A beautiful flower arrangement can make a space more welcoming and create an atmosphere of sharing. Not only do flowers brighten up the room, but they can also help brighten your mood. As we head into the fall and winter months, finding certain floral varieties may be more challenging. These books offer step-by-step guides on how to make beautiful arrangements using not only seasonal flowers but all kinds of plants, leaves, grasses and even fruits and vegetables.
So don’t be afraid to dive right in. As suggested by some of the titles listed here, it can be “chic & cheap” as well as “simple.” It can be a low cost, low commitment activity, and when you are working with flowers, even a beginner can create something delightful. Plus, these books have the added bonus of stunning photography. Like cookbooks, they have the gorgeous pictures that may inspire you into action or simply whisk you away to a lovely daydream.
If you’re the kind of learner who likes to watch someone else do it first, check out the how-to videos on Creativebug. With your CLP Library card, you have FREE access to over 1,000 creative video classes and tutorials. Look for the how-to class taught by Studio Cho titled Flower Arranging, or 100LayerCake’s video titled DIY Flower Bouquets. And be sure to check out our YouTube channel, @clpvideo, for a quick tutorial on making a Pumpkin Vase Centerpiece.
Create the flower arrangements of your dreams to keep at home, take to the office or display on any special occasion using the simple tips and tricks and masterful techniques taught by Executive Director and professor Calvert Crary and the master florists at FlowerSchool New York.
This lavishly photographed book from renowned floral designer Ariella Chezar provides step-by-step instructions for 40 seasonal floral arrangements and projects that celebrate the splendor of flowers, the bounty of the changing seasons and the wild beauty of nature in your home.
In this book, Elle Decor editor-at-large Carlos Mota shows how unexpected elements can make a style statement. For example, fill a vintage teapot with pink peonies and set it next to your bed; gather some ferns and an orange poppy in a colorful gift bag and call it a centerpiece; dress any entryway by loading a soup tureen with lemons and a few dusted-off leaves (picked from the backyard, of course).
You don’t need to buy expensive cut flowers from a wholesaler to create stunning arrangements at home. With Foraged Flower Arranging, you can bring the organic beauty of nature into your home in ways you’ve never seen before. Go beyond a vase of plain tulip stems or a haphazard bunch of wildflowers in a jar with projects like Large-Scale Autumnal Arrangement featuring colorful leafy branches and Lush Green Platter Arrangement with a beautiful flow of greens and white flowering vines. Floral designer Rebekah Clark Moody teaches readers techniques to forage for local plants then arrange them in unique ways to preserve their wild shape. The result is easy yet high-impact design with the modern and incredibly popular rustic, natural look.
At its heart, the Japanese art of ikebana is about celebrating an intimate connection with nature. To practice ikebana is to find inspiration in the seasons, favor unassuming blooms and branches, seek balance and simplicity and remain fully present in the moment. It is a beautiful, pure antidote to our age of distraction and excess. Honoring the lineage of ikebana while making the art their own, Amanda Luu and Ivanka Matsuba of Studio Mondine show us new ways to tell stories with flowers.
Title also available on Hoopla Digital.
Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo, authors of The Flower Recipe Book and founders of Studio Choo, provide more than 100 step-by-step projects to make with flowering and leafy branches. In the spring, readers can create a cherry blossom bough or a centerpiece of lilacs and olive branches. In the summer, a garland features sage with pomegranates and citrus-colored strawflowers. In autumn, wreaths are made out of magnolias and rosemary. Winter highlights cedar, pine and juniper, yielding unexpected table settings and new wreath shapes. Also included are hundreds of step-by-step photos, as well as tutorials covering basic techniques, sourcing and care information.
Title also available on Hoopla Digital.
From simple arrangements that brighten up a room, to one-of-a-kind gifts and gorgeous wedding bouquets, Simple Flower Arranging contains more than 60 inspirational projects that anyone can do at home. Learn key techniques such as hand-tying and using florist foam as well as how to experiment with vintage tins, glassware, strings and ribbons. The sumptuous photography and step-by-step sequences simply explain how to arrange like a professional.
In this gorgeous and unique book, author Holly Becker teams up with stylist Leslie Shewring to offer practical know-how and colorful inspiration for decorating the home with florals. Beginning with the basics of flower arranging and progressing on to decorating ideas for a range of styles—such as vintage, eclectic and modern—with creative DIY flower and container projects peppered throughout, this book offers a bunch of fresh ideas for flower enthusiasts and home decorators on any budget.
Title also available on Hoopla Digital.