Photo Credit: David Pippin

From clippers to scissors, sharp cutting tools are a must in making a quality floral display.

You don’t need to have lots of tools, countless containers and an abundance of plants to create a beautiful floral arrangement. All you really need to get started is a good cutting tool (knife or clippers), one container and a few healthy plants. But if you’re hoping to arrange flowers on a regular basis, why not be prepared? Put together a toolbox containing various floral-design tools, and designate at least one shelf in the pantry for your other materials. By having all the necessary design equipment in one place, you’ll have everything at your fingertips the moment you’re ready to start creating!

Here’s what every self-proclaimed floral arranger should have in his or her design arsenal:

Cutting Tools

• Clippers. Buy quality clippers! (I can’t stress this enough!) Don’t buy a $5 pair that’ll likely break within a year. Invest in a good pair – some of which may cost as much as $50. The price may seem steep, but believe me when I say I’ve gone the cheap route and have been sorry. I eventually bit the bullet and bought a sturdy (and expensive) pair of clippers that I’ve now been using for years. (I even took things a step further and bought a whetstone to sharpen my pricey cutting tool on a regular basis.) It’s also important to keep your clippers clean to avoid spreading bacteria. I clean mine by wiping the blades with either rubbing alcohol or bleach. Use your clippers to only cut flower and foliage stems. Cutting wire and other non-floral items may dull or ruin your clippers – no matter how much you’ve paid for them!
• Wire cutters. Save the life of your floral clippers and keep a good pair of cutters handy, specifically meant to cut wire of various gauges.
• Knives. I have a couple of knives in my toolbox. I use a small floral pocketknife to cut flower stems while designing. (Some designers use a small knife similar to a paring knife, but I prefer the collapsible kind so the blade isn’t exposed in my toolbox.) I also have a large knife with a serrated edge (an old bread knife) that I use to cut floral foam. The serrated edge works well on the foam and doesn’t mash it…same as when cutting a loaf of bread. The serrated knife works fairly well when cutting Styrofoam, too, but I’ve found that the best way to cut Styrofoam is with an electric knife. (Trust me – it works!)
• Scissors. These should only be used for cutting ribbon and fabric. Cutting anything else will dull them, and there’s nothing worse than trying to cut a nice satin ribbon and having the scissors “chew” their way through it. You may want to keep a second pair of scissors in your box for other uses, like for cutting paper.