DIY Spring Iris Arrangement

I told ya it was coming! Irises are one of the flowers for February I wanted to tackle arranging. I know, I know- I’m late. But better late than never, no?

Growing up, we always had irises in our garden. They always remind me of spring. Between the grasses and the soil, this arrangement gets me itching for spring too. I’ve got a few quick steps for you to make your own centerpiece out of irises, plus I couldn’t find a container I loved for the arrangement, so I’m going to show you how I made one!

Just like our January arrangement, this guy uses floral foam. I get mine from the dollar store and this time only used half a block. The irises are from a florist (although the supermarket often sells them). They were $1.99 a stem from the florist and the grass was $.25. I used cork tiles to make the container (also from the dollar store), so again this arrangement rings in at under $15 for the whole deal.

To make the cork container (which I plan to re-use for Miss Aubrey’s headbands), get a cutting board and utility knife ready. With the receptacle you plan on using for the flowers, measure the height and width for each side. I used a water glass. Cut out four sides while your glue gun heats up.

I glued the four sides together with a thin bead of glue on the corners before measuring the bottom. I used a pencil and traced the inside of the edges for the bottom. I wanted it to fit neatly inside the side panels so there wasn’t an extra seam showing from the outside. Cut it out and glue it in place! Super simple.

Now on to the pretty part, flowers! Start by soaking your floral foam, cutting to size, and fitting it into your receptacle. You can see how to do that here. Next, clean up your irises by stripping most of the leaves off. Next, cut the irises to height with a diagonal edge (to make it easy to pierce the floral foam). Arrange your irises in the foam- and re-arrange until you’re happy.

Next comes the grass! One at a time, stick the grass into the foam. You’ll need to cut the thin end down a bit so it’s tough enough to insert into the floral foam. Bend the grass and stick the freshly cut end in to create an arc. Use as much grass as you like (I used about 10 pieces).

I used some fresh soil to sprinkle on top of the floral foam to both hide the foam and create the ‘just sprouted’ look. Place it in your cork casing and put your feet up!

It would be cute to use cork casings for event centerpieces, you could paint the table number right on! When you can’t find a vase you like, what’s your go-to receptacle?

XO -C