Flower Arranging in a Fan Vase
A How-To Guide
Assemble the easiest and most exquisite arrangement
for the busiest time of year.
'Tis the season for entertaining and a holiday soireé of any kind is nothing without statement flowers. For fast and easy floral arranging that never fails to impress, our fabulous Harriet Fan Vase is my go-to girl. I adore her because - as any well-shaped vase should - she does all of the work for you, with a fan-like basin holding stems in place to create a gorgeous blooming sculpture. No floral foam needed! No tape to hold stems in place! Just snip, drop, and go. Divine!
To create this festive arrangement, I used bright red anemone flowers for a vibrant and monochromatic look. Amaryllis, roses, tulips, or berry branches also work beautifully - basically any bunch of a single type of flower.
Step one: Place a large green leaf on each side of the interior basin, gently wrapping them around. (I used two sansevieria leaves - available at any florist and often a grocery store, but any large variety of leaf will do).
Step two: Trim flower stems to size.
Step three: Drop flowers into the vase - increase the number of stems depending on how sparse versus abundant of a look you want achieve - and allow them to fan out naturally.
Step four: Add filler greens as desired. Because this arrangement was for a special dinner, I liked the idea of incorporating rosemary to “wink” at the feast that was going to be served. I always like using herbs, I think they are so pretty in a bouquet!
Voilá! Your ruby-hued bouquet is ready to add composition and romance to any tablescape, with a dash of drama from the sparkling artisanal glass and its diaphanous ruffle. The streamlined silhouette of our Harriet Fan Vase belies its capacity for fullness - making it perfect for narrow spaces like windowsills, fireplace mantels, bedside tables, or desks. I love promenading a few down the length of a dining table heavily laden with serving platters and candlesticks, and cannot resist cramming fresh flowers into every nook and cranny of the house to add as much beauty as possible - especially during this joyous time of year.
Additional Floral Arranging Tips:
- The colder you keep the flowers the longer they last
- If you need tight buds to open, submerge them, stems and all, in piping-hot water
- Keep cut arrangements, if possible, away from direct sunlight and the radiator
- Put in the refrigerator if you need them to last for an event the next day
- Give your stems a rinse, a fresh quarter-inch snip and clean water each day to avoid cloudy water
- If your tulips swoon, a penny at the bottom of the vase will perk them up like magic