Fresh cut flowers are a great pick-me-up, but well-designed flower arrangements can dig deep into your pockets. Here are a few tips on creating beautiful arrangements with a simple trip to your local grocer!

1. Head straight to the floral department for a deal. Look for single stems or flowers by the bundle.

2. Pick two or three different blooms. A larger bloom like a hydrangea is a great complement to petite roses.

3. Think simple when choosing a color palette. You can never go wrong with soft classics like pink, white and cream. Solid color themes like all red, all white or shades of green might seem simple but make for a beautiful, clean presentation.

4. If you decide to go for a prearranged bouquet, step up the wow factor by purchasing two to three identical or similar bundles. Combine them in a vessel to create a dramatic oversized arrangement.

5. Choose your container! Don’t limit yourself to a simple vase. You might not have vintage punch cups lying around so look in your fridge. Pasta sauces often come in well-designed glass bottles. Peel off the labels and rinse. Empty wine bottles and clear plastic cups are great vessels as well.

6. Prep your flowers. Cut stems on a diagonal and remove leaves and thorns as needed. As a rule of thumb, remove all leaves that might end up submerged in the water.

7. Remember, you can always take more stem off but you can’t put stem back on. Start with large blooms and begin to fill your vessel! Fill in and snip down stems as needed.

Sometimes the most beautiful arrangements come from random placement. Choosing to use one type of flower and keeping the color palette simple will camouflage amateur arranging skills. Use your smaller blooms to fill in empty spaces and to shape your arrangement.

8. Water properly. If you plan on transporting your arrangement, a funnel is a good investment. Fill your vessel only halfway to avoid splashing and use a funnel to add additional water at your final destination.

ëTIP: This plastic cup fits perfectly into the mouth of the pitcher.

The secret to a beautiful flower arrangement is to have fun!

Relax and don’t over think it! Stop and take a step back every so often. Flowers are a natural occurrence and there is beauty in every flower, so there is no way you can go wrong!

Did you find your own flower arrangements? Let us know in the comments below!

LaQuin Taylor

Writing since August 2015 · 1 story contributed