Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn flower arranging
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Flower arranging combines design principles, such as how to use colour, with practical craft such as wiring, tying and keeping cut flowers in good condition. Beginners' courses supply the flowers each week, and in the UK there are flower clubs that meet monthly to watch demonstrations and try it themselves.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
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What you learn, and where
Beginners' courses mix design principles with hands-on technique. Tameside College's six-week evening course covers tied designs, simple wiring, using colour and the basic conditioning and care of flowers. Longwood Gardens' one-day class covers the elements and principles of design and has you make round and parallel arrangements.
The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) is a UK charity with about 30,000 members. Its clubs usually meet monthly for a demonstration, talk, workshop or competition, and often run flower festivals and garden visits. The Surrey area says everyone is welcome to come to a club meeting to see what goes on, and that knowing nothing about flowers is no barrier.
In the US, National Garden Clubs runs Flower Show Schools, which teach judging, entering, competing in and chairing a flower show. That is a step for later, once you are arranging regularly.
Beginners' courses compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Tameside College, Greater Manchester | Six Tuesday evenings, three hours each; all materials including flowers provided | £165 |
| Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania | One day, 9am to 4.30pm; flowers and classroom tools provided | $275, or $247 for members |
| University of Utah Lifelong Learning, Salt Lake City | Four evening sessions of 90 minutes; take your arrangements home | $109 tuition plus $220 fee for flowers and materials ($329) |
At Tameside the designs stay at the college, though learners can buy them at a discount. Utah asks students to bring floral scissors, bypass pruners, a paring knife, an apron and a clean rag. Longwood's class is the required first course of its Floral Design Certificate.
How to start
- Find a beginners' floristry or floral design course at a further-education or community college, or a one-day class at a public garden.
- Check whether flowers are included in the fee and which tools you need to bring; Utah, for example, asks for floral scissors, pruners and an apron.
- In the UK, look up your nearest NAFAS flower club and go along to a meeting to see a demonstration.
Where to go
- NAFAS: find a flower club by area UK
- Tameside College: Floristry, Beginners Flower Arranging (Ashton-under-Lyne) UK
- Longwood Gardens: Floral Design Foundations (Pennsylvania) US
We opened these links on 10 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need any experience to join a flower arranging class?
No. Tameside College lists no entry requirements for its beginners' course, and Utah's Lifelong Learning classes are open to anyone aged 18 or over.
Are flowers included in a floristry course?
Often, but check. Tameside and Longwood Gardens include the flowers, while the University of Utah charges a separate $220 fee for flowers and materials.
How do I find a flower club near me?
NAFAS lists its regional areas online, and area pages such as Surrey's list clubs with meeting times and venues.
Do I get to keep my flower arrangements?
It depends on the course. Utah students take theirs home, while at Tameside College designs stay but can be bought at a discount.
Where this comes from: NAFAS, About NAFAS; NAFAS, Areas; NAFAS, Surrey Area clubs; Tameside College, Floristry - Beginners Flower Arranging (Jan); Longwood Gardens, Floral Design Foundations; University of Utah Continuing Education, Floral Design Fundamentals; National Garden Clubs, Our schools. Opened 10 November 2026.
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