Floral design basics can be complicated without the right tools. But, with the right tools, floral design can feel so therapeutic for the soul. The type of vessel that you choose can make or break your design. It can also set the mood for the type of arrangement you are going to create. Footed compote bowls are such a beautiful vessel to design with, making compote bowl arrangements a unique addition to any venue. But their wide opening can create some difficulty if you do not utilize the right tools for success.

Footed Compote Bowl

• Structure

  • Hairpin Flower Frog

    • Floral Clay

  • Waterproof Tape

  • Chicken Wire

  • Floral Pillow

• Floral Shears or Snips

• Flowers (Focal, Filler, Foliage, Spikes, and Airy Accents)

Footed compote bowls come in an array of colors and mediums. I like to find my vessels on Etsy, Accent Decor, or Oh Flora Store. (Note: Accent Decor requires a resale license to create an account).

The type of supportive structure you choose can affect the overall look of the design. I personally love the use of a hairpin flower frog. But you can also use a flower pillow, chicken wire to create a pillow, or waterproof tape to create a grid.

To use a hairpin flower frog, you will need floral clay to secure the frog to the base of your vase. I purchased my clay on Amazon. (Don’t worry, it can be removed later on with a butter knife and some elbow grease; but if you are going to use it often in that vessel, just invest in another frog. You can buy them here from Harmony Harvest Flower Farm).

Once the frog is secure. Add your water and floral preservative and get to designing!

I like to add supportive foliage to the arrangement first. It helps to provide a solid base for other florals to be added in later. Add the flowers as you see fit for your personal style.

Some floral design basics to keep in mind include:

• Use a variety of flowers to create interest. The five floral design basic categories you want to include in an arrangement are:

  • focal flowers

  • secondary flowers

  • spikes

  • foliage

  • airy accents

• Remember to use odd numbers in your arrangement- it helps to create a nice, visual flow for the eye.

• And, don’t force any flowers into the arrangement. Flowers have a way about wanting to go where they want to go. Don’t force it- it’ll just break the stem or create an arrangement that looks off.

Here is some of my work below.

Compotes and flower frogs help to create very flowy, naturally-inspired arrangements, which I personally favor to more traditional style arrangements.

Post pictures in the comments of your beautiful, compote arrangements. I would LOVE to see how some you use them!