Here’s what you’ll need to learn.

Calling all self-identified visual learners that don’t mind getting their hands dirty: If you’re considering leaving your desk job and letting your creative side run loose, a career in floral design may just be for you.

There's way more to arranging flowers than Pinterest or bridal magazines would have you believe. What may look effortless is actually a series of carefully planned and executed designs that adhere to a set of basic floral design principles.

Since a mass-line arrangement and a hogarth’s curve might not mean much to you, we’ve put together a primer on the basics of flower arranging. Read on for all the nitty-gritty of floral design…

Floral Arrangement Styles

Three floral arrangement styles make up the foundation of all floral arrangements:

• Line arrangements showcase individual blooms or foliage in a minimalist manner. These often-asymmetrical arrangements are typically designed to be viewed from the front, and have roots in Japanese floral design style.

• Line-mass arrangements are clean and uncluttered, combining the minimalist line style with a more mass-focused European arrangement tradition. These flower arrangements have a well-defined focal point with some asymmetrical lines, and an emphasis on texture and color.

• Mass arrangements are adapted from European design, and feature thick blooms with a full silhouette. They’re usually larger and dense, with an emphasis on abundance flowers and foliage rather than individual elements.

7 Principles of Floral Design

Floral designers know to take these guidelines into account whenever they’re creating flower arrangements.

• Balance, in both a visual and physical sense. Weight must be distributed evenly so the arrangement actually holds up, and it must be visually balanced to direct the eye to appropriate elements.

• Proportion, or size of the flower arrangement relative to the container, is very important. Ideally floral arrangements will be one–and–a–half to two times the size of the container—and floral designers also consider where the arrangement will be placed in order to determine container size.

• Dominance or emphasis refers to the practice of ensuring flower arrangements have a singular focal point, and that elements surrounding that focal point serve to complement it.

• Rhythm describes the movement of the eye as it passes over a floral design. It’s crucial to forge a pathway for the eye to follow, and create smooth transitions between elements.

• Contrast is a technique that creates tension between elements of the flower arrangement that ultimately help to support the focal point.

• Harmony is something that floral designers seek through weaving together common elements, like size, shape, texture, seasonality, or color.

• When all of the above principles are present and well done, they create a sense of unity—as a whole composition as opposed to individual elements.

Elements of Floral Design

Both styles and principles make use of the following elements, or building blocks of floral design.

• Lines, both static and dynamic.

• Forms, or the shape of the arrangement. Common forms include arcs, circles or ovals, curves or crescents, s or hogarth’s curves, and triangles.

• Space, whether positive, negative, or void.

• Texture, in the form of mixed foliage and blooms.

• Color, whether monochromatic, mixed, or contrasting.

If you’re a beginner, you can expect that intro-level floral design classes will cover these basics, while more advanced flower arranging classes will build upon them.

Ready to get snipping and setting? Browse all of our floral design classes.