40 Preserved Flower Arrangements That Will Take You Through The Holiday Season

Flowers portray different personalities and looks throughout their fleeting lives.  In their prime, they are appreciated for the abundance of color they bring into a room.  Their aroma also gives a distinct character to the spaces in which they are arranged.  As they begin to age, there’s still beauty in dried blooms, although some associate them with musty rooms, bad Feng Shui and death.  

This unfavorable reputation for dried flowers seems to have been long forgotten with its recent Instagram renaissance, and rightfully so.  When flowers wilt, their shapes transform, giving off an inherent sculptural quality, giving them a bewitching appeal.  The closing of the year leading up to the holidays is a time when they are in fashion, especially in countries that have the luxury of appreciating the transformation of the four seasons.  As summer turns into fall, dried flowers are a practical choice.  For one, there is less maintenance required, save for the dusting of these withered blooms.  Having them allows you flexibility and the added perk of novelty: to have a new arrangement, just by reconfiguring their parts, getting creative with the various textures they come in.

Insta-Famous!

Withered flower arrangements have a growing fan base.  In an Instagram post, furniture designer Vito Selma says, “Flowers are not for me. I find most of them too colorful…  So when someone unexpectedly gave me my first bouquet, surprisingly they got it right. If I were to receive a bouquet of flowers, this would be it… I like it handmade, neutral and for it to smell light like eucalyptus.”  Making use of recycled condiment jars, he used elements of the bouquet, artfully re-styling them.  The result is not unlike a nostalgic Victorian flower arrangement. 

Similarly, Marian Rivera has long been advocating for the use of preserved flowers through her Flora Vida flower line, the most popular of which are the pricey arrangements whose fragrance can be refreshed by spraying them with a scented mist.  Born from a trip to Kyoto where she learned contemporary and traditional floral arrangements under the guidance of a renowned florist, Marian has since provided homeowners the option of having preserved blooms instead of fresh flowers.  This way, their beauty can be enjoyed beyond just a few days.  Her most recent collaboration with the sought-after event stylist, Teddy Manuel for the benefit of Smile Train Kids has made these dried bloom offerings coveted.

American interior designer and owner of the eponymous John Derian in New York has also been known to decorate his own home with bold and dramatic arrangements using dried flowers:

Local Resources for Dried Flowers

In the Philippines, these are becoming a trend for their deep, dramatic colors, variety of texture, their cost effectiveness and low maintenance nature.  They come in various forms: as centerpieces on tabletops, wreaths, individual stems and cuttings that you can style in vases on your own, and even held within glass cloches.  The choice is yours.  

For resources and ideas on what’s out in the market, see the gallery below:

Tips On Dried Flower Care:  

When decorating with these, remember that they are dust collectors.  Here are ways to keep them longer:

1. Make sure to give them a good “scrub” by putting half a cup of salt in a paper bag, adding the flowers one at a time.  Shake the bag.  This is the equivalent of scrubbing dried flowers.  

2. In case of stubborn dust, give them a gust of canned air like you do with your computer keyboard. 

3.  Brushing the dust off with a swab or a set of artist brushes will also work.