Make your own dried flower bouquet for Mother's Day and other occasions — more sustainable than a fresh bouquet and a gift that lasts at least 3 years. Step-by-step guide, flower list and three styles to choose from: romantic, boho or minimalist. No time? Our DIY box or gift voucher works too.
📖 In this blog
A dried flower bouquet is a bouquet of flowers that have gone through a drying process. As a result, they retain their colour and shape, and stay beautiful for 3 to 5 years. No water, no maintenance — dusting them off occasionally is enough. A lovely gift for Mother's Day that lasts a long time. You can make one yourself in half an afternoon for 25 to 45 euros. No time or no desire to craft? Our DIY box or a gift voucher is a great alternative.
✨ The 3 most important tips from this blog
Choose narrow and tall. A narrow, tall vase with a small opening lets the stems support each other. Wide vases require many more flowers.
Work with 3 main types + 2 accent types. Pampas or wheat as the backbone, eucalyptus as filler, more colourful flowers as accent. No more than that.
Avoid moisture and direct sunlight. Moisture causes mould, UV fades the colours quickly. So keep dried bouquets away from the bathroom and windows in full sun.
📥 Step-by-step guide on a single sheet? Download our free PDF with the steps and a shopping list — handy to take to the shop. Download the PDF →
What are dried flowers?
Many people associate dried flowers with the dusty bouquets of years past. Today it's different. With the right types and the right finishing, dried flowers look modern, lively and fit into any interior — from classic to minimalist.
Dried flowers are flowers that have undergone a drying process. As a result, they largely retain their colour and shape. There are many types in a wide range of colours — pampas, lagurus, statice, helichrysum, dried roses, gypsophila, and dozens of others.
Thanks to the drying process they last a long time and need little maintenance. Dusting them off occasionally is enough — with a hairdryer on a gentle setting or cool air. Avoid bright sunlight, as dried flowers fade under UV light. Also avoid damp rooms, as moisture can cause the flowers to mould. Some types are also delicate and break easily — handle with care.
View our dried flower collection →
A dried bouquet is not a replacement for a fresh bouquet — it's a different type of gift, with different benefits.
Regular dried flowers, freeze-dried or preserved?
Besides regular dried flowers, there are also freeze-dried and preserved flowers. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are different processes — with different properties, prices and uses.
Regular dried flowers are dried naturally — by hanging, air drying or in silica gel. They become brittle and the colours slowly fade. The most affordable type, and suitable for most bouquets.
Freeze-dried flowers go through a freeze-drying process. They are more brittle than regular dried flowers, and therefore more fragile. They are mainly used for specific decorative applications where the original shape is important.
Preserved flowers are treated with glycerine. They feel like real flowers — supple — and retain their natural, vivid colour. The best-known are roses, but echinops, asparagus and scabiosa are also available as preserved varieties. A bit more expensive, but the difference is visible and tangible.
What are dried flowers used for?
Dried flowers are mainly used for decoration. As a bouquet in a vase, arranged in small vases as table decoration, or in a wreath on the wall. During communion and spring celebration season, we also often see dried flowers in flower crowns.
On top of that, creatives use dried flowers in projects like epoxy objects and candles. They are rewarding materials to work with, precisely because they no longer need to live.
Why dried flowers for Mother's Day?
Mother's Day falls every year in the second half of May — exactly when everyone is busy and no one wants to rush to the florist at the last minute. A dried bouquet solves that problem twice over: you can make it calmly in advance, and the gift doesn't disappear after a week.
Three properties that make dried flowers suitable as a Mother's Day gift:
1. They last for years.
A dried bouquet stays beautiful for 3 to 5 years. The gift doesn't disappear after a week.
2. No maintenance.
No water changes, no wilted stems to cut away. Once a year a quick dust-off.
3. Personal.
You make it yourself or you put it together yourself. Not a ready-made bouquet chosen by someone else.
Preserved flowers stay soft. For anyone who wants the gift to still feel supple after a few years: choose preserved flowers treated with glycerine. A bit more expensive, but the difference is visible and tangible.
What do you need for a dried flower bouquet?
A vase. Glass, ceramic or wood — the vase doesn't have to be watertight for dried flowers. Make sure the opening isn't too wide. The wider the opening, the more flowers you need. The height of the vase determines the length of the stems: a tall vase calls for long stems.
A mix of dried flowers. Go for a mix of different types and choose a colour palette (e.g. natural, pastel or vivid colours). Provide filler with pampas, grasses or wheat. On top of that, texture is important: use phalaris, lagurus, craspedia or similar types for visual variety. View the dried flowers
Ribbon or twine. Choose a twine or ribbon that matches the style and colour of your bouquet. A natural twine suits a natural bouquet, a silk ribbon suits something more refined. View the twines and ribbons
Secateurs or sturdy scissors. Some stems aren't always easy to cut — a good pair of scissors is certainly not superfluous here. View the scissors
Three main types and two accent types. No more, or it gets cluttered. No less, or it gets boring.
Making a dried flower bouquet in 5 steps
You can choose to arrange the bouquet directly in the vase, or first in your hand. Both work — choose whichever suits you best.
Step 1 — Lay everything out on the table
First spread all the flowers out on the table and sort them by type or colour. That way you get a clear overview of what you have and how you want to distribute it.
Step 2 — Arrange in the vase or in your hand
If you arrange the bouquet directly in the vase: cut all the stems to the desired length and put a few flowers in the vase to determine the height.
If you arrange the bouquet in your hand first: take a few sturdy stems — these form the core of your bouquet. You can trim the stems to the right length afterwards.
Step 3 — Build up the bouquet
For the vase method: gradually add flowers, turn the vase around regularly and fill in where needed. Continue until the bouquet looks finished to you.
For the hand method: gradually add flowers around the core and keep turning the bouquet a little in your hand so that it gets a round shape.
Step 4 — Watch the balance and structure
Alternate large and small flowers for a playful effect. Check that the colours and textures are nicely distributed — not all the pampas on one side, not all the accent colours grouped together.
Step 5 — Finish with twine or ribbon
Tie the bouquet firmly with twine or a nice ribbon. Do this about halfway down the stems. Make a bow if you like. Finally, cut the stems straight across so the bouquet stands upright in the vase.
🎁 Want this guide on hand? We've put the 5 steps, a shopping list and 3 example photos on a single A4. Free to download. Download the PDF →
This bouquet contains the following articles
- Z037 Hill flower terracotta
- Z078 Phalaris bordeaux
- — Echinops preserved bleached
- Z014 Lagurus terracotta — dusty pink
- Z016 Nigella Orientalis bleached
- Z030 Fluffy Pampas natural
Different styles of dried flower bouquet
There are many styles for a dried flower bouquet. Below are the three most common, with colour palette and flower choice. Which one suits your mother?
🌸 Romantic — soft and dreamy
A romantic bouquet consists of soft colours and transitions. All colours flow into each other. It's airy and full of fine details.
Colour palette: powder tones such as light pink, cream, peach and lilac. Accents in bordeaux or dusty pink. Greenery via eucalyptus or ruscus.
Flower choice: baby's breath, statice, lagurus, fine grasses. Optionally add amaranthus — hanging for extra romance.
Finish: ribbon or lace. Feel free to let the ribbons hang long.
Choose this style if: your mother loves traditional, classic and soft feminine decoration.
Products in this style:
Baby's breath
Statice
Lagurus
Eucalyptus
🌾 Boho — airy and playful
A boho bouquet goes for a mix of airy and natural materials. Asymmetric, relaxed, with earthy tones.
Colour palette: beige and cream, soft pink, light brown and eucalyptus green.
Flower choice: pampas grass and lagurus for fluffiness, wheat and oats for structure, statice, phalaris or craspedia as colour accent. Eucalyptus or ruscus for greenery.
Finish: let some stems stick out longer — that gives the typical boho look. Tip: add dried palm leaves or feathers for an extra boho touch.
Choose this style if: your mother loves warm, natural and relaxed — works well with wooden furniture or a light interior.
Products in this style:
Pampas
Lagurus
Wheat and oats
⚪ Minimalist — clean lines
A minimalist bouquet consists of few different types of flowers. Clean lengths, straight stems, space between the elements.
Colour palette: neutral tones such as white, beige and light brown — or at most one accent colour.
Flower choice: one clear shape: narrow and vertical. Choose one main type and possibly one accent. Avoid too many textures mixed together.
Finish: use a simple vase with a narrow opening. Add each stem deliberately.
Choose this style if: your mother loves design, clean lines and a modern interior.
Products in this style:
Eucalyptus
Helichrysum
Narrow vases
The best gift is not the most expensive or the largest. It's the gift that suits the person receiving it.
No time or no desire to get started yourself?
Not everyone has half an afternoon before Mother's Day. There are three alternatives for the same gift idea.
1. Our Start to Floral Arranging box
A box with all the materials to get started with floral arranging. You give the box as a gift and your mother makes it herself — or you do it together. We have several themes and sizes. View the DIY box
2. Gift voucher
For the mother who likes to arrange flowers herself. With a gift voucher, she chooses her own materials, in her own colours, at her own pace. No risk of getting the style wrong. Valid for two years, in our webshop and in the shop. View the gift vouchers
3. Expansion box for the experienced arranger
Does your mother already have experience? Then an expansion box with material for specialists is a fine gift that ties in with what she already knows. View the expansion boxes
Which gift suits whom?
Make it yourself if you want the gift to feel truly personal — and you have half an afternoon to spare.
Give the DIY box if you want your mother to experience the joy of making it herself — or if you want to do it together on Mother's Day.
Give a gift voucher if you're not sure what her style is, or if she already has experience and prefers to choose herself.
Give an expansion box if she's been arranging flowers for years and you want to give her something special that builds on what she already knows.
Frequently asked questions about dried flowers
How long do dried flowers last?
Dried flowers last 1 to 3 years, depending on the type and how they're stored. Sturdy types such as pampas, wheat and eucalyptus easily reach 2 to 3 years. Preserved varieties last another 1 to 2 years longer.
How do you care for a dried flower bouquet?
No water — the flowers will only go limp. Keep away from direct sunlight, as UV quickly fades the colours. Not in damp rooms — no bathroom, no spot right next to the tumble dryer or extractor hood. Remove dust with a hairdryer on cool air or by blowing gently.
What's the difference between dried and preserved flowers?
Dried flowers are dried naturally by hanging or air drying. They become brittle and the colours slowly fade. Preserved flowers are treated with glycerine, which keeps them soft and colourfast. Preserved flowers are more expensive, but they also last longer.
Which vase is suitable for dried flowers?
A narrow, tall vase works best because the stems support each other. Glass, ceramic and earthenware all work — watertightness isn't necessary. For a large dried bouquet, choose a vase that's roughly a third of the height of the bouquet.
Can a dried flower bouquet stand outside?
Not recommended. UV fades the colours quickly and outside air is too damp — the flowers go limp or mould. For a party on a covered terrace a few hours is fine, but they aren't suitable for being outside permanently.
Can I make a dried bouquet in advance for Mother's Day?
Yes, and it's actually a good idea. Feel free to make your bouquet a week or two in advance — dried flowers don't change. Store it in a dry place, away from sunlight, until Mother's Day itself. That way you avoid stress at the last minute.
What if my mother already has a dried bouquet?
Then give an expansion box or a gift voucher. That way she can choose new or special varieties herself that complement what she already has. Or give a different seasonal gift such as a wall wreath — made in the same style as her existing bouquet.
To conclude
A Mother's Day gift doesn't have to be big to be personal. Whether you make a bouquet yourself at the kitchen table, give a DIY box or slip a gift voucher next to the coffee: the fact that you've thought about it counts the most. And a dried flower bouquet that sits in the vase for 3 years reminds her of that every single time.
Questions along the way? Call +32 51 81 76 36 or send a WhatsApp message. Prefer to drop by? The shop in Dentergem is open on weekdays.
