A few months ago, Ed gave me a gift card so I could buy fresh flowers for the house on a regular basis. I haven’t used it in the last few weeks since I have been bringing flowers from the yard into the house, starting with tulips. After the tulips withered, I brought in forsythia, rhododendron, and the most recent… peonies.
On Monday the peonies were fading and starting to brown. I took them outside to our compost bin and was sad when I came back into the house to see that it was fresh flowerless.
The hydrangeas in my yard are just starting to bud so it will be awhile before I can bring them into the house. Time to put the gift card to use again.
I found spray painted hydrangeas. They were white hydrangeas that were painted purple with floral misting spray paint. They reminded me of a crafty technique I used all the time back in the 90’s when dried hydrangeas were the trend.
They looked so bright and cheery this morning in the sunny window of my kitchen.
Floral spray paint is translucent and can be applied in many different ways. It is not like regular spray paint, it is ultra-fine and misty. If it came out opaque like regular spray paint, the flowers would die and look all the same color with no variation which would obviously not be very pretty.
I love the purple next to the Lemon Cypress. One of my favorite color combinations – purple and chartreuse. :-)
Seeing the hydrangeas looking so pretty in my kitchen this morning made me want to share the flower love. Kind of pay it forward since Ed basically got them for me. I decided to take one bloom and give it to my neighbor, Toni.
First I cleaned out an empty tin can. I wrote Toni’s initial on a gift tag and tied it on a ribbon and wrapped it around the can. I filled the can with water and inserted one cut bloom.
It makes a fast and affordable little party favor or gift for girlfriends, teachers, or even a hostess gift.
I did a little research and found that the floral spray comes in many colors.
It is sold at the craft store and Walmart as well as online.
If any of your flowers bloom and you don’t like the color, you can easily make the flower become any color you want with a simple misting.
Flower Painting Tips:
- put gloves on to protect hands from getting color misted
- line up the dot with the black line on the top of the can
- shake the can well
- Important: hold the can at least 15″ – 18″ away as you spray
- dries to a satin sheen
- one light coat adds a translucency of color
- safe application on fresh flowers
- use colors alone or in combination
- re-coat at any time
4 Flower Painting Techniques to Try:
Misting: Hold the can 15″ – 18″ away as you spray the flower. Turn the flower as you spray. When you like the color, give the flower a gentle shake to make sure the paint is blended. Let dry. The paint dries very fast.
Airbrushing: Is like misting, but you spray 20″ away to just highlight or darken a few areas of the flower.
Toning: This is when you want to add color depth or a variation of the actual flower color. Use either a darker or lighter color of paint in the same color paint as the flower. Hold the can 15″ – 18″ away and just hit the edges of the flower to create a two-tone effect.
Tipping: This is how florists create color on the tips of a carnation. Cup the flower head in your hand and gently tighten your fingers around it so only the tips of the flower are exposed, then spray. When you let go and the flower expands open again, only the tips will have color on them.
Have you ever spray painted a flower before?
Norma Rolader says
Diana I would have never thought to mist the silks with a paint but it is beautiful and thank you for sharing the paint colors God bless
Neha Yadav says
Hello, Great ideas.. !! It’s wonderfull. Thanku You..///
Eureka Forbes says
I truly make the most of your site. You have such innovative thoughts! Much obliged to you :)
Juliie says
and…my treated ones last for years and are soft. They do not fall apart like regular dried ones. Wondering if I could spray paint those also…I treat them for a week with glycerin first.
Juliie says
love it! I am hosting a baby shower and have just cut 50 blooms to treat with glycerin but love this idea for our fall Christmas pot decorating party. So once I cut them I can immediately spray them with the special paint correct? Thanks for posting this!
Gemma says
woooow! It’s amazing! Great idea!
Stephanie @ Casa Watkins says
I didn’t know there was a floral spray. I love it! I really like the tag on the tin can. Great gift idea. PINNED!
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Stephanie. The spray paint is very light and airy almost translucent color when you apply one coat. More coats and the paint will get more opaque.
Krista @ the happy housie says
This is crazy cool! I had no idea that it even existed! Oh, the possibilities:)
Taylor Rose says
I really enjoy your blog. You have such creative ideas! Thank you :)
Sheryll & Critters. says
Wow, how wonderful of Ed to give you a gift card for fresh flowers. I would like to have one just like him. And wow to the spray paint for flowers too. I love this news. I knew the florists did such, but never knew us little peons could have such as well. What a lovely gift for your neighbor too.
And yes, I would love to have you around the corner or across the street as well. But then you might grow to hate me, cause I might be there everyday!
patty reed-pederson says
Fascinating! Can’t wait to try it on some hyrdrangeas from my son’s/daughter in law’s abundant garden.
Ellen says
“Won’t you be, won’t you be—my neighbor?”
Diane Henkler says
:-) I wish I could have all my readers live around the cul-de-sac. What fun we would have. XO
Linda Weeks says
It certainly is new! How do you find such interesting stuff! The technology that is coming out is so fabulous – who would have thought, to spray paint the flowers themselves!
Enjoy your week!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Linda – The floral spray paint has been around for a long time. At least since the 90’s as that is when I used it for dry flowers. It is what florist’s use. I never thought about doing in on fresh flowers, but now I will mist ones that lack color….like some of my hydrangea plants that are a pale green and I want them vivid pink or purple.
Connie Nikiforoff Designs says
I’ve never spray painted a flower. But back in the 70’s we used to get white carnations, put them in a glass with food coloring and the coloring would seep into the petals of the flowers…mostly going to the tips. Or if you left them in longer, it would ‘dye’ the entire blossom. It was a great way to get the colors we needed for our prom date’s boutonnieres to match our corsages…and very cheap and easy.
I LOVE the idea of spray painting flowers! I’m going to have a wealth of daisies and it might be fun to have colors other than just white. What a great idea!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Connie – Cool trick about using food coloring to color white carnations. That could be the way they made them green for St. Patty’s day, too. :-) The spray paint is so versatile and quick. Enjoy creating colorful daisies this summer.
Lois Tipton says
Diane, I have an abundance of hydrangeas and love to let them dry to use after they have stopped blooming. After some time they do loose their color and become brownish…which still looks great in baskets. Do you think this floral spray paint will work on the blooms after they have turned? Or if sprayed while fresh would they keep the color after they dry?
I can’t wait to find some of this paint! Thanks for another great tip. Lois
Diane Henkler says
Hi Lois – Yes you can use the Design Master paint for dried flower blooms. One coat will give a transparent veil. If you add more coats the color will become more opaque and vivid. That is what is so nice about it. You can make the color look as natural or intense as you want.
Millet Bruce says
Hi Diane, I’ve been following your blog for sometime now and have benefited a lot from your insights and tutorials. For this reason, I really owe you this email of thanks . This flower dyeing tutorial is another new thing for me and your gift to your neighbor is so sweet.
Millet Bruce
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Millet – It is nice to hear that you have gained insights from my blog. XO Thanks for taking the time to tell me. My neighbor Toni loved the hydrangea. I didn’t know this, but she is having a few people over to her house tonight and was planning to buy something, now she doesn’t have to. :-)
Mary says
Diane,
What a lovely, refreshing gift idea. I wish that I was your neighbor too! The flowers were so pretty, just looking at them makes one happy. I found an interesting dyed, not painted orchid at Safeway/Vons. It was a purple orchid dyed a very deep shade of purple/almost black. The flowers have lasted almost two months. They looked so elegant.
I am definately going to try some floral spray when my flowers have fully bloomed.
Again, thanks!,
Mary
Diane Henkler says
Hi Mary – Your orchid sounds lovely. I am a big fan of purple and or pink flowers. Another reader mentioned dying the flowers. So many ways to get the colors we want.