Ingenious Floral Arrangements

Want to be more daring with your floral designs? Eve Suter, a Swiss-born horticulturalist and expert floral designer for Felissimo Design House in New York, shares her favorite tips and tricks for turning ordinary flowers into stunning centerpieces.

Suter studied with floral designer Mami Kawasaki, the founder of the Mami Flower School in Tokyo, Japan. From Kawasaki, Suter learned to create new and inventive flower displays using every day household items, like cups, glasses, rubber bands and egg shells.

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You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a great floral arrangement. Suter used a basic floral bouquet found at the supermarket to create a variety of floral designs.

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The basic tools of the trade: scissors, shears and a sharp knife.

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You can create a unique and sophisticated floral arrangement by using nesting cups, Suter says. Place a little water in each and stack them. Then, use "filler" flowers, like the baby's breath shown here and layer them in the creases of the cups. Add an inexpensive flower, like a mum, to diversify the arrangement. Be sure to use small stem flowers that will easily rest in the seams of the cups.

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Don't toss away old egg shells. After a quick wash with soap and water, they can be used to create a truly intriguing design. Suter poked holes in the bottom of halved egg shells and placed them on the stem of a rose.

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Perfect for serving on a breakfast tray or for use as a brunch center piece, Suter's idea showcases the stem of the flower as well as the petals.

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An old egg carton and egg shells can create an amazing design. Here, Suter cut the round center pieces off the carton, and then cut the carton in half. She put half egg shells in place and filled them with water. She snipped the buds of mums and placed them in each shell to create a unique look.

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This technique can be used to create rows of flowers, or a singular piece, shown here with a Gerber daisy.

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Longer flowers can be hard to stabilize in a vase. Use a vertical item, like a brick, and some rubber bands to keep flowers in place. Suter cut the stems flat to stabilize them. The rubber bands can easily be disguised with ribbon.

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Ever buy a bouquet with one broken flower? Here's an easy solution: snip the bud and arrange it over some stems on a dish that's holding water. Make sure the bud has a long enough stem to reach the water, in order to keep it fresh.

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