vase, coupe etc. Basically anything that is considered a receptacle that you want to place flowers in. Since there’s no water, it can be almost anything!
- Flower foam. I halved a foam ball.
- Reindeer moss
- Tin snips – you’ll need them to trim the metal wire inside the stems without damaging your scissors.
- For this particular arrangement you’ll need: Lambs ear spray 29″ x 2 ; Anemone in cream x 3 ; Hypericum Berry Spray in two tone x 2 ; Peony Spray in Marsala Wine 21″ x 2 ; Mini silk Ranunculus spray in pink ceris x 2 ; Silk peony spray in Mauve Pink Cream x 3 ; Dusty miller bush in green and gray 9″ x 1
For this arrangement I went for the modern inverted designs. Instead of building towards a central point, we’re working off-kilter with height and width.
Step 1: Place your halved foam in the middle of your coupe.
Step 2: Add reindeer moss around the edge so that you won’t see the foam through the glass, but also so that it hides all the stems.
Step 3: Place your highest point. In my case it was some leftover rose buds from my fall wreath. I later added the berries to complete the profile.
Step 4: Place your large blooms low, and around the coupe. You want people to see beautiful blooms from any angle.
Step 5: Add your lowest element. In this case I have three greenery stems hanging low and wide out of the coupe. They add a wilder element to the arrangement and contribute to a balanced profile.
Step 6: Add your smaller flowers. I got the mini ranunculus to use for filler. They’re the extra detail that catches the eye when up close for inspection. Use them to fill almost all the remaining gaps.
Step 8: Add the remaining greenery to fill the last gaps, and to lift blooms into place, or feather around the base to hide any gaps. I purchased the dusty miller for this exact purpose, but a stray sprig of berries also did the job and provided the perfect treat for those whose gaze traverses the arrangement from start to finish.
Step 9: Spin ‘er around! Make sure you got it right from all angles. I love the “front” of my arrangement, but the sides and back also have their own profiles that are equally enchanting.
This is the front
This is the back
This is a side
This beauty will be premiering on our Thanksgiving tablescape, which will be unveiled on October 3rd, so stand-by! In the meantime, make sure you checkout afloral.com as their selection is out of this world. When I say that the lamb’s ear is soft like a lamb’s ear, I’m not joking. Also have you seen the close-ups of the blooms? The details are insane!
In the meantime, checkout these other floral crafts from the 12 months of DIY bloggers.
From the top left, they are:
Succulent Naked Cake from Life Is A Party
DIY Fall Floral Log Centerpiece With Tea Light Candles from Woman In Real Life
Daisy Frame Art With Free Printables from Lifeovereasy
Faux Floral Fall Decor from Brooklyn Berry Designs
A Fall Copper Centrepiece from Love Create Celebrate
DIY Vintage Succulent Centerpiece from Vin’yet Etc.
Silk Flower Lighted Branches Floral Arrangement Tutorial from Time With Thea
DIY Faux Floral Art from Heather in Heels
DIY Fall Floral Centrepiece from PMQ for Two
Easy DIY Burlap and Floral Fall Wreath from Sustain My Craft Habit
Faux Floral and Leaf Garland for a Fall Tablescape from The DIY Mommy
Plants for a Windowless Room from Fresh Crush
super stunning! if you ever (not sure how you could but…) get bored of this – send it to me, so pretty! I love the colours and how you arranged it. And seriously, how amazing is the quality of these flowers!?
The quality on these bad boys is fantastic! I was stunned!
And no, I don’t think I’ll be tiring of it any day soon 😉
Your arrangement is stunning! You definitely could have a second career as a floral designer. And you know I love green glass. Those flowers are incredible.
This is absolutely stunning, and I can’t believe those are faux flowers! Absolutely incredible.
Right? Their blooms are stunning. The best you can buy!
Absolutely gorgeous!! This arrangement would make me happy everytime I passed by it! Love!
It makes me happy every time! I’ve kept it out of the way, otherwise I’d be staring at it all day!
Absolutely beautiful flowers and arrangement! Great job!
Thank you Kristen 🙂
I have so enjoyed your DIY projects the past year and i can tell that you are truly an artist. This floral arrangement is stunning. It’s beauty starts with the green goblet style vase. How you arranged the silk flowers looks like the work of a professional. The photography really captures how beautiful the silk flowers were to work with. Bravo!
Thank you so much Thea, you’ve always got the kindest words.
I’m seriously thinking of starting a side gig as a florist 😉
I love this arrangement. How big is that bowl? It looks like it could be a glass cup but that doesn’t seem big enough. Floral arranging terrifies me, but this is stunning!
it’s fairly big actually! Like, I’m not sure what you would put it in from a food perspective, but it’s big enough to fit half an 8″ foam ball – if that makes sense.
I love love love it! Especially now that the trend is towards less symmetrical, more organic arrangements.
So colourful and fun. Such a pretty, happy arrangement. Great job!
Thanks Dannyelle 🙂
I’m IN-LOVE with this arrangement! Those colours, those textures, that green goblet and the combination of everything. Now that’s a centerpiece!
Aww thank you! It feels kind of over the top sometimes, but the more I look at it, the more I love it.
What beautiful colors! Pinning!
Thanks friend 🙂
The colors in this are stunning! Those are beautiful flowers, and a great centerpiece!
Thanks 🙂 I definitely chose these flowers for the boldness of the colours!
So pretty and colorful!
Thanks Amy 🙂
SO much life in this centerpiece! Love how bold you are with colour! Beautiful job!
Thanks friend 🙂 <3
Such a beautiful arrangement! I love the wild feeling of and I definitely could use the steps. I never know where to start with flower arrangements. I am more of a silk flower kind of girl since real ones last so little time and I love how authentic these look!
Try the steps and let me know how it works out for ya!
Beautiful I love the bright untraditional fall colors. And thanks for the arranging tips. Pinned!
That’s me eclectic and funky! but most importantly, colourful.
This is gorgeous… from all sides! 🙂 I love all of the rich colours the variety of flowers the textures, contrast and depth, simply all of it! Excellent job!
Thank you Laurie 🙂 You know me, more is more is more!
So pretty, Ariel! I can’t wait to see your Thanksgiving table! We celebrate twice – once for Canadian Thanksgiving and once for American. We call it Camerican Thanksgiving.. my kids love it! I love that I get to celebrate it Canadian style..
Well there ya go! So I WILL have a small US audience for my thanksgiving table then 😉 I was actually thinking about doing two tablescapes this year, we’ll see!
Wow, you are so talented; your arrangement is so beautiful! Thanks for all the tips!
Thank you Jenny! I like that the style in arrangements is more lose these days, it allows for a more organic arrangement!
Beautiful arrangement! I love the vibrant pinks and reds with the green glass. So your colors!!
Thank you Stephanie! Agreed, “very me” 😉
Okay, seriously, you have skills girl!!! The arrangement is perfection and I’m totally smitten over that bowl you used!
Thanks girl 😉
Absolutely stunning! You’re right – the details on those blooms are INSANE! So realistic!
Thank you! It’s the details that sold me on them! I can’t wait to set my thanksgiving table this weekend 🙂 ( a week early of course)
So much colour! Love the wild and messy look. I bet your Thanksgiving table looks amazing 🙂
It did! Did you see the post?
Totally beautiful!! This plan would make me cheerful everytime I go by it! Love! Really i appreciate your posting effort