We had such a wonderful conversation with our great friend and floral educator, Amy Balsters! Amy gave us the inside scoop on all things bouquet building with the European Spiral and how to take care of your body while designing. Here is a full recap of our discussion!
Beginnings in the Floral Industry
Amy always had an affinity for all things floral and nature. She would admire all of the natural beauty around her and frequent the local flower shop. Attending a floral course at a community college, Amy found a love for creating and designing floral arrangements. Rising the ranks through retail shops and freelancing, she was able to see a need in the industry for more hands-on learning of floral foundations. Becoming an educator was the next step in her journey and it truly came as a full-circle moment!
Amy currently offers online as well as in-person workshops for all skill levels to truly understand foundation techniques to achieve the garden-style designs that are currently so desired. The industry is ever-changing and it is so important to keep learning to set yourself apart from your competition.
Helpful Tips When Designing
At the end of the day, we need to have a guideline for designing our floral pieces. Physical and visual balance is so important when designing, especially hand-held bouquets! The bouquet cannot be too heavy on one side or the other; not only will this make the piece look less beautiful, but the holder of the bouquet will feel the unequal weight distribution, which will result in uncomfortable hand placement.
When designing, the European Spiral is so helpful to keep the stems in an ordered fashion while still maintaining control over the bouquet. Keeping a loose grip on the bouquet really does impact your hands and wrists. Over gripping can cause severe damage to your hands and can result in quick injury! Over gripping does not let the stems breathe and they can become damaged, as well.
Evaluate your products at the time of ordering. If you find yourself ordering the same variety of stems over and over, take a chance and change it up a bit. Elevate your designs by making these small changes to your pieces--you will be surprised by the impact it will make!
Be intentional. This can encompass your design process, the people you surround yourself with, and your pricing! You should be proud of your work and the time that it took to create it. Do not undercharge your services. Be intentional with the stems you choose and how you build the bouquet. Do not overstuff the piece you are creating. This will result in a waste of product and time. Make sure to evaluate the products at the time of order to ensure that you will not overbuy (hint--Details can help with this!)
Clean your stems and have them organized in front of you before you start designing. This way you can see all of your materials in one place and start formulating a plan of action. Generally start placing the stems where you would like to see them in the spiral--remember to always place stems in the direction of the spiral, not against it. You can always adjust the height and placement of the stems when you have a solid foundation.
Want More of Amy?
Watch the full recap video below and download our Cliff's Notes here!
Check out Amy's Classes, Resources, & Events Below: