Fresh Start in White

Video Transcription

Celebrating a new year with flowers. Today, a fresh start with white on-trend flowers, on-trend mechanics, and oh, so beautiful. Let me show you how it's done.

The materials going foam-free. Looking to the new year and using aluminum wire to create an armature, just pulling it apart, giving it a cut, and then squiggling it, a very technical term. Pulling it around, getting it to kind of wind on itself, repeating, going around, giving it a bend, pulling, you just keep adjusting. And then when you're happy, slide it in, nestle it down, and then you can move it again, adjusting, getting a little bit of movement wherever you want. Make sure you get it from both side to side. And then using waterproof tape, giving it a covering, just to make sure that it doesn't pop out. Don't take a lot. I'm just going to go from one side over to the other, another cut, and then doing a crossbar to make sure it doesn't let go. And repeating. And then remembering your Tulip Tuesday tip. Putting a little courtesy tab on it so you can find the end later. You don't have to worry about it. And going back and cutting off the courtesy tab from the beginning, making sure that that's all secure. And then I can just add water, pre-mixed with flower food, materials of the flowers. Looking at what's trending for 2026, we are continuing to want high petal count flowers. So ranunculus, Tibet roses, and continuing to want things that seem like the garden, casual orlaya, and then contradictory casual to sculptural anthurium and then the chrysanthemum, they're having their day. Kind of beginning to replace the dahlia, interesting, because they are so similar, so beautiful white blossoms, clean mechanics, just adding water, and we're ready to design.

Ironically, foam-free is on trend and foliage-free continues to be on trend, which is against Leanne, you know I love foliage, but today I'm not going to go there. We're going to look at just the flowers. So starting with the chrysanthemums, because they're big, bold, they fill space, removing their leaves, giving it a cut, and then just sliding it right down in, letting it break the line of the container. So even though trends change, flower school stays the same, binding points, breaking the line, filling in insertion depth, all of that stays. The Tibet rose, so full and luxurious. Again, removing the foliage, cutting them short, and then placing them to help break the line, feeding in, and repeat until you get your base covered with all white blossoms.

In basic floral design, we would call this greening the container, creating a valued base to set everything in. But now I'm going to call it flowering the container. Now going on, and for the new year, thinking a little bit horizontal, because horizontal design implies stability. So if we bring this in, let it come through, pulling the eye in to the emphasis area, repeat that, right in the perfect spot, letting them recline. Then adding a little bit of softness, the ranunculus. So full, lush, adding a touch of luxury, and letting them come up a little bit taller, finding the perfect spot, adding movement, even using the buds, tucking it in. And as you do one thing, it'll make the other one shift a little bit and you can just move it around. And coming back with the orlaya, looking for even more softness, tucking it in, adding height and grace, finishing out the design with that light touch coming out over the top of the others.

I know I said I was going foliage-free, but oh my gosh, the variegated lily grass is so perfect with this. So just giving it a cut, and then setting it in, letting it come out with the anthurium, adding a bit of softness, pulling it apart just a bit, maybe one more, getting a little bit of movement coming to the side. Then since we came over to the side, I'm going to go up on the opposite side, which is a little bit of veronica, giving it a cut, and letting it be taller, finding the perfect spot, and then repeating to get a little bit of line into the design. So we have that horizontal movement, the sweeping line, and then the surprise of popping back up.

As a final touch you could stop right here, fresh start all white trending flowers. But if you're wanting to make it a little more festive for the new year, go back to your Tulip Tuesday tip. Do a sprinkle of glitter, and just make it sparkle. Just a bit, doesn't need very much, but it just sparkles that little extra touch. Now, the recipe, I did add Lily Grass, five strands. That's the only foliage, two of the Anthurium. Then that beautiful Chrysanthemum, five stems, the Tibet Rose, seven stems. Then I used the beautiful Ranunculus, four stems. Orlaya, five stems, and then I added in the Veronica. I just used four stems, that's all it needed to create this beauty, perfect for the new year.

As you set your resolutions for the new year, make sure they include flowers. You'll find so much inspiration on our website, flowerschool.com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there. But now it's your turn. Gather up your favorite blooms, create a beautiful arrangement, take a picture and post it on social media. Be sure to #FloralDesignInstitute. That way we all can see what you do as you do something you love.