Ikebana Arrangements
Get a lesson in the Japanese art of flower arranging.
Ikebana — flower arranging for small spaces — has been practiced in Japan for more than seven centuries. The basic principle is to arrange flowers in odd numbers only and in order of height to create depth in a small area. The primary stem is the tallest, the secondary stem should be three-quarters the height of the first stem, and the last should be half the size of the initial stem.
Here are two types of arrangements:
Floral-Foam Arrangement
Materials and Tools:
tall vase or jar
floral foam
flowers of choice (don’t have to be of the Asian variety)
Steps:
- Dunk the floral foam in water and place in container of choice.
- Place each flower at various heights as described above.
Open-Dish Arrangement
Materials and Tools:
open dish (such as a candy dish or dish for floating votive candles)
needle holder
flowers of choice in various heights
leaves of flowers
decorative rocks
Steps:
- Set the needle holder in the middle of the dish.
- Put the primary flower in first, then the next-smallest flower or greenery and so on until you’ve placed five.
- Fill the needle holder with decorative rocks to hide the needle holder.
Ikebana How-To
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