How to Arrange Flowers According to Vase Shape

Fancy yourself a makeshift florist?

Fresh-cut flowers are some of the best accessories for your home. They make the atmosphere just a bit more delightful, and they bring the outdoors inside—a tactic that's encouraged in a variety of home designs.

But, how do you style your flowers? Pinterest and Instagram have led many of us to believe that everyone—except for us—is a master florist. Why do everyone else's flowers look picture-perfect while yours look disheveled and confused? 

Well, to semi-quote Meghan Trainor: It's all about that vase. (That vase, that vase. OK, I'm done.)

There are specific ways to arrange your flowers according to the vase you are using. Similarly, there are certain flowers that work better in each vase type, so make sure you're buying or picking the right flowers for the vase shapes you have. Then, utilize the few tricks outlined below.

With your newfound flower power, you'll be commissioning funerals in no time! (Too dark? Yeah, probably too dark.)

Cylinder Vase

1. Keep your stems long. You will be trimming them as you go, but you don't want to start with them too short. Trim them to about the same length to begin.

2. Rid each stem of any leaves or foliage save for a few you'd like to stand out from the pack.

3. Place the foliage pieces in the vase first, working in odd numbers and pointing them in various directions. These are your arrangement's anchor.

4. Add the flowers with the longest stems (your standout blooms).

5. Continue to add in different flowers as you walk around the vase, ensuring you don't miss any spots. The result should be a beautiful, balanced variation.

Regular Flared Vase

1. This is one the most common vase types for household flowers. To begin, you'll want to make a bouquet. This article does a good job of walking you through the bouquet-making process. Do not tie the stems together for your bouquet.

2. Hold the bouquet next to the vase to ensure you cut the stems at the correct height. Cut them at a diagonal to help water absorption.

3. Keep the bouquet held tight until you place it into the vase and the stems touch the water. Then, gently release.

Cube Vase

1. It's recommended to use large flowers in cube vases such as hydrangeas (or sunflowers, as you can see).

2. Cut off all the leaves of the hydrangeas and put them in the vase, pressed againt the sides of the glass so they look intentional.

3. Make a bouquet with your hydrangeas, tie it with twine, then trim the stems so that your blooms sit right on top of the vase's edge. 

Pitcher Vase

1. A bouquet arrangement works great with pitchers. If your pitcher vase is ceramic (meaning you won't see the stems), make a bouquet, tie it with twine, and place it inside.

2. If your pitcher is glass, choose just two simple loose flower types to use. 

3. Create a loose bouquet and do not tie it.

4. As with the flared vase: hold the bouquet until the stems reach the water, then release it. Doing so ensures the stems look elegant once inside the pitcher.