How to Arrange Silk Flowers

Co-authored by Jeanne Walker and Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: March 25, 2021 Approved

Silk flowers can add beauty and elegance to your home, without the hassle that real flowers create. You can choose any vessel to hold your flowers, from a vase or a decanter to a pair of rain boots or a tin can. Choose large flowers for the focal point of your arrangement, and surround them with smaller flowers and greenery.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Rounding up Your Materials

1
Choose a vessel to hold your flower arrangement. You can use a vase, bowl, or glass jar to hold your flowers. You can also choose something a bit more out of the ordinary, such as a pair of rain boots, a large spool, a colander, a tin can, a pitcher, or a decanter. The vessel you choose will determine both the height and the number of flowers you will use.^{[1]
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2
Get foam or clay to hold the flowers in place. Floral foam or clay can be used to hold your flowers in place so your arrangement holds its beautiful shape indefinitely. Clay works better with heavier arrangements. Both can be found at your local craft store as well as at most garden shops.

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3
Acquire moss or fake grass to cover the foam or clay. If your vessel is clear, such as a crystal vase, you’ll want to cover the floral foam or clay with greenery. Get moss or grass from the same shop you choose your silk flowers from.
4
Choose floral tape or cling clay to anchor your foam. To secure your foam in the vessel, you can place small pieces of cling clay (a gummy, adhesive, clay-like substance) underneath your foam. You can also use floral tape to anchor your foam, as well as to bind items, like a loose leaf, to a stem or to bind an extension to a stem that is too short.
5
Select your flowers. Choosing beautiful silk flowers to use in your arrangement is a fun and creative experience. You can choose a variety of flowers and colors, stick to a single color, or choose several colors of the same flower. Consider the placement of the arrangement in your home to help you decide on the best size and color for your flowers.
- Choose flowers that look the most like the real thing. Study your favorite flowers so that you will know which are the most similar when you are shopping.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Creating Your Floral Arrangement

1
Add floral foam or clay at the bottom of your vessel. To anchor your flowers and keep them in place, put floral foam or clay in the bottom of your vessel. Put cling clay underneath the foam, or use floral tape to secure it.^{[2]
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2
Cover the foam or clay with moss or grass. Break up the moss or separate the grass so that it looks loose and natural. Cover all of the foam or clay completely with moss or grass. You want the flowers and greenery to be the stars, so be sure there aren’t any pieces of foam showing through your arrangement.^{[3]
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- You may want to dampen the moss to make it easier to shape and mold. Spritz it with water from a spray bottle or soak it in water for a few minutes.
3
Shape petals and leaves as desired. Most silk flowers have wire in the edges of the petals as well as in the stems and leaves. Spread out the branches and blossoms, then apply a gentle pressure with your thumb and first two fingers to the wired parts to shape them as desired. Avoid making harsh angles or sharp curves, or your flowers will look unnatural.
4
Trim flower stems to the desired length. Use wire cutters to cut the flower stems so that they fit in your vase. The center flowers should sit just above the rim of the vase, while other elements may stand higher or lower, depending on the look you wish to create.
5
Place larger flowers in the center. Choose a few large, beautiful blooms to be the focal point of your arrangement. Try using three flowers in the center of the vase and building outward.^{[4]
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6
Arrange smaller flowers around the larger ones. Cut the stems on these flowers shorter or choose flowers with smaller blooms. Place them around the focal point of your arrangement at different levels and groupings.^{[5]
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- You can use floral tape to secure stems or situate leaves if you are having trouble getting your arrangement to sit just so.
7
Fill in gaps with greenery. You can add greenery, grass, or leaves to fill out your floral arrangement. Put the greenery in between flower stems so that your arrangement alternates between flowers and greenery. For a realistic look, add three different types of greenery to your arrangement so you have a variety of textures.

Expert Q&A

Question

How should flowers be arranged if you're a beginner?

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Jeanne Walker is a Florist and the Owner of Fringe Flower Company, a floral design shop that specializes in weddings, special events, and daily deliveries. Fringe Flower Company, based in Walnut Creek, California, provides customized hand-tied and vase bouquets along with potted plants, succulent gardens, tulip french buckets, and wreaths. Jeanne also conducts floral design workshops and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeanne Walker

Florist

Expert Answer

Foam can start to break down if you rearrange the flowers a lot, so make sure you commit to an arrangement when you use it.
Question

How can I make the petal stay open and not collapse?

Community Answer

You can hold it with spray glue or a heavy hold hair spray.
Question

What is the best kind of vase to set on top of a column?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

Depending on the type of flowers you are using, you need to balance the container with the flowers first. Next, see whether a tall container or a shallow, wider container gives the better visual symmetry.