DIY Floral Frog for Flower Arrangements

The other day I was actually planning the post to follow this post when it occurred to me that I needed a floral frog. My husband has dropped several verbal reminders lately about frivolous spending. Knowing that this little plastic object would run me around $5 (or more) and a trip to the craft store (where I could easily become distracted), and then not knowing how much I would use it, my mind manage to mesh together a similar image from everyday household objects. 

You may be wondering, “What is a floral frog?” It is a helpful tool in flower arranging. It often has a similar purpose to floral foam, as far as positioning a particular stem in place, but it is smaller, less messy and plastic or metal. You can situate the flowers as you would like for them to remain and either place them in a vase, something very shallow - like a decorative plate, or do without a container all together. Here is an example of a floral frog you may find in a craft store. 

You will need: 

• Hot glue gun and glue 
• Milk lid 
• Thumb tacks 
• Flowers and/or greenery 

Place your milk lid (use a larger lid, about 1.5” diameter) upside-down on a flat surface. Squeeze drops of hot glue into the lid. 

One at a time, place (flat top) thumb tacks into wet hot glue. Repeat, drop of hot glue then thumb tack until you have filled the lid. Allow your DIY frog to dry for a few minutes. 

While you are waiting for your frog to dry harvest some flowers from your garden or trim purchased stems. 

I have found that cutting flat, not diagonal as you typically would, just below a joint on the stem allows for a wider, more sturdy base. 

When your frog has cooled and the thumbtacks are no longer mobile slide your cut stems onto the thumb tacks to create a small versatile arrangement. 

I am not a professional florist by any means, but a few pointers I have collected from design school and a limited variety of floral classes are the importance of creating a focal points, choosing complimentary colors and textures, introducing levels, and developing repetition. These are simply flowers from my own garden and even one pretty weed. As you can see, a few drops of water into the milk lid and no vase required. 

Voila! A free-standing, practically no cost, DIY floral arrangement!