How To: Make a french spiral bouquet

To make a french spiral bouquet you first start with straight stemmed flowers such as roses. It is very important that you rid the stems of foliage such as leaves as well as removing all the thorns. You can do this by using a gardening glove or washcloth and sliding it down the stem. Once that is completed it is time to begin the bouquet. The first step is to pick a base flower. It is important to use a flower that has a straight stem. From there you begin to add flowers by crossing them with the base flower. You want a good center when crossing the flowers as the goal is to get a round or ball shape with the flowers. Using your thumb and pointer finger to hold the stems is a good way to get the correct shape as well as keeping the arrangement neat and tidy. Occasionally it is good to look at the bouquet from every angle to ensure that the bouquet is even and not heavier or lighter on one side. Once you have the size and shape that you need, it is time to tie the stems using raffia, ribbon, or any type of strong string. Be sure to tie them pretty high up. Once you have them tied up, hold the vase up to the stems to see how high up you need to cut the stems. Cut the stem straight across to ensure that the bouquets sits evenly in the vase. When cutting the stems, be sure to cut just above or just below a node, which is where the foliage was growing. Upon completion, place the bouquet in the vase, and enjoy.