Starting out in dried flowers
I find it hard to believe but I’ve been writing this blog since 2012! I opened my shop even longer ago in 2003 so I had plenty of time to build up experience before starting to write about dried flowers.
Initially I realised there was a market online for potpourri, which soon expanded into dried lavender and real flower confetti. But to start with I couldn’t drum up enough customer interest in dried flower bunches (except lavender) but I just kept trying because I was so impressed with the natural colours and sheer variety available. Placing an order with suppliers was like shopping for sweeties as a kid!
My husband Mike came to work for the company in 2009, by which time we were selling a limited range of bunches (we now have well over 100 types). It was due to him that I started the blog, because he suggested I look for new inexpensive ways to get noticed online – and it worked! So I’ve been posting ever since and learning a lot along the way.
With the new national enthusiasm for dried flowers over the last couple of years in particular, I’ve been looking back over some of my old posts and makes. You can check out my most popular posts at the top of the right hand column →.
A decade of dried flower projects
Here are my favourite projects from the early days chosen from four broad topics: dried lavender, potpourri, bouquets and Christmas crafts.
Dried lavender – Make a lavender sheaf
We’ve been selling this lavender sheaf – also known as a stook – in the shop since at least 2012, and this pic is taken from the front of my free lavender craft pdf from 2013. To make one, I join together some lavender bunches, give them a twist to flare out the base, and tie with rustic twine.
Christmas craft – Handmade fragranced Cinnamon stick bundle
As it’s mid October, I think it’s fair to mention Christmas – I know a lot of crafters have been hard at it since at least August! This scented bundle of cinnamon sticks is from a 2012 make and we still sell it in the shop.
The cinnamon bundle in the picture is lying on a bed of Handmade Christmas potpourri which we also make in the shop every year. Here is the Christmas potpourri recipe if you want to try your own.
Potpourri making – Fragranced rosebuds
The trick to adding scent to rose potpourri is finding a really good quality fragrance oil. We use Hassett Green Just Rose which is a reliable accurate scent without being overpowering. For instructions, just follow my Sweetheart potpourri recipe from 2013 using Rose fragrance oil instead of the one mentioned. Handmade potpourri has made a big comeback in the last few years as you can read in my interview in Flora magazine in 2020.
DIY dried flower bouquets
Dried flower bouquets have evolved somewhat since I started doing them. The style is much more relaxed than the designs I started off with, but I really enjoy the informal wildflower look from this more recent post. These days, rather than selling a wide range of handcrafted dried flower bouquets, we try and provide customers with what they need to produce their own creations. For example we recently launched a selection of 10 stem packs of dried flowers, which is an inexpensive way of experimenting with mixed bouquets as you don’t have to buy a full bunch of each type.
So here’s to another ten years of dried flower crafts!