The Debbie: DIY Tips & Tricks!

We're thrilled to introduce our first ever DIY Kit - The Debbie!

Before we get started on how to Do It Yourself, a little background... The Debbie is in honor of a very important mama in our lives! The Debbie is for the adventurous mother who truly does it all! She is always there for her kids - whether it's proofreading an essay at 2am, making endless batches of chocolate chip mandel bread, or designing the most creative Halloween costumes. Speaking of creative - she loves DIY activities and pretty flowers, too! (We love you, Debbie, and all mamas like you!)

Now, on to the bouquet! 

Below are some tips from the pros, but the most important tip we’ve heard is definitely, undeniably: have fun!

(1) Upon arrival, remove the flowers from the box, and remove all wrapping. Good news - you can recycle or upcycle all materials in the box!

There will be 6 different varieties of flowers in this DIY box: pink roses, peach roses, lavender stock, purple solomio, scabiosa, and hebes greens.

(2) Fill up 6 vases, buckets, or even tall cups with clean water. Ideally, use 6 different ones - we like to separate our flowers by variety - it’s nice to see what you’re working with! (You can definitely use fewer, though, if you'd prefer!)

(3) Trim about 1 inch off the bottom of each stem. Pro tip: always trim your stems on an angle. This increases the surface area from which your flowers can drink the water! Then, place your stems in clean water. As your flowers are thirsty from transit, let the flowers hydrate for at least 1-3 hours. (Note: you can also keep them hydrating for a few days before designing, but make sure to change the water daily!)

(4) Are you ready to design?! We're almost there... fill a clean vase about 1/4 full with fresh water + flower food, or a creative at home flower solution! (If you run out of flower food: adding soda, vinegar, or even aspirin to your vase can help prolong your flowers’ life!) As leaves that fall below the water line can increase bacteria, remove any leaves from the stems that may fall below the water line.

(5) Now we're ready! Let's go, little Debbie!

Here's an important tip: some people like to put flowers in one-by-one, i.e., one pink rose, one peach roses, one green, repeat... there is absolutely nothing wrong with this method! But at ReVased, we like to layer the vase by filling in all of one flower variety at the same time. We recommend starting with the greens, fillers and smaller flowers to create a base coat. In this bouquet: spread the hebes, solomio, and scabiosa throughout the vase at different angles. For more texture and density, you can also add them at different heights. See some inspiration pics below!  

 

(6) Moving on to the more "focal" flowers: the pink roses, peach roses, and lavender stock. Start with the roses (you choose which color to use first!).

Roses have a natural security system! Their thorns keep away predators, and their outer petals - "guard petals" - serve as amazing protection during transit! Upon arrival, guard petals may appear brownish. First, trim off any remaining thorns with your scissors or flower shears. Second, carefully peel off any brownish guard petals to reveal the beautiful petals underneath! Then, fill in the spaces in the vase with the roses, spreading them throughout at different angles. Trim the stems evenly for a more “classic” look, or at different heights for a more “rustic” look.

Next, add in the lavender stock. Stock are a tall flower and look great when they "stick out" at the top of the vase. That's why we like to add them last, and leave the stock a bit higher than the other flowers in the vase. See some photos below for inspiration.

Whatever you design, it will be beautiful!

(7) All of the flowers are now added! Give your bouquet a little "fluff," to make sure the flowers aren't too rigidly pressed together. You can always trim a little more, or pull flowers up to make them a bit higher in the vase. Whatever suits your style!

Make sure the bottoms of the stems of each flower are always covered with water. We recommend changing the water every day, and giving the stems a fresh little trim every 2-3 days to make the flowers last longer!

(8) Say cheese! You’re a flower designer, and the world needs to know! Post a pic of your design on social media and tag us @revasedflowers for a chance to be featured!

HAVE FUN!

p.s. We did our design here in one vase: 7 inches tall by 4 inches in diameter. If you choose 1 vase, we'd recommend using one that is around 4-5 inches in diameter. However, this is your artwork -- you can definitely use whatever size you'd like, or make 2, 3, or many smaller bouquets from this kit to place around your house or along your dining room table :)

p.p.s. In addition to changing the water and trimming the stems, if you keep your flowers out of direct sunlight they will last longer! Also, did you know that fruits & vegetables can release ethylene gas (a naturally occurring growth hormone) that shorten the life of cut flowers? If you're a fruit & veggie eater, we recommend displaying your flowers outside of your kitchen!