On Fridays in Dallas, my favorite thing was Markus walking in the door from the grocery store with two drinks for us from the coffee bar, a paper bag filled with supplies for his amazing nachos and a cello wrapped bouquet of flowers poking out of the top. They mean everything and brighten up the room just dropped into water, but I’ve loved finding little tricks on how to make grocery store flowers look nice, like a fresh delivery or centerpiece. 

I love teaching floral design classes in Dallas for groups of women as one of my Dallas adult craft parties. It’s one of my favorite classes because I believe, once you know some of these tricks, it’s so easy to take a moment to create something new with market flowers. It’s double the pleasure now – the beauty of the flowers and getting to create with them! 

Here’s a few of my favorite tips from class if you want to try them at home! 

How To Make Grocery Store Flowers Look Nice

Tape Your Top

I will make a small grid at the top of my vase with tape to help control how my stems fall as I add them in. Washi tape usually works great! 

My favorite place to look for pretty and inexpensive vases are estate sales, but really they’re fun to keep an eye for everywhere!

Just Add Nature 

These mixed bouquets usually come with some basic greenery, which is nice, but I love to go ham. The best thing I’ve learned for this is to take garden shears with me on a walk before I get into arranging. It is crazy and so fun to begin to notice the ferns, ivy and other greenery that grows wild just in the alleys of our American neighborhoods. (Of course, I find plenty over here!) 

Cutting anything that looks pretty and up for grabs, I go home and clip any leaves off the vines that would go below the tape line of the vase before using all of this spindly, lush and wild greenery to make my flowers look even more romantic and full. 

Now you have pretty flowers in your home, creative time and a nature walk – blessings on blessings from just one bundle of blooms! 

Fluff Your Blooms

Part of the loveliness of fresh flowers is seeing them bloom over the week, but I also love helping any open blooms along and helping them look romantic. Fluffing roses and carnations, gently spreading the petals open with my fingers, can really take things from a filler flower to a beautiful, wild, cottage look. Especially if I am gifting them or presenting the flowers that day, I think this makes such a difference! 

Keep It Fresh

It goes without saying, but I’ve really learned the benefit of changing out the water on fresh flowers at least every other day. It’s a small task that will keep most of my petals through next Friday when it’s time for something new. Also, that floral food in your pack is great split up throughout the week. I like to cut the top, add a bit to my first arrangement before wrapping it with a rubber band and keeping it in my kitchen drawer to keep sprinkling in as I change the water. 

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What’s your favorite way to make grocery store flowers look nice? I’d love to hear it!