DIY Holiday Arrangement Gifts

Looking for the perfect unique and homemade gift to bring to friends and family around the holidays? Look no more! As the holidays come around, our calendars are full of parties and get-togethers. Now, we know what this means. Your houses are full of cookies, candy and treats galore. We tend to always lean towards the same hostess gifts, holiday goodies. I don’t know about you, but I already have over 100 cookies in my home, and it’s not even Christmas yet! I think it’s time to switch it up and become more creative while giving gifts that still feel festive and thoughtful this season. Wouldn’t you love to create something that is natural and homemade but radiates the element of holiday beauty? If so, it’s time you use these easy do it yourself steps and tricks to creating a perfect holiday floral arrangement that everyone will admire in awe.

Vases / Arrangement Containers

The first step to creating a masterpiece that feels really festive is the vase or holder. I personally think, depending on your style, taste and inspiration, there are many options for you. A few of my favorite picks include Clear Vases, Baskets, a Wood Trough or Wooden Box Planters. It is a great idea to look up inspiration first and decide which route you want to take. Maybe it’s a classic red and green Christmas display, maybe you want to recreate the image of a Christmas package, or maybe keeping it simple and rustic is key for you. After picking the type of planting container, dressing it up is the next fun part to completing your perfect holiday gift.

Firstly, you can go with a clear vase. These vases can range from square, cylinder to rectangle, depending on the shape of the arrangement which you desire. When using clear vases (as seen below), there are a myriad of options for adding a bit of holiday cheer. You can add a simple ribbon around the vase, still keeping the florals as the centerpiece and accenting with just a little bit of Christmas. Another really creative trick is to use wrapping paper or a holiday ribbon around the outside, almost creating a present-type feel and masking the stems underneath. Lastly, depending on your bouquet or arrangement, adding a touch of your favorite holiday accessories to the bottom of the vase is a great effect. This can be anything ranging from mini ornaments, cranberries, pinecones / pine and more (see below)! This is a fun and cute way of incorporating your favorite holiday classics into the mix.

 

 

The other type of vessel you can use for your holiday arrangement, and my personal favorite, is wood. This can range from a basket, to a wooden trough and even handcrafted planters. I love a rustic outdoor feeling while creating holiday arrangements. To me, it resembles the original Christmas tree and brings an old classic natural feel to the piece. There are all different types of wood you can use, including wicker baskets, natural birch wood containers, stained wood and more. Using a basket is an easy and classic way to create a holiday display. It allows you to play around with the outside by adding greenery to the wicker, or maybe ribbon to the handle. The natural wood boxes or containers are a great statement on their own. While being a neutral, it doesn’t take away from the beauty of the flowers, but adds a really great accenting touch that balances out the piece as a whole! It goes well with almost every style of Christmas decor and is enjoyed by many.

 

 

Another aspect I love about this gift is that once your bouquet has lived its term, the container, whether wooden or glass, can live on as a token and be used in other ways around the house. I believe choosing the type of container your florals are going to live in really sets the tone for the overall arrangement. No matter the end result, it will be a beautiful piece for everyone to enjoy!

Holiday Flowers

While creating your bouquets, there are a few steps that help with the flower selection process. Red, green and white are the classic colors of Christmas, so you definitely want to play off this inspiration. Firstly, I like to pick a color scheme. Whether it’s sticking to neutrals, bringing in a lot of festive feels with reds or mixing and matching both, it is good to have an idea of how you want your final product to look. I also like to decide if I want to incorporate natural branches and greenery into my piece, and my vote for holiday arrangements is always a “Yes!”  Greenery expresses the feeling of Christmas to me, and I think it’s the perfect place to start. There are a lot of different greens you can add into your piece: Pine, White Pine, Dusty Miller, Rosemary, Holly, Grass, Eucalyptus, Cedar and Juniper. You can stick to one, but I prefer to mix and match, which helps to resemble a wild, rustic and raw feel. Adding greenery as a component brings an organic element and also acts as a great space filler.

Additionally, I like to add in wood-like elements: for example, Natural Branches, Pine Cones and other brown and red features like Brunia Balls, Spray Berries, Hypericum Berries and Cranberries. Another great trick I love to use is gold or silver spray paint. Spraying the pine, branches and other greens creates a fun and cheerful pop. A little fun fact — greenery lasts indoors for about two weeks, so you know you’ll get a good amount of display time out of it!

 

 

After greens, it’s time to add in your choice of flowers. There are so many different options to creating holiday florals, and it’s great to have a strategy in mind. I really like to go neutral with rich whites and creams and add in a few pops of color. Some of my favorite flowers to use in holiday arrangements are White Garden Roses and Ranunculus. Sometimes, adding in Hydrangea to make the piece look super full — acting as neutral focal points. Brasilia is a great add-in for a delicate feel. I also find that, for a pop of color, Red Spray Roses and Red / Burgundy Peonies make for a really beautiful touch. If you are looking for a more unique feel you can try using Red Protea.

Once you have all of your flowers picked out, it’s good to have a shape in mind. Maybe you want a perfectly proportioned round shape, or possibly a more modern feel by creating a heavier affect on one side. This all depends on your personal preference. While creating, don’t be scared to add and remove stems as you go. There is no right or wrong in the process. Achieving the look you want is all that matters. It is your taste, your style, your preference. A great little tip to creating your arrangement is using a foam design piece, and a well known brand is Oasis. This allows you to add in stems and have them sit perfectly in place, all while the piece is hidden in your vase (make sure to soak it in water first!).

 

Finishing Touches

Once your arrangement is complete, I find it super fun to add a few finishing touches to the piece. I like to use some extra holiday inspired accents; these can range from ribbons, ornaments and candy canes to my favorite of all, a holiday tag. This is a gift you are bringing to a loved one, so why not wrap it like one? Adding a sweet holiday tag is the perfect finishing touch. One of my favorite tags (depending on your style of arrangement) is a piece of burlap string and an off-white color tag with a handwritten note. I think it adds the perfect bit of warmth and fashion to the gift, and it’s something that is super easy to make at home!

 

 

Most importantly in this gift creating process, make sure to have fun while fashioning your arrangement! Play around, leave it wild and free. When your arrangement is full of life and fun, you can see it in its display! Follow these quick and easy DIY steps, and I guarantee that your end result will be fabulous arrangements and holiday gifts for all.

Happy Holidays from Bride and Blossom! We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!