How to gift wrap flowers

Flowers are a popular gift for a number of occasions and they can either be arranged in a vase, basket, or even a hand tied bouquet. Presentation is everything and, if you want to really impress the recipient, it’s worthwhile looking into gift wrapping as that finishing touch.

Vases won’t need to be gift wrapped but you might want to add a bow for extra colour. Some arrangements can be placed in floral foam with plastic bases and these too can be decorated with the write wrapping paper and bow. Since hand tied arrangements have no container, it’s all the more reason to wrap them up before you make the flower delivery. In many cases, your florist might even be able to do this all for you!

In order to wrap your own hand tied bouquet, you will need to follow these easy steps:

• Two cut squares of cellophane placed one on top of the other to create a hexagonal shape. The size of the squares will depend on the length of the flower stems.
• Position the bouquet in the middle of the cellophane and fold them around your bouquet. In this way you are creating a kind of bag around the bases of the stems.
• Use string to secure the cellophane in place at the tying point.
• Create a filled collar by fluffing the cellophane out.
• Tie a bow around the stems at the tying point in order to conceal the string.
• Once you have secured the cellophane in place, you can use a jug to pour some water into the bundled cellophane. Pour the water very slowly and only pour enough to keep the flowers happy during their transportation.
• The water should only reach about two inches from the tying point. This always you some room for error and you will avoid spilling.

To make a florist bow, follow these steps:

• Cut some ribbon based on the size of your bouquet.
• Hold the one end between your index finger and thumb. Let the rest trail down.
• Use your first loop to determine the size of the bow.
• Make another two loops (the loops should extend on either side of your fingers and they must pass through the midpoint).
• Use binding wire to secure the middle of the bow.
• Attach the bow to the bouquet by looping the extra piece of ribbon around the stems and securing it behind the bow.
• Fluff out the ribbon for the full effect of this bow.
• Feel free to place this arrangement in a box or gift bag with colourful tissue paper to conceal the water-filled cellophane.