Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (2024)


In my mind, fresh flowers always do the trick for livening up a room.Whether the arrangement is big or small doesn’t matter much. It’s the textures, colors, and scent that you can only get from fresh flowers that really do it for me. True, I can be a size queen with the best of ’em when I need to be – like a giant dinner party table that calls for a big centerpiece or a special occasion that screamshuge DIY bouquet (like a wedding or something).

BUT for the most part, any flower arrangement is better than no flower arrangement and one of the easiest to recreate at home is the one that doesn’t require a whole lot of flowers. So, that’s what I’m touching on today.

If you have a small vase and a few blooms (either from your local grocery store, florist, or even your backyard), you’re good to go. Click through for my tips for mini flower arrangements and my go-to vases for teeny tiny bouquets.

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (2)

Tips for Making Mini Flower Arrangements

For small vases, you’ll want to keep the blooms fairly small as well (like ranunculus), so the arrangement doesn’t look top heavy. BUT you can always sprinkle in a larger bloom here and there (like peonies), with the right vase. Generally, garden roses are a good in-between size too, since they’re not too big and not too small.

If you’re at the grocery store though, for example, and you’re not finding any of the ‘fancy flowers’, just keep the size thing in mind. Blooms that are 1-2 inches are a pretty safe bet for a small vase (anycontainerfrom 3-8 inches high that has an opening of 3 inches or less would be considered a small vase in my mind). So, smaller flowers that are widely available at grocery stores (carnations, spray roses, mums, tulips, etc) work just as well if that’s all that’s available.

If you have a little more time or can’t get the flowers you want at your locally though, I’d highly recommend using an online flower source, like Flower Muse, for ordering the perfect flowers. All of the flowers you see in these photos are from Flower Muse and I use them ALL the time for shoots, etc because the flowers are gorgeous and get delivered super fast. You can even get next day delivery on select flower types.

Often times, it only takes a few flowers to fill a vase with a small opening, like the ones you see in the photos. And odd numbers are always good too when it comes to stems – two flowers and a stem of greenery, three small buds mixed with a larger bloom and a stem of greenery, etc, etc.

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (3)

I have a ton of tiny vases for these kinds of arrangements, and even a couple of ceramic creamer containers or short juice cupsthat I use sometimes.Here are a small vessels that I’m loving right now,for mini arrangements like these…

1. Ikebana Vase from Urban Outfitters $18
2.Brian Giniewski Tapered Form from Urban Outfitters$69
3.Areaware Radial Vessel Vase from Need Supply $35
4.Spherical Ceramic BudVase from Food52 $35
5.Brian Giniewski Dish Form from Urban Outfitters$39
6.Hawkins New York Tumbler from Need Supply $12
7.Copper Cups from Food52 $42 (set of 2)
8.Ida Glass Globe Planter + Tripod Stand from Urban Outfitters $34
9.Dream Collective Ovid Vase from Spring $50
10. White Bud Vases from Food52 $35 (set of 3)
11.Yield Design Spun Bowl from Need Supply $48

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (4)

I also have a handful of DIY mini vases, if you want to go that route. My favorites are…

1. DIY marbled mini vases
2. cork vases DIY
3. DIY concrete vase tutorial
4. mylar vase DIY
5. DIY textured vase idea
6. mini plaster planters / vase DIY

And one last option,if you’re feeling especially uninspired is using a large, shallow(ish) dish, or even deep cake plate and float flowers in water – just cut the stems pretty short (down to 1 or 2 inches).

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (5)

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (6)

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (7)

Photography by Amelia Lawrence
Flowersby Brittni Mehlhoff (using flowers c/o Flower Muse)

Have any questions about how to make the perfect mini flower arrangement? Let me know in the comments. Happy to answer.

Also, I’m curious to know what your absolute favorite flowers are – big or small. What would you ALWAYS have in your house, flower-wise, if money were no object?!

Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To) (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a miniature flower arrangement? ›

You can for sure make gorgeous mini bouquets with just filler flowers alone! Bunch a few of your flowers together, cut them down to desired mini length, and tie them all together with a rubber band or floral tape. Cut a square piece of tissue paper and place the mini bouquet at one corner of the tissue paper.

What is the 3 5 8 rule in floristry? ›

One of the European designs that we create in floristry is called the Form Linear, in which we apply flowers by using the 3:5:8 rule, with 3 main focal groups: 3 = Sub-dominate Group/Placement. 5 = Contrasting Group/Placement. 8 = Dominate Group/Placement.

How many stems in a mini bouquet? ›

3-4 Stems

How do you make a small bouquet look good? ›

Tips for Making Mini Flower Arrangements

For small vases, you'll want to keep the blooms fairly small as well (like ranunculus), so the arrangement doesn't look top heavy. BUT you can always sprinkle in a larger bloom here and there (like peonies), with the right vase.

How to make a mini posy? ›

Start arranging the flowers into 3 bunches, making sure you have a nice mixture of each type of flower. Trim the lengths of the stalks with your scissors and pull the leaves off towards the bottom of the stems. Once you're happy with how each bunch is looking, tie the rubber bands around each one.

How do you arrange mini carnations in a vase? ›

Arranging your Carnations

Choose the largest, fluffiest bloom for the center of your bouquet. Add the rest of the carnations around it, alternating sides and criss-‐crossing the stems. I started with the darker pink flowers, and set them in the vase after I was satisfied with the bouquet.

What is the golden rule in floral design? ›

Employ The Golden Ratio

According to Bruni, the "golden ratio" for floral arranging is creating a visual where the arrangement is two-and-a-half sizes bigger than its container.

Where do you place the smallest flowers in a design? ›

Oftentimes your foliage will be on thicker, woodier stems and it's much easier to place those at the beginning than trying to squeeze them in at the end. It makes good sense to place your largest, focal flowers next then finish up with placing smaller filler flowers and textural elements in any empty spaces.

How many flowers in a small arrangement? ›

Quick Guide to Help Plan for your Wedding Flowers
BOUQUETSmallMedium
Mixed Bouquet*7 to 9 stems18 to 20 stems
Peony Bouquet5 to 7 stems9 to 12 stems
Garden Rose Bouquet5 to 7 stems9 to 12 stems
Hydrangea Bouquet2 to 3 stems4 to 5 stems
2 more rows

How many flowers in a mini bouquet? ›

8 or 9 blooms would make a medium bouquet, and 3-4 garden roses would make a small bouquet. Looking for more help with your arrangements?

What is the name for a mini bouquet? ›

Small handheld floral bouquets called nosegays, posies or tussie-mussies date back to medieval times, when women carried these fragrant bouquets as a way to help mask the stench of the streets.

How many flowers in a small centerpiece? ›

The diameter of the chosen vase should be in proportion to the number of stems you want in the arrangement. In a vase with a diameter of 3 inches you can have 12 to 25 flowers. Each additional inch in diameter can need up to 12 more flowers.

How do you make a cheap bouquet look expensive? ›

The best way to make a bouquet look expensive is to mix different kinds of flowers together. Try arranging it so you have a consistent mix of smaller buds, larger focal blooms, and plenty of greenery to frame them.

What size is a miniature flower arrangement? ›

Miniature floral arrangements, typically between 3 to 6 inches high, are known as Petite Designs under Flower Show rules. Done correctly, petite arrangements are miniature versions of full-size flower arrangements.

How do you arrange flowers with short stems? ›

Put the longer flowers in the vase and, afterwards, surround the outer rim of the arrangement with the shorter flowers. This creates a more rounded, multi-level arrangement that doesn't just look like your favorite vase with lots of long stems and a poof of flower blooms at the top.

How do you make a mini bouquet of dried flowers? ›

Step by Step
  1. Strip excess foliage from flowers and stems.
  2. Cut stems to the desired length.
  3. Use a rubber band, wire, or twine to tie the stems together. ...
  4. Hang them upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated area. ...
  5. Let them dry for two to three weeks.
Nov 24, 2022

What are small flower arrangements called? ›

A small bouquet - perhaps you are thinking of a ''posy'' or a ''nose gay''. These are the old fashioned terms for a small bunch of flowers which have been arranged and tied so they can be held almost like an accessory.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Maia Crooks Jr

Last Updated:

Views: 5991

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Maia Crooks Jr

Birthday: 1997-09-21

Address: 93119 Joseph Street, Peggyfurt, NC 11582

Phone: +2983088926881

Job: Principal Design Liaison

Hobby: Web surfing, Skiing, role-playing games, Sketching, Polo, Sewing, Genealogy

Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.