Are you wanting color coordinated artificial arrangements for your home but are not sure if you can handle the task on your own? I'm here to tell you that yes, you can make beautiful arrangements from artificial flowers and I will instruct you on how to get started. As a retired florist I believe I am qualified to give you instructions that will lead to beautiful long lasting bouquets that will decorate your home in style for years to come.

Step 1
Determine where the arrangement will go in your home. Whether you need a tall one sided bouquet, a short compact all around bouquet or a centerpiece, you will need to take notes on the style and colors featured in the area where you would like your bouquet to be featured. If you can, get color swatches or a picture of the colors in the room to make your job easier when shopping for silk flowers.

Step 2
Research online or in current magazines to find a picture of a bouquet that has the general look of the arrangement you would like for your home. Don't get too attached to exact flower types though since not all flowers will be readily available in silks.

Step 3
Take inventory of the tools and hard goods you already have to determine what you will need to buy in addition to your flowers and greens. You will need a container to create your arrangement in, a block of Sahara or dry floral foam, unless you are going with a clear container in which case you will need decorative stones or beads. Also, you will need wire cutters, and ribbon if using. If you are going with a short bouquet, you will need floral tape and wooden picks in addition to a few lengths of floral wire.

Step 4
Time to go shopping! Bring your list of tools and hard goods that you need as well as the picture of the bouquet you wish to create. You will find what you need in any craft store such as Micheal's or in a box store that sells silk flowers such as Walmart.

The most important thing to do at this point is to choose quality flowers. Flowers that look expensive. Try to avoid any tacky looking flowers and flowers with frayed edges and uneven color tone. Also, choose flowers in different shapes and textures. You should get some large flowers that will be your focal point, some smaller flowers to fill in, some berries or other natural looking accent and plenty of green foliage to complete the look of your bouquet. Use your photo as a guide to select your flowers and make sure to match the colors of your room with complementary colors as well as exact colors.

Step 5
To put it all together at home, start by preparing your container. Cut your floral foam to fit the container. Cut it a little bit too big so that you have to force it into the container just a bit. You don't want to compress the foam too much since it will lose its grasping power but you don't want the foam to fall out either.

Once your foam is in place, use your photo as a guide to put together your arrangement. Start with the larger flowers then progress to the foliage and finally the smaller flowers and accents. You should create the outline of the bouquet with your larger flowers in order to determine the size your bouquet will be. The larger you make the outline, the more flowers you will need to fill it in. Cut down your stems with your wire cutters to get the size you want. If you are making a short bouquet or a centerpiece, you will need to cut the stems short. If your stems are weak and not suitable for sticking into the foam, you can use wooden picks. Gather the weak stems next to the wooden pick, wrap the wire around the stems and finish off with floral tape to secure. If adding a bow to finish off your bouquet, use the same technique with a wooden pick and floral tape.