Flower Arranging With Children

Are you looking for something new to do with your kids? A new project that will showcase their creativity and imagination? Why not introduce the art of flower arranging? Flowers are bright and beautiful, with so many different characteristics, shapes and scents, your child will be captivated by the experience!

• Arranging a basket with fresh cuts to spruce up the kitchen.
• Creating beautiful potted plants to sit on the front porch is a great project for little hands.
• A heart-felt arrangement made especially for grandma and grandpa.

Each season brings a different variety of flowers to pick from, each with their own special needs. Your local florist will be able to share with you the most appropriate flowers-types for children to handle. With some being more durable and sturdy than others, your florist will guide you in the process of choosing the most suitable flowers for your project. Letting your child pick out the flowers is a great way to get them going. Daisies, carnations and sunflowers are always a big hit. Whether you are picking from a garden or from your local flower shop it is a sure way to put a smile on their face.

Tip: Most local florists also sell loose flowers by the bunch. Take your children on a short trip to meet their florist, and be introduced to all the great flowers this season has to offer. Let them pick out their favorites to use in creating flower arrangements at home.

Now Let’s get started!

Gather all of the supplies that you are going to need into one area. Set out newspaper or a plastic cloth as the workspace for your child. Depending on the project of choice, you will need:

• Scissors
• Florist tape
• Vase, Pot or Basket (Scroll down for more creative ideas)
• Potting Soil (If using a pot)
• Wet Floral Foam (If needed)
• Greens for filler
• Flowers

Creating your arrangement

Flower arranging is an art form that dates back as far as Egyptian times. Arrangements can be any size, style or color. Check out our flower gallery for inspiration!

Step 1. Lay out the flowers along the center of the table.

Step 2. If using a vase, fill it half way with water.

• If using a pot, let your child prepare the soil by removing any rocks and roots. Let your child fill the pot half way with soil.

Step 3. Start by encouraging your child to select one flower or branch as his center stalk. Now he or she can start building a base of greens around the focal flower.

Step 4. Let your child add each flower individually starting at the base and building up like a pyramid. Fill in any open spots with long greens or small filler-flowers.

Step 5. When you are satisfied with your creation, fill the vase with water.

• If you are potting flowers or house plants, give them a good drink of water too!

Let your child find a good place to display his latest creation! If you potted your flowers, you can teach your child how to take care of them as well.

 Adding Extra Flair to Your Containers

 Paint and decorate your own terracotta pots:
Let your child stencil his design onto the clean terracotta pot with a pencil. Then let him paint and decorate in his own fashion. You can have the child cover the entire pot with a solid color, then add glitter and other decorations. Another fun idea is to paint leaves or flowers and use them as stamps for your pot.

Recycle a plastic water bottle into a small vase:
Cut the top few inches off the top of a water bottle and allow your child to paint or decorate the bottle as he wishes, using paint, glitter, glued on stones or decals and then fill with water or soil and add your flowers.

Floating flower arrangements:
Fill a large bowl half way with water, you can add marbles, stones, rocks, sand or anything heavy to the bottom of the bowl. Cut the heads off the flowers and lay them on the water, you can add food coloring the water to make it more fun!

Flower Crowns:
You will need flowers with soft long stems such as daisies or even dandelions.

1. Start with the first flower, holding the stem in your hand, use your sharpest finger nail make a slit in the middle of the stem just below the head.
2. Take the next flower and push the stem through the slit until the flower head is against the stem. Repeat this until you have created a chain long enough to fit around your head.
3. To finish the flower crown, take the last stem and bring it around to the first flower’s stem, twist it off and tie it around to secure. You can also make this into a necklace!

Flower Door Hanger:

What you will need : Cardboard tube, scissors, glue, markers, hole-punch, ribbon, tissues, foil and flowers.

1. Cut out cardboard circle that is slightly bigger than the tube opening and glue it on the end as a base.
2. Color and decorate the tube.
3. Near the opposite end, punch a hole in each side of the tube. Tie on ribbon as a hanger.
4. Wrap flower stems in wet tissue and then cover the tissues with foil. Place stems (with foil) directly in the tube.
5. Hang on doorknob, nail or anywhere to enjoy!

 There are so many creative and fun projects for children when it comes to flowers. Pick bright, fun shaped flowers and let your child’s imagination run wild. You can use this as an educational experience as you teach your child the names and meanings of each flower. Explain to them how a flower grows and where it comes from, where and when different flowers grow…. The possibilities are endless.