Flower walls are starting to pop up all over Instagram as both temporary decorations and permanent decor, creating a natural, botanical vibe that feels dainty and statement.

They look incredible, but how can you pull the look off at home? Flower walls take time and effort, plus they’re pretty fiddly to do. So, it’s best to take advice from someone who has tried it out already.

Enter Meghan Mansfield, the founder of independent candle brand Orna, and Alice Walker, founder of stylist service On The Side. These friends and creatives recently tried the trend for a photoshoot, with stunning results.

“I was preparing for an upcoming photo shoot for my new hand-painted candles and had a vision of a flower wall to display them,” explains Meghan. 

“I spoke to my friend Alice and we decided to work on the concept together. She has loads of experience in styling events, natural product shots for business’ and flower knowledge – so I knew she would be able to turn my Pinterest ideas and dreams into a commercial reality!”

Meghan and Alice hoped to achieve a “cottagecore aesthetic and granny-chic” look so they planned on sourcing carnations and gypsophilia as they are inexpensive and can be cut down into smaller elements. They also don’t need much water, so wouldn’t drop too quickly.

“As this flower wall was only intended for temporary purposes we decided to use a board instead of a wall, but the first snag we encountered was that our shooting date was so close to Mother’s Day that all of the florists had sold out.

“In the end we went to the supermarket and found some carnations and gypsophilia. We weren’t satisfied with the gypsophilia’s hue, so we experimented with dipping it in some gouache paint which gave a vibrant finish. This is a great way to expand the colours available to you if trying something similar at home.”

1. Source your flowers

Depending on whether you want your flower wall to be a temporary or permanent fixture opt for dried out, pressed flowers or paper flowers, or source flowers that can stay out of water. Spray roses or carnations are great for this, but obviously they only last so long. The amount of flowers you need will depend on how much space you want to cover, but you should aim for a flower every three inches. 

2. Practise arranging your flowers

Don’t overthink where you place each stem, and instead focus on having fun with the arrangement. Try to evenly space your blooms, and be sure to mix the textures and colours up to create a varied look.

3. Stick your flowers

Use low tack tape or washi to stick the flowers to avoid damaging the paintwork if using a wall and you can delicately paint the tape to match if needed.

Images: Alice Walker