Begin by placing your line flowers. These establish the overall shape of your arrangement. Position your line flowers by pushing them into floral foam, styrofoam, marbles, or whatever medium you have chosen to anchor your stems.

Add your focus flowers. These flowers are the larger blooms that direct the eye to the focal point of the arrangement. Leave airspace around your focus flowers rather than placing them against each other.

Before you add filler flowers, look at your arrangement from various angles. If it's not shaping up the way you wish, try removing single flowers and adjusting their placement. Make sure the arrangement is well balanced and has a pleasing shape. Once the arrangement has the shape and feel you're looking for, add filler flowers. Spread these evenly around your arrangement. Your goal is to fill any glaring empty spots while still leaving a bit of breathing room around each flower. This part takes a bit of practice.

T hings to remember:

* Don't forget the greenery! Floral arrangements look fake without that hint of foliage.
* Try to choose focus flowers in a couple of different sizes and colors. Variety adds visual interest.
* Filler can be berries, tiny flowers, or greenery. Don't be afraid to experiment, or use a bit of each to add visual interest.
* When working with silks, shape stems so that they aren't straight. A curved or slightly bent stem has a more natural look.
* Select florals with slight color differences. When flowers are gathered from nature, often the same varieties will be colors differently. Variation of color gives a more realistic look.