Sina Mizrahi’s Secret to Flower Arranging on a Budget

Floral arrangements can get pricey. I love perusing different flowers at the shop and putting together a bouquet of my own on a budget. Here I’ll share some of my tips and tricks so you can put together something yourself. I’m not a professional, but I’ve gleaned some insight over the years because there’s nothing I love more than a beautiful holiday table!

Three things I keep in mind when looking at flowers:

1. Color: I pick a few complementary colors or go monochromatic. I love using different kinds of all white flowers, but sometimes a pop of color stands out more.
2. Contrast: I’ll pick a flower that contrasts the bunch for more visual interest. Make sure you get them in threes because there is a principal of design that says groups of three are more pleasing to the eye.
3. Texture: I use different kind of green foliage to add texture. It’s also a great, cheap filler that allows you to use less flowers and still achieve a full bouquet.

I lay out my flowers on the table and get a medium to large vase or a few smaller ones ready. I trim the flowers at a 45° angle (they absorb more water this way and therefore last longer). I start placing them in my vase at different heights and angles until I get a polished look.

Tips:

• Fill your vase with cold water for the flowers to last longer. Warm water helps closed flowers bloom faster.
• Look at your arrangement from all angles to make sure it works. If you’re placing your flowers on the table, people will see it from all angles. 
• For the easiest, no-fail arrangement: cluster the same kinds of flowers in small bouquets and place them next to each other for a polished look.
• Play with height. You can have a tall flower arrangement and shorter ones around it.
• Pick up some large leaves to line the inside of your vase. That’s an easy way to hide the stems and pretend you got your arrangement from a professional.

Most of all, enjoy the beautiful way flowers enhance your Yom Tov table. Do what you find most pleasing.

Shana tova,

Sina Mizrahi

About the author

Sina Mizrahi

19 articles • 209 recipes

Sina Mizrahi is a published photographer, recipe developer, and the blogger behind thekosherspoon.com, whose recipes are featured in Binah Magazine. She believes recipes should be simple and beautiful, and food to be a point of connection, a vehicle that gathers and sustains. She draws inspiration from modern cooking, her deep Sephardic background, and fresh, seasonal produce. She loves nothing more than being clustered around a dining table with friends and family and the blessings of good food. She currently lives in Jerusalem with her husband and many little ones who keep her days full and her heart fuller.

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