Floral Table Styling at Home | Austin Bloom Maker

Difficulty: Intermediate | Time: 1–2 hours | Download: Free PDF guide

This floral table-scape tutorial shows you how to style a beautiful dinner party table at home — using a mix of vintage vessels, kenzan pins, glass frogs and chicken wire with hydrangea, orchids, seed pods and foraged fruit.

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Hello there!

In the spirit of refocusing on 'making' and creativity as a regular practice, we would like to share with you another make-with-us guide, from a little while back! This tablescape guide is all about creating a beautiful floral table setting for a dinner party at home — using foraged elements, dried hydrangea, seed pods and crab apples.

You can also watch the full video tutorial on YouTube.

Our hope is that you will find a sense of peace and meditation apart from the hustle of everyday life, as you explore creativity and working with your hands through these projects.

With love,
Stu and Estée

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INTRODUCTION

Inside this guide

This month we are designing a table-scape for a dinner party at home.

Using many different textures, seed pods, dried hydrangea and crab apples we have created a fun and whimsical table setting — with an option to create a grazing experience too!

You may directly copy the design I have made or use it as inspiration for your own unique creation. However you go about it, we can't wait to see what you make!

Meet Estée

"I have been working with flowers for over a decade in events, weddings and daily flowers.

Teaching the art of floristry to hundreds of students over this period has been a large part of my work and passion. With a background in styling, visual art and graphic design, I have created spaces for all manner of events; combining art direction, floral design, sculpture and styling.

The possibilities through working with flowers are endless, and I hope that you will find a new perspective and creative energy. Enjoy this time of meditation and achievement with me as you embark on your learning journey through florals, design and art."

"Using your hands and working with flowers is a form of meditation and therapy, unlocking creativity and mindfulness"

QUICK TIPS: FLORISTRY MECHANICS

This guide introduces three different flower-holding techniques. Here's how to use each one.

• Using a kenzan pin
  Make sure your kenzan is secured well into your vessel, then fill with water. Kenzan pins are great for finer stems and for creating airy, asymmetric designs. Cut stems straight so there are more contact points onto the pins for stability. Know how you want the angle of the stem to sit before driving it into the pins. If your placement isn't right the first time, cut the stem again so you have a straight edge and try again.
  
  
• Using Sure-Stick for adhering kenzan to bowl
  Sure-Stick can be purchased at a floral sundries supplier. Pull off a 20cm length and roll it into a snake shape, creating a coil on the back of the kenzan. Place onto the base of a dry bowl and to secure, twist clockwise until stuck. It is best to wait overnight for the Sure-Stick to set and then add water to your bowl.
  
  
• Vintage glass frog
  There are vases in vintage shops that will come with a glass frog — in this case I have used a glass frog and slipped it into a little ceramic nibble bowl. The fit is perfect inside the bowl with no movement. The frog holds the thicker stems like the sedum really well, as well as finer stems clustered together. When designing in a glass frog, be aware your design will be more upright.
  
  
• Chicken wire or coated garden mesh
  Either of these will work to create a framework inside your vessel. What I love about the coated garden mesh is it is very strong and keeps its shape very well. In some cases you do not need to use floristry bowl tape to keep the wire in place because there is not a lot of movement. If you do need to use bowl tape to secure chicken wire, make sure the outside of your vessel is dry and tape over the top of the wire and vessel to hold everything in place — making a cross shape with the tape.

SUPPLIES

Gather your supplies

1. Basket for foraging foliage
   You can pick from your garden, or go to a local grower or wholesaler.
   
   
2. Workbench
   900mm is a preferable standing height but not essential. Simple fold-out trestle or kitchen table/bench is fine.
   
   
3. Floristry snips
   Best bought from a floristry sundries wholesaler or local hardware.
   
   
4. Vases and kitchen crockery
   Use a variety of vases and crockery such as vintage vessels and the humble cereal bowl.
   
   
5. Glass frog, chicken wire, kenzan
   These floristry mechanics hold flower stems in different ways, giving the overall look texture and interest. It is not essential to use all three techniques.
   
   
6. Fruit from the garden
   Experiment using crab apples, lemons, limes, grapes, figs and pomegranate. You can even use other edible fruits like dried muscatels so guests can graze on part of your table-scape!
   
   
7. Bin, brush and tray
   Pop a large bin or basket beneath your workbench and make sure to clean up all cuttings and put them in the green bin once completed.

STEP BY STEP

Let the making begin!

1. Forage in gardens, local grower or markets
   You may closely follow the types of flowers and foliage I have used or you can use your creative intuition. I sourced nearly all my flowers from a beautiful Adelaide Hills flower farm, Charleston Farm. Her patch is brimming with colour, but I have used muted tones of green, pale pale pink and white. I sourced the hydrangea and Phalaenopsis orchid from Adelaide floral wholesaler, Uniken Flowers.
   
   
2. Layout your flowers
   This helps your mind to become organised, and your elements will be easier to work with.
   
   
3. Prep stems and remove excess foliage
   Remove excess or damaged leaves. Using an old teatowel/towel can be useful to protect your hands whilst stripping the stems. It is critical the leaves are stripped that will be sitting inside the water line. It will also help with inserting the stems into the wire, frog and kenzan.
   
   
4. Choose varying heights of vessels
   It is a good idea to choose different heights and styles of vessels — this will keep your design fresh and interesting. Mixing modern and vintage is also fun!
   
   
5. Choose flowers with different height and texture
   Hydrangea heads are large and textural — I have used fresh in the vases and dried hydrangea stems clustered low on the table top without water.
   
   The Queen Anne's Lace seed pods and flowers add a beautiful light and airy height. The Viburnum stems — which already have autumnal colour — create curvature. Chamomile is a fun cottage pop of white and yellow.
   
   The Amaranth, Sedum, Echinops and dried Dahlia bring a beautiful depth that highlights the red of the crab apples. The Phalaenopsis orchid is the hero flower, adding a soft contrasting tone.
   
   
6. Clustering vases along the table
   It helps to design each floral arrangement next to each other to know the height and contrast — each one flowing into the next — to create a seamless design. Be aware of guests being able to still see each other through the arrangement, so they are not fighting the flowers.
   
   
7. Technique tips for using chicken wire, frog and kenzan
   Make sure the frog sits well, without wobble, into small bowl or top of vase. If using chicken wire or mesh, mould into a ball and sit snugly into the pot. If it does not squeeze in without wobble, use floristry tape to secure. For kenzan: use Sure-Stick (from floristry store) to stick kenzan down. Roll Sure-Stick into a sausage and coil onto back of kenzan — then stick down onto base of bowl, twisting in a clockwise direction. When inserting stems into a kenzan, cut the stem straight so it has good contact into the pins.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Share yours! @austinbloom.adelaide

We hope you have found this a fun and engaging experience, which has opened your eyes to what is possible to create at home. Of course, this guide can be used over and over. We are excited for you to join us as we create more tutorials, content and inspiration!