How to Create a Teacup Floral Arrangement

Think outside the vase with your next floral arrangement. A simple statement piece in a teacup brings a feeling of elegant, vintage luxury to your event. Cluster several teacups together for a charming centerpiece, or set one on each plate for a memorable place setting. It would also make a lovely gift that can be enjoyed long after the flowers wilt.

• Teacups and saucers
• Flowers
• Scissors
• Floral foam (optional)
• Flower food, lemon-lime soda or white sugar and lemon juice (optional)

Choose flowers to use in your arrangements. You can use any kind of potted or freshly cut flowers for your arrangement, but do keep in mind the color scheme and size of your teacups when choosing flowers. If you want to use larger flowers like roses or peonies, consider placing a single bloom in the teacup surrounded by smaller filler flowers. If you want more variety in your arrangement, choose smaller flowers that can be paired with other flowers of differing color or texture.

Remove any unwanted leaves from the stems. This will help the flowers stay fresh longer, since leaves take up a lot of water and can rot. You may want to leave a couple of leaves attached for a contrast of green color at the top or save some for use in a green-themed arrangement.

Trim your flowers to the desired length. The height will vary depending on the depth of the teacup, but generally a stem length of 3 to 5 inches works best. You can cut a variety of different sizes to add some height and dimension to your arrangement as well. Be sure to cut the stems at a 45-degree angle. Cutting a small vertical slice about 1/4 inch up the stem will also help the flowers stay fresh longer, as it helps with water intake.

Begin arranging your flowers. Start by placing the shortest flowers around the edge of the teacup. These will keep the center flowers in place. The tallest flowers will go in the center. Try adding flowers in complementary colors to create visual interest.

To keep your arrangement looking fresh for more than a few hours, pour lukewarm water about halfway up the teacup. It helps to add the water after you've placed the filler flowers, since it's a shallow vessel and you don't want it to overflow once you add the flowers.

Tip: Add 1 teaspoon of flower food to the water to keep flowers fresh. Alternatively, you could add a teaspoon of clear lemon-lime soda or a pinch of white sugar with a few drops of lemon juice. The sugar nourishes the flowers and the lemon adds acidity to the water to prevent bacteria from growing.

Carefully slide the tallest flowers in the center. Place the cup on the saucer and add any finishing adornments to your arrangement. A strand of pearls, lace or a jeweled brooch enhance the vintage style.

Tip: If you'd like your flowers to stick out higher than the depth of the teacup, you can use floral foam. An 8-inch foam half-ball arranger should fit inside most teacups, but you can trim it to size. Soak it in water mixed with flower food, place it into the teacup and gently stick stems into the foam. Continue adding flowers and filler until the foam is concealed.

You can now use those leftover leaves for a green-themed flower arrangement. Place some smaller flowers in the center of the teacup and add water. Surround the flowers with green leaves of varying heights and sizes.

• You can add dimension to your arrangement by using flowers with contrasting textures.
• Clean the teacups well before using to reduce the risk of bacteria infecting the flowers.
• Change the water daily and re-cut the stems to keep flowers fresh for as long as possible.
• Use caution when handling flowers with thorns.
• Use silk flowers if you need the arrangements to last more than a few days.