Tools And Accessories You Must Have For Creating Japanese Flower Arrangments
To get you on your way to making a Japanese flower arrangement you will obviously need some basic tools such as a scissors which you will use for pruning your flowers and a Kenzan which is simply a metal plate with a spike in the middle.
This is used to insert the stems into a container and hold them firmly in place.
You will also need a Suiban which is a shallow tray used to make the arrangements.
Other tools that you should consider that will be useful are things such as Wire cutters, Bending tools, Wire pliers, Tweezers, and there are also tool sets available, which you might consider if you are thinking of doing this art in depth.
The Kenzan can either be square or round depending on the shape of the container you would like to have.
The suiban comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is up to you to decide what shape and size you would like.
For standing arrangements you will need a tall vase which also comes in all shapes, sizes and colors and again the decision is up to you to decide what you would like to use.
Take note that it is advisable to choose the color of the vase to suit the color of the flowers you are going to use or one that will make a striking contrast.
Along with the flowers you are going to use you will need accessories such as leaves, ferns and maybe a few branches if you are going to be constructing a traditional Japanese flower arrangement like the Ikebana.
This includes 10 different branches and flowers which represent mountains, waterfalls, streams and so on.
Working with wire can be daunting, but necessary when using large blooms or branches.
However if you are working with smaller blossoms for tea arrangements (called cha-ban) then florists' tape, rubber bands and smaller vases are in order.
The Japanese believe less is more and as such use flowers very sparingly in their arrangements so you must be careful when picking your blooms that you choose flowers that will fill out an arrangement but not overpower it.
You can also include rocks or marbles at your base if you are using a clear vase or short container.
Florists foam is a staple in most arrangements that are placed in short containers as it is quite easy to poke the stems of the flowers into the foam and then water the foam so the flowers have a source of moisture to draw from and will thus last longer.
This is used to insert the stems into a container and hold them firmly in place.
You will also need a Suiban which is a shallow tray used to make the arrangements.
Other tools that you should consider that will be useful are things such as Wire cutters, Bending tools, Wire pliers, Tweezers, and there are also tool sets available, which you might consider if you are thinking of doing this art in depth.
The Kenzan can either be square or round depending on the shape of the container you would like to have.
The suiban comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is up to you to decide what shape and size you would like.
For standing arrangements you will need a tall vase which also comes in all shapes, sizes and colors and again the decision is up to you to decide what you would like to use.
Take note that it is advisable to choose the color of the vase to suit the color of the flowers you are going to use or one that will make a striking contrast.
Along with the flowers you are going to use you will need accessories such as leaves, ferns and maybe a few branches if you are going to be constructing a traditional Japanese flower arrangement like the Ikebana.
This includes 10 different branches and flowers which represent mountains, waterfalls, streams and so on.
Working with wire can be daunting, but necessary when using large blooms or branches.
However if you are working with smaller blossoms for tea arrangements (called cha-ban) then florists' tape, rubber bands and smaller vases are in order.
The Japanese believe less is more and as such use flowers very sparingly in their arrangements so you must be careful when picking your blooms that you choose flowers that will fill out an arrangement but not overpower it.
You can also include rocks or marbles at your base if you are using a clear vase or short container.
Florists foam is a staple in most arrangements that are placed in short containers as it is quite easy to poke the stems of the flowers into the foam and then water the foam so the flowers have a source of moisture to draw from and will thus last longer.
