5 DIY Flower Arranging Tips, According to Designer Jenni Kayne
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Known for her eponymous and laidback-yet-luxe lifestyle brand, designer Jenni Kayne has built a celebrity following that includes the likes of Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kristen Bell. The latest to join that list is lifestyle queen Martha Stewart, who wrote a foreword for Kayne’s recently released first book, “Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining.”
Inside the book are inspiring entertaining ideas, with sections devoted to each season filled with entertaining concepts—from a floral garden party in spring and a beach picnic for summer, to an apple harvest party in the fall and a chocolate fondue party for winter. Kayne’s top flower arranging tips especially caught our attention, covering everything from keeping flowers fresh for longer to building the actual arrangement. To put it simply, we’re definitely taking notes.
“I love floral arranging and find it meditative,” Kayne told Apartment Therapy. “When it comes to arranging flowers, I always prefer an organic, natural aesthetic versus something too manicured or put together. I always use florals that are in season and I keep it simple. I also love foraging blooms from my own garden and will sometimes just cut greens or herbs from there if I don’t have time to go to the flower mart or farmer’s market.”
Here are some of Kayne’s go-to tips to up your flower arranging game:
1. Take time to clean the stems of your flowers before placing them in your chosen vessel
“Clean the stems by stripping away any leaves or thorns that will touch water,” Kayne wrote. “This keeps your water clean and makes flowers last longer.”
2. Smash the ends of woodsy stems and branches
Crushing the ends of stems and branches helps them absorb water and keeps them nourished.
3. Use tools found at the craft store or flower shop to keep flowers in place
“For vases with tall, wide openings, use a tape grid,” Kayne wrote. “For low, wide openings, use a flower frog. Rubber bands work for narrower openings to help hold your flowers exactly where you want them.”
4. Use ice cubes for delicate flowers to avoid accidentally overwatering them
Kayne recommends adding water to your arrangement each day and changing the water every two to three days. For more delicate flowers like orchids, she adds two ice cubes to slowly hydrate them without overwatering.
5. Drop a penny into the vase
Kayne suggests doing this because copper acidifies the water and will “prevent fungus and bacteria from growing.”
