Making Bouquets
Everyone has their own ways of making bouquets, but if you are a newbie, here are some tips and tricks to help you get started! Take these tips and create a system that works for you. Remember, efficiency is the key!
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Whether you are making bouquets for fun or for your business, the number one thing you need to keep in mind is that EFFICIENCY IS KEY! However, if you are focused on making a profit out of your bouquets, there are some other things you need to consider.
You can only sell as many straight bunches of things, except Dalias, before the grocery stores are full and get tired of them. That is why mixed bouquets are a great way to use more of your flowers and offer a variety.
Your not making a ton of money with your bouquets for every stem because you’re adding that additional labor. This cuts into your cost. Efficiency will help minimize your labor.
Prep List
Make a Sample Bouquet - you need to know what your market bouquet will look like ahead of time so you can create your ingredient list and know how to assemble the bouquet during the actual assembling process, making it more efficient and easier.
Ingredient List - you need to nail your ingredient list! If you run out of one of your key ingredients, you're done. You cant finish your order and are out of money and time. Your ingredient list will include:
Focal Flower
Filler
Spike
Disk
Air
Supplies Preparation - you will need to make sure you have all your supplies ready.
Rubber Bands
Sleeves (I highly recommend counting these out in the exact number of bouquets you need to fill your order and already have your logo placed on them).
Buckets (these will need to be cleaned thoroughly and filled with fresh water and holding solution / these should also be counted so you have the exact amount of buckets you need to fill your order - for example, if one bucket holds five finished bouquets and you have 100 bouquets for your order, you need 20 buckets).
Layout Your Assembly Line - you will need to make sure that all your ingredients, tools, and supplies are laid out ahead of time and ready to go. Your blooms will not be out of the water for more than 30 to 45 minutes so it is okay to create your assembly line. I recommend doing the following to create your assembly line:
Align all your ingredients onto one counter space with the flower heads facing up and leaving enough space between each pile for spillage. This will ensure that your ingredients don’t get mixed up or tangled. You also want to lay your ingredients out in the order that they will be going into the bouquet. This will allow you to move down the line quickly without having to jump around. This is more time-efficient.
On an adjacent counter space, leave room to set down prepared bouquets. Next to that space, have a pile of rubber bands (don’t leave them in the sun, they will snap), and your already prepared sleeves. In this same space, there should be a cutting and measuring tool to measure out the length of your bouquet and to cut the excess stems off before rubber banding and putting the bouquet into the sleeve.
On counter space close by, you will need a spot to lay the market bouquets that are done. You will be collecting them in groups of five before placing them in their bucket of water.
Have your buckets cleaned, filled with water, and holding solution ready to go in another space close to the finished bouquets.
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Making Your Bouquets
Here are some simple steps to help make your bouquets! This is so much information and when I was new to bouquet making, I had NO idea where to start, how to design my bouquets, or even what ingredients to include. Thanks to some great lessons and learning from those who are amazing in this field (Floret Flowers is a huge influence on me), I am able to share what I have learned to hopefully make your journey a little easier!
Your focal flower is first. Point this away from your body so you can build around it.
Next add filler, turning the bouquet in your hand as you go.
Next add disc flowers (2), turning the bouquet in your hand as you go.
Next, add spikes (3) in between the disc flowers.
Next, add another disc flower (2) filling in the gaps.
Next, add greenery around the edge.
Finish with a sprig of air (2) around the collar.
Measure and cut the excess stems off your bouquet.
Rubber band the bouquet.
Place into a sleeve.
Rubber band the sleeve.
Place into finished pile.
Once you have five in your finished pile (three on the bottom with two sitting on top), lift up the entire pile, grabbing by the bottom of the bouquets. You should have them all nicely together. Put them into a bucket. Doing it this way with all five, will allow you to make sure none of the stems are getting squished, bent, or broken.