Thank you to the Blogger Babes for sending a complimentary copy of The Flower Chef.
Our county fair provided an opportunity for those who wanted to practice their floral arrangement skills. It was open to all age groups from kids to adults.
In both elementary and middle school I was lucky enough that my Mom humored me and let me enter each year. She’d drive me all over to collect wildflowers, and we’d prune select buds from both our own and my Grandmother’s yards and gardens.
The Flower Chef
I’m in no way a professional, but I do enjoy DIY floral arrangements. So when the opportunity to review The Flower Chef: A Modern Guide to Do-It-Yourself Floral Arrangements by Carly Cylinder presented itself I couldn’t say no.
The Flower Chef book is full of absolutely gorgeous photos. Even if the only reason you purchase the book, is to look at the pictures and use it as a coffee table book, you should. So many beautiful blooms!
Of course, the main reason to purchase the book is for inspiration on DIY floral arrangements. No matter what situation you want an arrangement for – casual, formal, even weddings – you’ll find the perfect option in The Flower Chef.
The book provides you with all kinds of DIY flower arranging tips, like how to buy and care for flowers, how to cut and prepare them, and how to use floral foam, vases and decorative elements together to create chic, self-made centerpieces.
In addition to the “recipes” that help you figure out how to compose the arrangements, there were a couple other sections I found really useful. There are a couple of charts: “Flowers by Season” and “Flowers by Color” that tell you when a number of flowers are in season, as well as the colors in which they generally can be found. There’s also a section on “greens” that describes the common types of greenery and their names which was helpful.
With the Kentucky Derby coming up soon, the Glittery Julep Cup arrangement definitely caught my eye. Mint juleps are the official drink of the Derby, so a few of these lining the tables of our Derby party would be perfect!
To celebrate the release of The Flower Chef, Luna Bazaar and the Blogger Babes have a couple of contests going until April 22nd. First, you can create a DIY floral arrangement and tag it with #DIYFloralArrangement on social media for the chance to win 1 of 3 prizes up to $1,000. You can also create a #DIYFloralArrangement Pinterest board for a chance to win a copy of The Flower Chef.
I also have a copy of The Flower Chef to give away. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US residents and ends at midnight EST on April 21st.
What are your favorite occasions for making floral arrangements?
About Liza
Liza is a mom (5-year-old daughter, 20-year-old stepson, and 24-year-old stepdaughter) and wife living in Louisville. She loves spending time with her family, visiting the local zoo and parks, as well as planning travel adventures. Cooking and baking, DIY projects and crafts, and coffee - lots and lots of coffee - round out some of her other hobbies.