When you're designing an install, time is of the essence.

For best results, use eternal flowers so you'll have plenty of time to design your flower display. For fine tuning, bring a small bucket of extra stems during your venue setup to add finishing touches once it's installed.

Getting Started

• Once you've planned your overall look, divide out your flowers and create a rough recipe

• Use chicken wire, or floral cages to create your base frame

• Scrunch up one or two chicken wire segments into the cage and clip it closed

• Secure your base to your structure with zip ties, fishing line or command hooks

Trust the process, and start building

Once your cage is in place and your stems are divided, it's time to build

• Stand in front of the section that will be "straight on"

• Start with your tallest stems to create the shape and frame you've measured

• You may need to weave the first stems into the wire web to keep them in place, but once it fills out with more stems, the base will become tighter for smaller stems

• Once you have your rough frame in place, start adding stems in closer to hide the base (cage or wire)

• Try exaggerating height differences in your stems

• Try an asymmetrical look with shape, by having one side high, and the other low

• Try an asymmetrical look with texture by having your varieties grouped together

• Keep building within your frame until there is a minimal amount of the cage showing, or until you're happy with your look

Remember to keep one side of the cage unfilled. This will be the part that lays flat for transportation to the venue. You will still be able to see a small amount of the cage base once your look is complete. Don't stress, because from a distance this actually gives more dimension.

Favorite Tips

• Set up a camera so you can look at your piece through the lens, especially for final touches.

• Group similar blooms together.

• Set aside a small bucket of extra stems to do final touch ups at the venue. You can also use any extra stems to touch up the empty backside of the cage.

Recommendations

• While your creating your looks, try to hanging it at the height it will be at the venue, this will give you a vantage point of the spaces that you want filled out most. Do you want it hanging over the head table? Then hang it like that in your workspace. Do you want it hung on an arch? Nail it to your wall or any other vertical surface. This isn't always possible but try and do your best to create a similar setup.

• Remember one side should be empty for easier transportation so it can lay flat. Then bring extra stems to the venue to fill in any blank spaces.

• You can make your flowers go a lot further by getting creative with your setup and adding in mixed media like fabrics, lighting or abstract elements.