Whether you are just starting out in floral design or looking to uplevel your existing floral artistry practice, building a smart tool kit is of utmost importance to a well-prepared creative flow. 

 

Just like having the right tools in the kitchen sets you up for a successful cooking experience, having a great floristry tool kit and the materials you need on hand makes the design work much easier and more successful. When you feel prepared and supported by your tools and space, you can practice your craft with more clarity, intention, purpose, and ease.

 

I often get asked what a floral artist needs to get started, both from people new to floristry and from my students and mentees who are curious about what I use and recommend. Wherever you are in your creative work in flowers, you're in the right place. Let's get you equipped! This post will give you a list of the most essential tools and materials that I use and recommend most.

 

Keep in mind that in any art form and industry there are the "must have" items and the "nice to have" items. Start with the "must haves" and expand your repertoire as your business or creative practice grows. No need getting too many things at once such that you're overwhelmed or don't have the space yet for them. Better to get a smart and essential kit of tools and materials to meet your goals from where you are. Then uplevel and expand to have more options and potentially nicer staples as you grow.

 

First, I am going to recommend a list of "must have" essentials for all floral artists. Next I'm going to include a "nice to have" recommended list of florist tools & materials you will be glad to have eventually or at some point. Lastly, I've compiled a list of "wedding & event" floristry essentials to support you in wedding work, if you are taking your floral practice or business there.

 

01 "MUST HAVES" — ESSENTIAL TOOLS & MATERIALS EVERY FLORIST NEEDS

• Floral Bypass Shears (or clippers)
  
• A Work Surface (that can get wet)
• Flower Buckets (just buckets to condition and hydrate flowers)
• Glass Cylinder Vase (for bouquets)
• Florist's Bowl Tape (multi-use)
• Glazed Ceramic / Water-Tight Vessel (for centerpieces)
• Chicken Wire (to create armatures inside your centerpiece vessels to hold stems)
• Wire Cutters (to cut chicken wire — never use your floral shears)
• Lazy Susan (to turn your arrangement while you design)
• Water Source & Drain (to fill and empty vessels — flowers drink constantly)
  

 

02 "NICE TO HAVES" — ADDITIONAL TOOLS & MATERIALS YOU MAY LIKE TO HAVE

• Ribbon (to wrap & finish bouquets)
• Fabric Scissors (to cut ribbon — never use your floral shears)
• Japanese Flower Scissors (for more delicate stems and precision work)
• Pin Frogs & Floral Putty (a unique and beautiful armature option)
• Colander (to keep stems and petals from going down your drain)
• Mirror (gives you a feedback loop while you design)
• Work Table on Wheels or Casters (makes your work surface movable & studio space more multi-purpose)
• Floors That Can Get Wet (or tarps to cover your floors)
• AC Unit (to keep your creative space cool & help flowers last)
• Floral Cooler (stand-alone or built-in, this will extend your flower life by far)

 

03 WEDDING & EVENT FLORISTRY — RECOMMENDED TOOLS & MATERIALS

• Floral Bypass Shears (or clippers)
  
• A Work Surface (that can get wet)
• Buckets (to condition and hydrate flowers)
• Glass Cylinder Vase (for bouquets)
• Bowl Tape
• Glazed Ceramic / Water-Tight Vessel (for centerpieces)
• Chicken Wire (to create armatures inside your centerpiece vessels to hold stems)
• Wire Cutters (to cut chicken wire — never use your floral shears)
• Lazy Susan (to turn your arrangement while you design)
• Ribbon (for bouquets)
• Fabric Scissors (never cut fabric with floral shears)
• Zip ties (arguably a florist's most versatile secret weapon)
• Water tubes (sometimes called water picks)
• Clear fishing line (check weight bearing gauge)
• Vessels, vases, and bowls (for your various arrangements — buy or rent as needed)
• Self-adhesive tape (for creating things like boutonnières)
• Bind wire (another extremely versatile floristry hack)
• Straight pins (for pinning bouts)
• Garden / florist gloves (to protect your hands, especially with thorny or itchy flora)
• Candles (votives, tapers, pillars)
• Candle holders & hurricanes (fire-safe requirements for most venues)

 

While these lists are not intended to be exhaustive by any means, they are intended to be essentialized and to give you a great guideline for what you need and what will help support your floral work.

 

I have also created an an entire "Hard Goods Sourcing Guide" inside the materials of my Poetry of Flowers holistic online floral education. If you would like to learn more about my tools & materials recommendations, plus the purpose of each item and where to source them, this resource is included inside each of the following Poetry of Flowers offerings:

01 — Poetry of Flowers All-Access Membership (which gives you access to all holistic floral design courses, guides, resources, and community)

02 — Begin Here: Foundations in Floral Design Course (for artists just starting out)

03 — Level Up: Build Your Floral Design Practice Course (for intermediate florists)

04 — Behind the Flowers: The Business of Floristry (for artists interested in the business and strategy side of floristry)

 

Please note that I have intentionally NOT included "floral foam" anywhere in this guide. While this is an old-school, steadfast material that many florists still use, it is toxic to handle, and it pollutes our landfills and waterways. It's a single-use plastic, and while it dissolves, its particles never break down and have been found inside the digestive tracts of micro organisms in the water we drink. In a word, it is terrible. Stay away. Furthermore, it is 100% not at all necessary to use floral foam for floral design work. You can use hidden water sources and natural alternatives like "Agra Wool" and "Oshun Pouches" in your installation work to keep flowers hydrated, among many other solutions, including smart flower recipes for installation work. Learn more in any of my Poetry of Flowers courses, all of which are 100% foam-free, including my Mastering Foam-Free Floral Installations Course bundle.

 

With these tips in mind, go forth and build your beautiful, essentialized floristry kit! You will be so glad to have the tools and materials you need at your fingertips when you bring fresh flowers into your creative space to design. And as always, if you have questions or would like further support here, please reach out! I love hearing from you. Just tap or click "contact" here or at the bottom of this page.

 

Keep blooming,

 

XX

 

 

 

 

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Cover image captured by my sweet friend Ariel Min.