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tisdag 6 oktober 2009

The Art of Floral Design

By Andy Seitz

Florists, just like any other creative trade, have their trade secrets. These secrets include flower matching, ribbon matching, display choice, real flowers or silk flowers, real flowers or candy flowers, and so the list continues. A florist's arrangement is nothing without the key ingredients. Every artist works differently but floral supplies are the tools by which those masterpieces are made.

Florist's foam is the starting block for most floral projects. For real flowers wet foam is used: a spongy material designed to hold water and keep the flowers in place. It comes in a variety of grades, each one slightly different; some softer foams are for more delicate flowers.

Fairly easy to work with, mastering foam isn't the most simple. To make the piece easier to create, the foam should sit just higher than the vase the arrangement will be in. It should be wedged in tightly so it stays in place after becoming water saturated.

Among your list of necessary floral supplies is a craft saw; it's simply the easiest way to shape foam. However, kitchen knives and wire also work if a craft saw is not available; be warned, be prepared to get covered in foam shavings, no matter what cutting method is used.

But what if you're using a clear container? That saturated thick foam isn't the most attractive thing to look at. In that case, you're better choice would be a metal frog. They are trickier to work with, and come in various sizes, but rewarding in a clear container. To fill up the rest of your vase, colored fake gemstones and small rocks become perfect floral supplies, just as long as you make sure the stems don't get crushed.

Obviously, flowers are generally displayed in a vase. However, among the list of floral supplies are other less common holders. Small decorative buckets, long planter box-containers, parfait glasses, and anything the creative mind can imagine become floral supplies in the hands of a master florist.

But the most important of floral supplies are-let's face it-the flowers. Flowers can be bought just about anywhere, and a bouquet can be arranged into a floral project; the grocery store, a gas station, an actual florist, or in bulk from an online outlet are just a few places to find your flowers. A florist learns which flowers match each other, which colors to use for which occasions, and how to arrange the flowers for best appearance.

The floral craft is not simple. It's a trade with many little minute details. The best way to create the best flowers is to know the medium, and to become proficient in the art of floral design.

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