Making Flower Arrangements with Florist Hat Boxes
Making Floral Arrangements with Florist Hat Boxes
Floral hat boxes make the perfect floral presentation/display. They can provide a visually dazzling display. Usually, round hat boxes come in a pack of 3 different sizes inside one another like a Russian Doll. There are also square hat boxes that again, come in a pack of three. These hat boxes also come in a wide variety of colours and themes to suit every colour scheme.
Although hat boxes are traditionally made from hard card they can still be used for fresh flowers for a lovely display. There are many types and sizes of floral plastic dishes, bowls and containers which can be used in conjunction with the hat box. Firstly you'll need to find the right size floral bowl to fit the hat box. We would suggest you use one that is just slightly smaller than the box so you can manipulate it easily.
Here are just a small selection of bowls and dishes available.
- Square/round bowls
- Junior bowls
- Floral bowls
- Bulb bowls (these are much deeper).
A cheaper alternative is using cellophane to line the inside of the hat box to prevent the box card from becoming damp. This does a very similar job to a floral bowl but the foam can tend to move if not secured with a frog pin holder (see step 2).
Step 1
Fresh flower displays require water whilst on show otherwise they will wilt and die very quickly. Predominantly wet foam is used to put both the flowers and foliage stems into it. The foam should be per-soaked (saturated) with water prior to making your arrangement. Use a larger separate bowl and fill with water to maybe halfway. Then place your foam brick or foam cylinder into the water. The foam will automatically soak up the water. You will see the foam change colour to a darker green (most wet foam is coloured green). This usually only takes a few minutes.
Step 2
Once the foam is saturated it can be placed in the plastic bowl you have chosen. The wet foam can be secured to the bowl using floral pot tape. This pot tape also comes in various thicknesses and widths. Standard sizes are 6mm, 9mm and 12mm. They all have the same tack and it really just depends on how much foam and the size of the pot you're using to what thickness pot tape you require. Simply cut enough tape to go around the foam and the sides of the bowl/dish.
You don't need to go all around the bottom of the bowl to secure the foam. Alternatively, a floral pin holder (also known as a frog) is used to keep the foam in place. This has 4 plastic spikes with a flat base with holes. Use floral fix/tack (see step 3) to hold the frog to the bottom of the plastic bowl.
Step 3
To prevent the plastic bowl from moving around in the hatbox we recommend using a floral fix/tack. This comes as a strip. Cut 6cm to 10cm of fix and roll in your hand until it becomes pliable. From this make 4 smaller round balls (a bit like blue tack). Stick the 4 small round floral fix balls onto the bottom of the hat box where the base of the plastic bowl is going to sit. Make sure that the balls of fix are at corners to the bowl base or a round-bottomed bowl. Place the bowl with the secured wet foam onto the fix and press down onto the fix. You can use the edges of the bowl to gently press down.
Step 4
Now you're ready to start making your flower arrangement/display. This doesn't necessarily always have to be cut flowers but also greenery and foliage or whatever your tastes are. Use either a thorn stripper or foliage remover to strip the stems as you require. Cut the stems to the height of your choice before inserting the stems into the wet foam. There are many types of floral scissors, cutters and knives to do this (take care when handling tools with sharp blades).
Continue to build up your floral arrangement until you have reached the desired effect. Some hat box floral arrangements are set level with the box top so that the hat box lid can be put in position as a surprise for the receiver.
Step 5
To finish off and give your box a professional florist look. Decorate using ribbon, bows, wired edged organza fabric or even decorate using stencils for a personal touch. The plain colour hat boxes can also be decorated using acrylic or metallic acrylic coloured art pens. Some people often use a colour scheme, whether that be someones favourite colour or even the colours of their favourite football or sports team. Please note: Although fresh flowers are often the choice of florists, artificial flowers can also give a very nice floral display. Artificial flowers or silks as they are sometimes referred to obviously have a longer shelf life than fresh flowers. Some shops, cafe's and restaurant displays will often opt for artificial flowers as a permanent feature. Natural Finland moss is often used with these displays. Finland moss comes in a variety of colours but the three main colours are Natural, Olive and Dark Green. Putting a little moss around the edge of the box lip can really enhance an arrangement.
Wet foam can still be used to hold artificial flower stems in position. However, because artificial flowers are being used it would not require wetting the foam. Again there is an alternative to wet foam and that's dry foam. Dry foam does not hold water but is perfect for holding artificial flowers in place. Like wet foam, it is easily cut to the size you require. Take care when handling both wet and dry floral foam. Always wear safety glasses/goggles to protect the eyes.
Making decorative displays for gifts
Many shops will use hat boxes to promote gifts, especially at special times of the year. There are many types of floral fabrics used to line a hat box for this purpose. Here are a list of a few lining options.
- Wired edged organza fabric
- Tissue paper
- Cellophane wrapping
- Raffia
- Satin fabric
Unlike fresh or artificial flowers. You only need to use your imagination when decorating and filling a hat box. They make great gift boxes when filled with filler and presents. Scented soap bars and trinkets are often a good selection of items to place in the box. Country house gift shops that sell local produce like cheeses, honey, preserves, pickles and perfumes make the ideal items to put into decorative hat boxes.
Finally: Whether making decorative floral displays, for ornament show or to promote products. Be creative, use your imagination and most of all have fun creating your display.