One of the most frequently asked questions at Afloral is about compote bowls and how to create an arrangement with them. As a beginner to floral arrangements, it can appear challenging to create beautiful, eye-catching centerpieces. Never fear; Afloral is here! We're passionate about what we do and want the beauty of nature to be accessible to everyone!
Today, we'd love to share with your 3 of our favorite compote styles and matching bouquets that are easy to create yet look lush and luxurious. Even better? These centerpiece mechanics are foam-free and don't have any challenges that can come with real flowers!
Wait, What is a Compote Bowl?
There are two general compote vessels—a covered compote and a true open compote. Simply put, a compote bowl is a vessel with a semi-round shape, a short pedestal, and a wide mouth or top. What we'll be working with today can be considered a true open compote. These bowls were initially designed to hold fresh fruit. Still, as time passed, modern uses for compote bowls have been used for many things, most notably as a container to hold flower arrangements during a wedding reception to decorate tables for guests.
What You'll Need
There's nothing more frustrating than sitting down to create something and finding out you don't have what you need to make it! So to ensure you don't run to the craft store or storage bin several times, here's a list of supplies to gather before making your compote bouquets.
• Round Flower Hairpin Flower Frog
• Floral tape
• Floral Tack Clay Adhesive (Optional)
• Artificial Flower Shears
• Heavy-duty wire cutters
• Three types of complementary colored faux flowers or, for simplicity, all the same color!
• One touch of greenery
Afloral White Compote and Candle Bundle
The best thing about the large white compote bowl is that because white is a neutral color that reflects all the wavelengths of light, it can pair flawlessly with any flower you choose. For this compote bowl, we decided to use two flowers and a touch of greenery to keep it simple yet sophisticated. We combined Dusty Peach Mauve Real Touch Dutchess Roses, Real Touch Blush Peonies, and tufts of our Preserved Asparagus Fern for a mix of luscious green. Here's how to make this compote bouquet!
1. Place your Round Flower Hairpin frog into the large white compote bowl. The Flower Hairpin will help create the structure of your arrangement.
2. Test the stability of your Flower Hairpin by placing one or two of the large faux blooms within the Hairpin. If it needs it, use a little Floral Tack on the bottom of the Flower Hairpin to keep it stable.
3. Start with the base structure for your arrangement. Place a few of your Real Touch Blush Peonies along the outer edge of the flower pin, interspaced with wiggle room between them.
4. If you find blooms aren't staying where you want them, use floral tape to keep stems and blooms together.
5. Next, add a few of your Dusty Peach Mauve Real Touch Roses. Play with the heights between the roses and peonies for an appealing line. When you think the flower heights are ideal, trim a little of the stem (it's always easier to cut too little than go back after trimming too much!) and move and adjust leaves to fill any spaces.
6. Take a few sprigs of the Asparagus Fern and place them near the center. Let them gracefully drape for a thriving, natural shape.
7. Last but never least, place leftover peonies and roses to fill the center, fluffing petals and adjusting until it looks right to you, and that’s it! Congratulations! You've created a beautiful compote wedding or compote display arrangement!
Afloral Grey Compote and Candle Bundle
Like white, a soft pastel grey compote bowl is neutral enough to match any flower and ensure the eye is attracted to the arrangement within. As we want to make floral arranging as easy as possible for everyone, you can apply many of the same steps outlined above, just with different flowers, to create this arrangement, as seen below.
To make this, we combined our Real Touch Blush Peonies, this time with an artful smattering of color with our Lavender Real Touch Dutchess Rose and a dash of Faux Italian Ruscus leaves.
1. Place your Flower Headpin in the center of the bowl.
2. Tuck a few of the larger flowers in to see if they might need the help of Floral Tack.
3. Start with the base structure. Place a few Lavender Real Touch Dutchess Roses along the outer pins, adjusting leaves and petals as you go, leaving space for leaves and greenery.
4. Feel free to use Floral Tape to keep blooms where you want them.
5. Add a few Real Touch Blush Peonies to the center at a different height to draw the eye inward.
6. Tuck a few branches of Italian Ruscus Leaves between the stems for depth and visual appeal. Adjust to your liking, and voila! That's all there is to it!
Afloral Ecru Compote and Candle Bundle
We love a good neutral, and we bet you do, too! Ecru is a pleasant variation of color—warm and inviting that mimics natural and unbleached linen. For this compote bowl, we carried on that warmth by pairing our Real Touch Blush Peonies with our Real Touch Rose in Cream Peach with the finishing touch of some Italian Ruscus leaves. This combination creates a decadent, warm, and inviting arrangement.
How easy is it to arrange these flowers? Simply follow the same steps as bouquets one and two! Feel free to play with lengths, leaves, and draping until everything is exactly how you want it—that's it! These three stunning compote bowls and arrangements are beautiful, eco-friendly, and unlike real flowers, they never fade! You can use these blooms repeatedly or display them as part of your cherished moments in your home or another arrangement.
Are you looking for more ideas and inspiration? Afloral would love to help! Make sure to visit our blog and social media sites to see how faux florals are brightening up lives all around the globe!
