Flowers in a box - is it possible to think of a more sophisticated, delicate and at the same time unique gift for loved ones? But, it’s true, the finished gift isn’t cheap! If you want to please someone dear to your heart with such a surprise, do not rush to run to the nearest flower shop, because the editors of WomanSovetnik have prepared for you three unique master classes on creating a gift box with flowers, choose which idea you like. The main thing is to arm yourself with a good mood and positivity, because they say that such a gift should only be given with love - then the flowers will live much longer.
Idea No. 1: “Spring mood”
The coming spring inspired us to create such a masterpiece. Such a homemade box with flowers can be an ideal “gift packaging” for perfume with floral motifs. But even without perfume, she will look very original and fashionable!
What we need:
- 1 empty box (gift, hat or shoe box). We took a small box measuring 11x11 cm;
- 2 tape;
- 3 several types of colors that will harmonize. You can ask the florist for advice on which flowers are best to combine, or choose according to your taste. We have pink roses, miniature hydrangeas, gypsophila, live grass for decoration, white carnations;
- 4 dry floral foam, also called floral sponge (sold in the same flower shops);
- 5 paper pots (they will protect our gift box from moisture), they can also be found in the same flower boutique;
- 6 scraps of paper;
- 7knife;
- 8water.
Basic principles
Flower boxes can have different purposes, depending on this the design features are decided. The box can be used directly for planting and as a stand for flower pots taken out of the house .
The first option should be thought through much more carefully. First of all, the material must be treated with a solution that protects against moisture. Untreated wood will quickly rot due to constant watering. Don't forget about the drainage holes at the bottom.
The second option is much simpler in design; it can be made from simple slats. Such boxes often serve the function of quickly bringing home flowers out into the fresh air. The pots can be beautifully arranged inside and the flowers can be taken outside. In case of rain, capricious plants can be easily brought into the house and you won’t have to fuss with every flower.
The box is an excellent alternative to an outdoor flower bed. The flowerbed is stationary, and the box can be easily moved and quickly change the atmosphere in the yard. They can cover a hatch or other unsightly object. In addition, in a flowerbed it is difficult to make the necessary soil mixture for each plant.
Basic model
Despite its simplicity, a standard box leaves room for creativity. Combinations of base boxes of different sizes will help create an original composition.
To work you will need:
- Board 50×100 mm for making the bottom;
- Board 50×200 mm for side walls;
- Board 20x90 mm, the front part will be made from it;
- Self-tapping screws or nails made of stainless steel;
- Chainlink mesh to create a drainage system;
- Polyethylene film for additional protection of wood from moisture.
First you need to develop a design layout in accordance with your needs and make drawings. It is better to plan the composition in advance so that the flower boxes fit organically into the space . For example, if you plan to place them along the wall, then you need to measure the distance so that you don’t have to redo the protruding elements.
- In accordance with the drawing, we cut the boards to make the box;
- We knock together the bottom and side boards;
- We nail the front and back walls;
- We cut out a piece of mesh of the required size and attach it to the bottom with a stapler;
- We cover the film to the height of the soil, and make several holes above the drainage gutter for water drainage.
All that remains is to fill the soil and plant flowers. This simple design makes it easy to stack flower boxes on top of each other to create a multi-level flower garden.
Carefully measure the size of the future structure. Flower boxes often do not fit flush against the wall, or, on the contrary, they overlap; be sure to take this into account when drawing up the drawing.
Balcony flowers
More and more often, when walking down the street, you can see balconies and windows decorated with flowers. For outdoor decoration, it is better to use long, but not deep flower boxes. Their height should not exceed 20cm. The earth, especially wet, weighs a lot, so such restrictions are necessary.
The flower box can be attached using hinges, brackets, or simply placed in a forged base . If indoor plants are used for planting, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of removing the structure for the winter so that the flowers do not die.
There are several tips to help minimize the maintenance of your balcony front garden:
- It is better to paint a box with flowers on the south side in light colors; bright colors fade quickly. Preference is given to natural shades. Brown or green work well. The main rule is that the box should not be brighter than the flowers themselves;
- Pay attention to the stability of the structure; poorly installed fasteners will not be able to support the required weight;
- Drainage holes should not be located too close to the wall, otherwise dirty smudges will remain. It is better to place the holes on the far wall or provide a slight slope;
- Flowers are often planted in 2 rows: the first is climbing plants covering the box itself, the second is the flowers of the main composition. This arrangement allows you not to pay much attention to the design of the box and put it together from simple boards.
For seedlings
Stores now have a large variety of containers for seedlings, but experienced gardeners know that production does not take into account many important nuances, including:
- Fragility;
- Toxic material, which is often low-quality plastic;
- No drainage holes or holes that are too large
- Inconvenient size.
All this makes the question of how to make a box with your own hands relevant. To do this you will need good boards, wood glue or nails, and a drill. First of all, you need to calculate the dimensions and make a drawing. Seedlings, as a rule, are grown on a windowsill, and a box needs to be adjusted to fit it. For ease of carrying, you should immediately provide handles.
Wood also makes excellent individual boxes for seedlings; they are necessary to prevent plants from getting tangled by their roots . Considering that only young seedlings will grow, the height of the box should not exceed 10 cm.
It is better to assemble the main box using nails or self-tapping screws. To make individual compartments, special glue or a furniture stapler is suitable. It remains to decide how to make a wooden box with seedlings not just functional, but also beautiful. A little varnish or paint, a beautiful picture, and the seedlings will become an excellent decorative element.
Seedlings can become an apartment decoration
DIY flower box step by step:
- don’t look for a stencil to form identical pieces of foam that will fit perfectly in the pot. Use the same pot instead of a stencil! If the block does not fit, you can simply cut off the excess part;
- already cut pieces of floral foam need to be moistened with water (this can even be done under the tap in the bathroom). There is no need to immediately pull the block out of the sink; leave it there for a minute or two so that the foam absorbs the maximum amount of water;
Secret: How do you know when the foam is wet enough? It should not float on the surface of the water, but be completely immersed in it. You should not help her and force her into the water, the result of such actions will be disastrous - there will be dry areas in the middle of the foam and the flowers will simply die without receiving the necessary moisture.
— preparing the flowers: all stems should be the same length, immediately get rid of withered petals and leaves so that they do not spoil the beauty of the bouquet;
- place scraps of paper at the bottom of the cardboard pots, they will also be able to absorb excess moisture and will not allow it to “escape” into the gift box;
— place moistened floral foam into each cardboard pot;
— we also cover the bottom of the gift box with newspaper, or even better, with sheets from glossy magazines so that the box does not collect moisture;
- We begin to place flowers in floral foam. We offer you two options - chaotic (so the flowers in the box will look more like the bouquet we are used to), or in rows (it will also turn out very beautiful and fashionable);
- carefully ensure that there are no empty spaces or gaps between the flowers, otherwise the bouquet in the box will look sloppy, and a florist sponge peeking out between the buds will ruin all the beauty;
— we place our gift on a bouquet of flowers in a box;
- the ribbon that will be used to tie the box with fresh flowers can also be decorated with several sprigs of greenery or a bud.
Decorations can be different: choose yours!
To choose how to decorate the box for your gift, you need to focus on the fact for which holiday it is intended and to whom.
So, all kinds of flowers, feathers, lace and satin ribbons, beads and rhinestones are suitable for women's gifts. If you know how to knit, then knit one or more lovely flowers, which you will stick using the same double-sided tape to any place on your box. A delicate flower made of chiffon will also look great, which is very simple to make: cut thin fabric into circles of different diameters, singe their edges over a candle to add texture, and then use glue to assemble them from the largest circle to the smaller so that you get a lush flower. The middle of this airy “creation” can be decorated with one or several beads.
You can also use the decoupage technique for decoration. This design is suitable for decorating boxes made of white cardboard. This technique involves pre-painting the product inside and out with acrylic paints. Then you need to give it time to dry. The next step is to paste the image printed on very thin tissue paper. An alternative to such special designs can be a regular colored napkin, split into two layers.
The design from the top layer is cut out, coated with PVA glue, and then glued to the product
It is very important to carefully straighten your “stickers”; a wide, but not stiff brush is suitable for this. After the glue has dried, it makes sense to varnish such a box, then after removing the gift from it, it will serve as a wonderful box for all sorts of little things
As for a gift for men, the decoration here should be more strict, but no less solemn. Therefore, a classic ribbon and a chic bow will come in handy.
However, they are not a panacea, so decorate gifts as your imagination dictates!
Idea No. 2: “Snow-white bouquet in a box”
The second master class will teach you how to make a bouquet in a box that can be placed on a table in the living room or bedroom. White flowers in a box are a classic option that will suit any interior, so let’s get creative.
We will need:
- 1 small gift box (this can also be a hat box). If you don’t have one, you can beautifully decorate any box you find in your home with gift paper;
- 2 cellophane film;
- 3 scissors;
- 4floral foam;
- 5 flowers: we used ash eucalyptus, populus, Avalange roses and Akito roses, phlox, daffodils, St. John's wort, decorative lilac;
- 6knife;
- 7water.
Where to hide a huge secret
A very large gift box can be a problem. If the gift is given in factory packaging, it is easier to cover it with wrapping paper and pin a bow of paper ribbons. But if you want to use your imagination, you can, for example, paint such a box with spray paints and attach a plush toy to the top.
The gift can be large and heavy. If it is installed in advance in a room for a party, you can make a box without a bottom. At the moment of presenting the gift, the box solemnly rises and... there!
Oddly enough, large boxes are also made for small gifts. This is for lovers of intrigue. One box opens, and then another, and another, and another... Or maybe multi-colored balloons filled with helium fly out from under the lid? Or live tropical butterflies? There is no limit to modern possibilities.
How to make flowers in a box with your own hands:
- and again our creation process begins with soaking floral foam. Leave it in the water for at least a minute so that it absorbs a sufficient amount of moisture;
— cut a piece of floral foam to the size of the box. The bouquet in the box will be more magnificent if the foam rises slightly above the level of the box. We cut off the excess edges to make the bouquet uniform;
- cover the bottom and walls of the box with cellophane, it will prevent the gift box from getting wet;
— prepare flowers and greenery: the stems of all should be approximately the same length, cut off excess roots and foliage with scissors;
— first, place the greenery evenly over the floral foam. Make sure that the stem penetrates the foam at least 5-6 cm. This will be enough for the plant to draw moisture;
— after the greenery we place roses and lilacs. They will make the bouquet more lush. Subsequent order: phlox, St. John's wort, daffodils. If you find a plant such as soft cuff in florist shops, be sure to take it too, it will add romance and lightness to the finished bouquet;
- twirl the finished box of flowers in front of you to make sure that there are no gaps or places without a flower.
Which flowers go together and which don't?
In addition to the aesthetic side, there are some more nuances in the selection. Not all types of flowers get along with each other, and some contribute to the rapid decline of their neighbors. Thus, you should not combine freshly picked daffodils with other flowers: they release viscous juice into the water, making it difficult for other plants to replenish moisture. It is better to keep them for a day in a separate container with water so that most of the juice comes out. Also bad neighbors are lilies, lilies of the valley, orchids and carnations. Geranium, jasmine, and cypress branches will help extend the life of the composition. The juice of these plants contains substances that neutralize harmful bacteria and purify water.
Idea No. 3: “Flower heart in a box”
Flowers in a heart-shaped box probably look most original. This is the perfect gift option for your other half! Well, if there is no other half, creating such a masterpiece will turn your time with your close friend into a real adventure that you will definitely remember for the rest of your life.
We will need:
- 1 flowers: we chose roses, peonies and carnations. They are fluffy, the bud takes up a lot of space and the finished “flower valentine” will look very delicate;
- 2hard heart shaped box. Of course, you can try to make it yourself, but if you are lazy, then such copies are sold in souvenir shops. Choose a box that is not too tall;
- 3floral foam. For this bouquet in a box we will need a low piece of foam, preferably round;
- 4 scissors;
- 5 foil;
- 6knife;
- 7water.
Instructions for making a wooden box
We take a circular saw and cut it into the size of wooden elements we need, we get trimmed pieces. First we cut along the edges, then we set it to a width of 20 cm and finally saw it.
Be sure to wear special safety glasses while working. It is better if you have a good partner holding the sawn boards.
Having installed the carriage at an angle of 90 degrees, we cut the board into 5 pieces, 4 of which are 20 cm, and another one is 24 cm.
Set the plane parameters to a height of 1 mm and process each of the blanks from all sides to create rough versions of the board. For finishing work, the height value should be set to 0.5 mm. The thickness of the finished boards should be 2 cm. We will get boards 2 x 20 x 20 cm.
There is no need to polish the workpiece until it shines; the box will be used for storing vegetables and fruits. Tool boxes are made according to the same principle.
We cut the remaining blanks to a width of 4.5 cm, taking into account the direction of the fibers. If you want to make the box ventilated, there will be 3 additional blanks in stock.
Box with flowers in the shape of a heart:
- another way to protect the box from getting wet is to cover it inside with foil;
- using the box as a stencil, we form a heart shape from a round piece of floral foam;
Secret: you can add “food” for plants to the water in which you will moisten the floral foam. This will make the water more nutritious and the flowers will live much longer.
- mix water with fertilizers for flowers and soak the foam in this mixture until completely absorbed;
— flowers should be inserted into the foam so that the length of the stem from the foam to the bud is within 2 cm. It is better to start with carnations and peonies. We fill the “gaps” with roses.
Her Majesty Rose
Roses are very popular and advantageous in any composition. The variety of their colors, head sizes and petal shapes is great. Rose is considered the queen of flowers. And it looks quite elegant both alone and in combination with other types. If you want to make it the center of the bouquet and focus all the attention on it, choose plants with large heads and do not combine them with other large flowers, such as lilies or chrysanthemums. At the same time, in combination with iris, roses will look gorgeous. Small pink branches will get along well with daylilies, charming aquilegias and other delicate small flowers. Combine white roses with violets, yellow and orange with doronicum, tansy and goldenrod. A wonderful combination of tulips and scarlet or pink roses.
Sweet and floral gift
If you think that flowers in a box are also too banal, we recommend that you pay attention to the “modernized” version of such a gift - flowers in a box with macaroons .
Why macarons? It’s just that this delicacy is really popular, loved by many representatives of the fair sex, but the main thing is that macaroons can be made or purchased in a variety of color interpretations. A box with flowers and macaroons looks very nice, where both sweets and plant buds are the same color! Such a gift cannot be called banal.
A good idea for a first date is to give a box of flowers and macaroons as a present. This will be a kind of symbol of the beginning of your candy-bouquet period in a relationship.
