Introduction
It's true, you can find everything on the internet now a days.
You want to buy a new pair of pants, order a pizza or get a BA on Business? Everything is available for you, you just got to look for it.
Are you seeking to learn or improve your floristry skills and knowledge?
We have compiled the best free sources in the internet for you to follow and become a top notch handcraft florist.
Sit back, relax and enjoy this complete guide to find stimulating tips and steps to refine your skills and hopefully discover new ideas and techniques.
Floristry on Youtube
Youtube is the biggest video library on the internet, you can find tv shows, movies, and even tutorials on anything you wish.
Yes, you heard right you can learn almost everything via youtube!
Next time you need a simple recipe for a reunion at your house or don’t know how to use your new smartphone, just look it up on youtube!
We thought it might be interesting and useful for florists around the world to find a place where they can have a collection of tutorials and blogs, hence this guide.
Below we have listed what we consider to be the most helpful youtube channels for you to follow and get started on this journey!
Good Luck!
Oasis
Smithers Oasis is the leading brand on floral arrangements products.
If that doesn't tell you enough about their knowledge in floristry, then nothing will.
Oasis offers its customers a variety of floral foams in different shapes and sizes, flower care products, decorative accessories and multiple glass and plastic containers.
Not only do they sell quality innovative products, but they’ve created a youtube page/blog where they show you how to use these products, plus give you some extra tips.
Not sure what to do with so many accessories and tools for your arrangements? Oasis will surely give you the correct path to achieve your prime efforts.
This youtube channel will help if you are just getting started in your floristry career and you are not sure how certain tools must be used.
Nevertheless, Oasis gives you extra suggestions on how certain products and tools could be used in new and creative ways.
If you are an experienced florist or you already have a well established technique, we still encourage you to visit their page, you may find new methods or ideas.
Oasis wont charge you for any subscriptions plus their tutorials are generally short, not more than five minutes per video.
J Schwanke
On the other hand we have J Schwanke’s channel, an expert florist who looks to educate and entertain anyone who is devoted to flower arrangements.
His youtube channel holds a collection of over 1,800 tutorial and flower related videos for anyone to enjoy.
This pro florist has a warmer and welcoming approach to his followers.
Trying to engage in conversation, Schwanke develops his videos in a friendly fashion, sharing more than just his floral advisory.
This makes his videos more entertaining and easy to watch, but this makes them longer.
In average, his videos will extend around 15 minutes, but don’t be alarmed his friendly tone and interesting chat will make it seem as if no time has passed.
J’s videos welcomes anyone who has passion and dedication for flowers to visit his channel.
It doesn't matter if you are just starting or have a advanced floristry experience, surely J will contribute positively to your floral career.
Looking for even more flower fun and expertise?
J invites you to join his special suscriptor chain for just $3.99 a month to access his unique premium material.
Not only does J has a youtube channel, he compliments it with a written blog in his webpage ubloom.com, make sure to check it out for some more flower novelty!
FDI - Floral Design Institute
The FDI is an institute that seeks to educate and form the best florists in the country.
Attending their classes will require a high budget, dedication and time; but the reward, being a pro florist, will be worth it.
Nevertheless, if this isn't what you have in mind, FDI offers other option such as a thorough youtube channel.
Runned by Leanne Kesler, this compilation of videos will grant you multiple ideas and styles that you can apply and combine with your own.
Her videos have an average duration of 7 minutes, they will be more straightforward and specific, just to give you the right amount of information you need.
Appealing to a more formal crowd, they seek to engage with people that are in for the long run.
Visiting FDI’s youtube channel, also known as the Flower School, will give you rich advise and new ideas as an experienced or in development florist.
If you are just starting your floristry career, you can always visit their page to get more knowledge and get familiar with how experienced florists work.
Florist Review
Florist Review is an experienced magazine that has contributed and has been part of the floristry universe since 1897.
Their method and technique is almost impeccable after so many years, which you can easily find in any of their magazines or videos.
Their objective or main focus is to give experienced florist an updated image of what is happening on the floristry industry.
With a wide collection of tutorial videos and interviews, Florist Review gives their followers the opportunity to discover new techniques and hear opinions from the top florists in the country like Holly Chapel.
Their videos will range from 2 - 10 minutes approximately, but their formal and straightforwardness will give you all the knowledge you need in no time.
This maybe be the best resource for any florist who seeks to be on their top game, nevertheless we always encourage fanatics and beginners to take a look and keep their motivation going.
The Florist Review gives you the chance to select from a variety of subscription options regarding their magazine.
Nevertheless, their youtube channel gives you access to some of their best content without having to subscribe or pay any fees. Perhaps just give them a follow on their youtube channel!
Getting Started
Whether you are an experienced florist or you are just getting started, you can surely find something that will benefit on this guide.
Beginners
If you recently decided to become a florist, most likely you don’t have a clear idea what to do or how to get started.
This guide can serve you well, helping you get your first steps settled and the general idea of becoming a florist clear.
As a beginner, the first step we recommend you is to get familiar with the whole floristry world.
We encourage you to read some of the blogs we have posted (link) and watch videos from the youtube channels we have listed above; reassure you are really keen in doing this.
Likewise, we strongly recommend you to watch Oasis Floral youtube page, to understand how some of the basic floristry tools and materials work.
Once you get a better idea of the topic you can start to explore more sources, like J Schwank’s or Eddie Zaratsian’s youtube channels to start discovering your own style.
We believe the best way to discover your style is by experimenting, playing and trying, so get ideas from all these people but try them yourself as well!
At the beginning it may feel weird and you final artwork may not be the best, but it requires practice and dedication to become truly skilled.
So don’t give up and keep that motivation flowing!
Enthusiasts and non professional amateurs
If you are a flower enthusiasts or an amateur florist, you may be dealing with a discovery phase.
Experimenting with different types of flowers, materials and styles will help you determine what is it that you want to focus on.
As said before we recommend you to visit some of these pro florists web pages to get new ideas and tips to improve your skills.
Make sure to visit and browse J Schwanks, Eddie Zaratsian or The Flower School!
It's interesting to experiment and play with all the different tools you have, so just have fun and enjoy what you do.
Experts and Dedicated Florists
If you are an expert florist, whether you do it for a living or just as a hobby, then you surely already have a well established technique and a correct know how for this craft.
The best advice we can give you all expert florists is to innovate and experiment as much as you can.
Being an expert means you can work with any style or do any arrangement, giving an extra twist and creating new techniques is something only the best florists can manage.
Try to learn the best skills and put them together in your own unique way; remember, being innovative means uniting already existing elements into new creative ones!
Professionals
To all pro florists out there:
Keep this passion alive, share your knowledge and expertise to everyone out there so more techniques and styles can be born.
Plus, it's never too late to learn new ideas so don’t limit yourself and keep discovering!
Wrap it Up
We are currently living in the age of information and technology, this means we don’t need to travel the world or wait long periods of time to access data of any source.
As controversial as this topic may be, it has also opened a lot of doors for people all around the world.
Like we have previously mentioned, you can access youtube or the internet and get tutorials or advise on how to do almost anything, including how to become a florist.
We are proud to see how the floristry industry, and enthusiasm for it, has grown in the past years.
One of the main reason is that people have perfected the flower distribution business, making it accessible for anyone no matter where their location is.
Plus now, with all this tools and products, people can become expert florists in no time!
We really encourage you to follow this steps thoroughly and to keep this craft alive and growing.
If you’ve made it so far in this post, it means you are interested, know it’s up to you to be endeavor and make it happen.
We wish you the best and hope this guide can be of some use to you!