Each month in my "Collect the Nectar" newsletter, I invite you to ask me anything, from flowers and floral artistry to business, health, wellbeing, entrepreneurship, writing, authenticity, branding — you name it. I select a question each month to answer and feature here, where I can share my experience and approach with you in accessible, cost-free resources that empower you forward on your creative journey.
Here is the featured question submission and my answer for March 2025:
FEATURED QUESTION
"How do you actually build a centerpiece? I have an idea in my head, but I get started, and it doesn’t look how I pictured it. It’s either too heavy and tight or it just doesn’t have the right shape. How do I make my designs more airy and natural but still abundant-feeling?" — Mara T.
ANSWERS FROM JEN
Thank you for your great question, Mara! Centerpiece design is a journey, and a craft with many, many expressions. It's also the type of design that changes with each vessel you use and each recipe of flowers you select, and that's not even considering the virtually endless techniques and stylistic choices that you can use or make. The good news is that I have some delightfully accessible techniques and tips for you that will help give you more structure and support as you continue honing your design practice and building your confidence in your centerpiece arrangements:
TIP 01
Be intentional with your flower recipe. What we use has such a big impact on how things come out, whether that’s with food or flowers. Be sure to have a mix of shapes and sizes among your flowers, and have at least one type of focal flower, a filler or texture, a foliage or branchy element that is light and if possible bloomy, and a floaty flower variety to give some reach and grace.
TIP 02
Start low and layer your flowers and foliages outward. If you start with too many long pieces and flowers, it will be difficult to get that lush and airy effect because there won’t be any space for dimensionality. Place your first elements low, and layer them longer as you go. Don't be afraid to place some very short pieces in low to cover your mechanics and build the base layers, off of which your higher, longer pieces will be more impactful. When in doubt, look to nature, where you see how all flowers on a plant are looking for their place in the sun.
TIP 03
Remember to breathe. I teach all my student designers this phrase: “If you can breathe, your work can breathe.” When we are tense and super-focused or getting self critical, we are barely breathing. When you breathe, you relax your muscles and nervous system, and you allow your body and creativity to flow with more ease. It makes a huge difference! Put these tips into practice, and let me know how you go.
You can also learn more in my Poetry of Flowers Centerpiece Designs online course, where you will get access to three different design classes for centerpieces and table arrangements, including my Abundant Foam-Free Centerpiece Design class, my Large Statement Urn Design class, and my Sculptural Pin Frog Design class, all in one.
Keep exploring, and keep practicing! The mind often has a vision of what we want to produce that the body just needs time and training to catch up and be able to manifest. This is normal. I recommend keeping a monthly practice of creative play with flowers just for you and just to nurture your creative voice and confidence. This is the equivalent of practicing scales or songs if you play an instrument or buying canvases and paints to explore new painting techniques if you paint. Each time you allow yourself to play and practice without pressure, you strengthen your design skills, hone your authentic voice, and improve all around.
Keep blooming, my friend!
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Floral centerpiece images from a Studio Immersion captured by Ariel Min.