Ikebana

Ikebana is the Japanese art of arranging flowers. I myself do not follow the strict rules of Ikebana. I have a more Freestyle approach that doesn't necessarily follow the original traditions of this art form. But I do have a deep appreciation for it's history and how beautiful, whimsical, and minimal these arrangements look.

In one of my previous blogs I mention using a pin frog to create an arrangement. This was also my foundation for this design. There are other grids you can use in order to create an Ikebana style arrangement if you don't have a frog available. You could ball up some willow and stick it into your vase. You could try your hand at using twigs that you measure, cut, and wedge into your vase in a particular way that creates support for the flowers while also acting as an additional design element. Or you could go out and get one of those cute ceramic vases that have little holes at the top. The options are endless.

Shout out to The Makerage for the beautiful pots I've been using for these designs! Their pots are so cute and can be made in an array of colors. I highly suggest checking them out. https://themakerage.com

Since this is something very new to me I wanted to test myself and see how simple I could be with my arrangement. I've been in the floral industry for eight years, but I've never really had a reason to create something this simple. I'm more used to creating bridal bouquets and elaborate centerpieces.

In order to go simple I only used two different types of flowers. One of the two flowers I wanted to use in this design were ranunculus. Their bloom is stunning and they only get better as they open up. The second flower I used was astrantia. I love how delicate they look and their bloom offers some beautiful texture.

This was probably the easiest process ever. All I had to do was secure my frog to my container using sure-stick adhesive, let it sit for about 15 minutes to make sure the adhesive was activated, and fill my container with just enough water to cover the base of the stems. Next I simply stuck in three of my ranunculus. One low in the vase and the other two I kept slightly longer than the other to make it look like they were growing. Finally I placed a few astrantia stems into the design. I kept them off to one side to balance the arrangement. And then I was finished!! You can always add more flowers if this is too simple for your taste, but for me it felt complete.

I encourage everyone to try a little Freestyle Ikebana. It's a very relaxing experience and proves the point that less is more.