Festive florals: 17 creative (and easy) ways to decorate with flowers
We're big fans of decorating and trying out new looks, whatever the time of year. But during the festive season, with an abundance of new and exciting themes to try out, there's no better time like now to give your home an extra special flourish. Might we suggest adding flowers?
This year we've found scroll-stopper ways to introduce flowers into your home. Whether fresh, dried or faux, we've rounded up our favourite easy-to-create Christmas floral looks for the table, mantelpiece, tree and more.
Mix flowers and foliage
Dress a mantlepiece with a mix of beautiful seasonal blooms such as hellebores and amaryllis tucked into your foliage. No need to over-accessorise — a few tall taper candles in complementary colours will allow the flowers to steal the show.
Create a tonal tree
This tree breaks away from traditional tinsel and baubles in favour of flowers and foliage grouped by colour and shade.
The trick to achieving this colour-graduated effect is to start at the bottom of your tree and work from dark to light as you go upwards. If you plan to use real blooms, look for flower tubes to keep stems watered.
Styling by Hello Flora
Think small charming details
Create a similar mini wreath to sit on the base of an upturned wine glass: twist a length of florist's wire around several times to form a circle and weave in a mix of dainty flowers. Blooms used here include orchid, skimmia, baby's breath, and red lagurus.
Styling by funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk
Make your own decorations
Fill clear glass baubles with dried flowers or simple stems and thread with a ribbon for a unique decoration or personalised gift. Strawflowers are the perfect filler for this and come in a variety of colours and shapes.
For similar baubles, try Fillable baubles Hobbycraft.
Add the wow factor
Christmas isn't a time for restraint. Go all out with a fabulous hanging display like this unapologetically pink flower cloud. The beauty of this dried flower arrangement is that it can be used time and time again. Pick out the pink and berry tones to dress your table to match.
Pictured: Flamingo dried flower cloud, We Are Fox
Go faux
Good-quality fake flowers and foliage mean the options are endless. You could use them as fillers to cover gaps in between branches on the tree or combine with real flowers to help make a bunch go further. Tuck chicken wire into your vase or container to support the stems.
Pictured: Three Burgundy Hydrangea Stems, Cox and Cox
Pick a colour
Prefer to keep your Christmas table understated? Pick out a single dominant colour for details such as candles and place settings and keep everything else muted and tonal. Simple greenery works well with pretty much any colour scheme.
Styling by Hello Flora
Experiment with scale
For an eye-catching centrepiece, group flowers in a single colour together in a low, densely packed arrangement, then play around with height by adding in a few tall single stems.
Pictured: Brompton marble cake stand, Garden Trading
Pretty up a wreath
Turn a wreath made from simple greenery into a showstopper by layering in berries, seedheads and dried flower sprays in rich, toning colours. Add a velvet ribbon for a luxe touch.
Pictured: Wreath, Bloom & Wild
Style vases in abundance
Dainty bud vases arranged in groups or dotted along a surface will bring a sense of occasion to any room. Vary shapes, heights, and colours, and add a single stem or a pretty posy.
Pictured: Green, blue and purple bud vases, Gisela Graham
Level up your flower arranging
Create effortlessly stylish displays with a collection of simple stem vases. The lattice top helps keep dainty buds in place.
Pictured: Lumley vase, Rowen & Wren
Customise your candles
A shallow-footed bowl makes a perfect low centrepiece for the dining table. LED candles mimic a real flame and offer a safe choice tucked in among foliage – especially important if children and pets are around.
Pictured: Holger candle plate, ball ornament, eco candles, all Broste Copenhagen
Choose an everlasting garland
A faux floral swag or garland is a good investment that can be used again and again. A timeless design will grab attention without a dropped petal in sight.
Pictured: garland, Dobbies
Cherish the details
Enhance your gifts by using a mix of different wrapping paper. An assortment of two or three decorative papers topped with a spray of dried flowers will make your presents look and feel extra special. It's also a good way to use offcuts of paper.
Pictured: assorted wrap, Cambridge Imprint
Reinvent the runner
Swap a traditional fabric runner for an overflowing garland of Christmassy florals such as hydrangeas, amaryllis and winter berries piled high. Use flower frogs and chicken wire to hold stems in place or use faux flowers.
Pictured: ornaments, baubles, plates, striped glass, cutlery, all Broste Copenhagen
Choose clip-on decorations
With a metal clasp on the bottom, these mini glass vases can be filled with water and attached to a variety of surfaces. We suggest adding a few real flowers to your tree, wreath or garland for a unique touch. Year-round, these can be used for propagation.
Pictured: Three vases with clip, Sostrene Grene
Fix up a floral arrangement
Take your staircase to the next level by intertwining foliage and flowers at the foot of the banister. This climbing display includes eucalyptus, amaranthus, orchids and ferns in rich shades of purple, red and glossy green. For ease, opt for faux flowers with wire stems to allow for gentle shaping.
Styling by Hello Flora
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