Learn how to make a peony flower arrangement in this quick and easy tutorial! This simple and beautiful peony centerpiece is fabulous for entertaining and makes a beautiful gift, too.
I was always intimidated to create a floral centerpiece. I was lost as far as what to purchase, where to start, and fearful of the outcome.
For so long, I used to say “I wish I knew how to”, “I wish I had time to” or “if only I could”. Then, one day I just went for it and learned!
One day early into my blogging career, I needed a beautiful flower arrangement for a magazine shoot and didn’t have the budget to order one. I decided I’d give it a try with a little guidance from a floral friend of mine who could walk me through it over the phone if needed.
Since that day, I have learned so much. I love sharing my favorite floral tips with you! I’ve shown you how to be your own florist, how to revive wilted hydrangea, and even how to create a centerpiece of hydrangea or ranunculus.
If you love peonies as much as I do, don’t skip this incredible Peony Flower guide!
Peony Flower Arrangement
I felt so much pride creating that first centerpiece and gained a lot of confidence to just play with flowers and see what worked and what didn’t. I realized I had nothing to lose. There is no right or wrong way to design a centerpiece, it’s completely up to you.
Now I prefer arranging my own flowers rather than purchasing from a florist because I find playing with them is therapeutic. I buy stems at the grocery store weekly and create arrangements big and small to display throughout our home.
When I was at Trader Joe’s recently, I found bunches of peonies for an incredible price. I was delighted to enjoy a second round of them after our Midwestern season.
Today I’m sharing how to create a simple centerpiece with peonies, roses and herbs, but you can always substitute your favorite blooms.
Tips
- Find all my favorite vases here: A Flower Vase For Every Occasion.
- Remove any yellowed leaves or lower leaves that will fall below the water line.
- Look for peonies that are tight, but are showing a good amount of color – you want them to feel like a marshmallow at bud stage.
- Don’t stress about your peony arrangement! Flowers are fun, and since they have a mind of their own, they are doing all the work for you.
If you love flowers, don’t skip this incredible guide to more of my favorite floral design secrets. Read more about Where to Buy Flowers and Trader Joe’s Flowers, too.
Ingredients
- Peonies – We used white and blush here, but you can use any colors you like!
- Roses – These are a grocery store staple that are an affordable filler next to the roses. You can use any favorite “fillers” in this design though – Queen Anne’s lace has a similar lacey look!
- Herbs – We found this pretty blooming cilantro, but you can also use rosemary, basil, sage, or any other favorites. This adds both a touch of greenery and an incredible fragrance!
Tools to Use
- Vase – In this tutorial, we used a short cylinder vase.
- Tape – If you’re using a vase with a wide opening, purchase clear florist tape to create a grid.
How to Make
- Fill vase with water.
- Create a grid with tape.
- Starting with your biggest bloom, remove leaves, cut stem and place in the center of the vase.
- Continue working your way out with the same type of flower “measuring” stems by placing them near the vase at the angle they’ll fall and trimming to size – don’t worry if it doesn’t feel full, you can fill in later. Set aside a few larger blooms to use later.
- Working in a circle around your vase, repeat with the other flowers. Fill in with your big blooms and adjust as necessary. Don’t worry about some flowers falling higher or lower than others – it will give your centerpiece a unique shape .
- Add 3 stems {I like odd numbers} of cilantro or herb of your choice – 1 at the top and 2 at the sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peonies feature a ruffled, round shape, that pair beautifully with other blooms of the same shape like roses, lisianthus, ranunculus and more. Or, you can choose blossoms that have more of a spiked shape to add textural differences in height.
Peonies look just as beautiful in small bud vases as they do in low vases with wide necks. Choose a vase that fits the style of your home (or that of the recipient of your arrangement). Consider that the wider the vase, the more blooms you’ll need to fill it, though!
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I love cilantro blooms but I never thought to add them to a bouquet! Gorgeous!
🙂 gwingal
Thank you!
thank you!
That is beautiful! Do you have any tips on making the blooms last? With hydrangeas in particular, I find they completely wilt within 24 hours. Not sure if I’m cutting incorrectly, or should be adding something to the water, or what.
Yes, trim 1″ or more off the stem at an angle under running water and refresh the vase. I usually get a couple weeks out of hydrangea that way. Let me know if that works for you!
So lovely! I never knew that was what cilantro looked like when it bloomed. How clever to use herbs as well as flowers.
It makes arrangements feel interesting and I can almost always find something from the garden to use. Hope you have a beautiful week!
Beautiful!!!
Thank you!