Top 10 Ways to Add Texture to a Floral Arrangement
Designing floral arrangements to convey particular sentiments is essential to the process. Floral designs can be happy, somber, festive, or sophisticated, depending on what combinations you choose. But one element that will always bring a unique effect to your floral designs is texture. Adding soft or bold accents, smooth lines or rough edges, or even non-organic textural pieces will change the look of your design drastically. The floral experts at Cascade Floral Wholesale created a list of the 10 best elements to include in your floral arrangement to add texture your unique design.
Create a Soft Textural Look
Plants and flowers with softer surfaces, rounded edges and light colors will bring a softening effect to any floral design. Here are some of the best types of foliage to achieve this look:
- Leafy: Soft petals with muted colors, like dusty miller, make an excellent backdrop for rustic, woodsy designs. Stalks of ivy or Italian ruscus can also bring a lacy effect that allows bolder flowers to take center stage.
- Ferns: For a somewhat tropical or forest effect, ferns can provide delicate texture that brings improves the intended focal point of a floral design.
- Floral: Small filler flowers like Queen Anne’s Lace or waxflower can bring small pops of color along with the soft texture the provide between contrasting larger flowers.
dusty miller 
Ivy 
Italian Ruscus 
Ferns 
Queen Anne’s Lace 
Waxflower
Add Bold Texture For a Rugged Look
Sometimes more rugged texture is desired for a bold, dramatic effect. Tough organic pieces like branches, cones and pods come in handy and bring lots of gorgeous texture as well as visual contrast to any floral arrangement.
- Curly Willow: Curly willow can cause an otherwise sleek design to branch out, literally, including more space and add new shape to the overall look.
- Pinecones: Especially gorgeous in fall or holiday designs, pinecones bring the outdoors in and add elements of nature to a cut floral design.
- Pods: Pods are an instant texture update to any design and will lend a subtle rough balance to soft, smooth flower petals.
Create Sophisticated or Rustic Looks with Textural Elements
The texture you choose to accent your flowers will determine the essence of your design. Smooth lines create a clean, unfussy look, while items that look like they’re straight from a walk in the woods bring a more wild and natural feel to the arrangement.
- Sleek/modern: For a sleek, modern look, use clean lines and smooth edges. Picture tulips with long blades of bear grass tucked around the blooms, or roses accented by eucalyptus.
- Rustic/natural: A more rustic look can be achieved using stalks of branches or even a few succulents near bright colorful flowers. Berries can also add a festive touch of texture, especially when contrasted with smooth lines.
Non-Organic Textural Elements
Besides the organic pieces you choose for adding texture, other accents can bring a sense of style and texture to your overall look as well. Containers and ribbons, for instance, help create the feel you’re looking for with each design.
- Vases and Boxes: The container you choose to present your arrangement in has as much to do with the textural effect as the flowers and accents within the design. A sleek silver urn creates an elegant, upscale look, while a distressed wooden crate will add to the rustic feel of a woodsy fall piece.
- Ribbons and Twine: Adding holiday fabrics and colors with ribbon, twine or other materials will also be a textural component that pulls the look of your design in the desired direction. Choose fabrics that highlight the feel you’re seeking to achieve and play with the textures until it has the right look.
Choosing the types of accent pieces your arrangement will have can be the difference between a regular bouquet of flowers and a work of art. Experiment with combinations until you achieve the look you’re going for, and try different foliage, organic elements and non-organic pieces to find new and exotic designs. For more ideas about adding texture to your floral designs, talk to the experts at Cascade Floral Wholesale. We’ll be happy to share ideas and creative possibilities with you.