Discover the Best Floral Design Classes in NYC
Floral design is the art of using flowers and greenery to create arrangements that please the senses. Humans have used flowers to express emotions through gifting and for decorative purposes for centuries. As a result, you’ll find flower arrangements at nearly every special occasion, like weddings, funerals, anniversaries, and birthdays. If you’ve always dreamed of being a floral design expert, you can make this happen with the proper training. Whether you want to launch a career as a Floral Designer, open a floral shop, pick up a fun and relaxing hobby, or launch a new side gig, several classes are available to help you master these creative skills.
Why You Should Learn Floral Design in NYC
If you’re on the fence about learning floral design in NYC, there are many reasons why you should take the plunge. First, it should come as no surprise that New York employs the 4th highest number of Floral Designers in the U.S., earning annual salaries of nearly $40,000 annually. With the enormous amount of businesses and hospitality in NYC, there are many career opportunities for floral professionals. Not only is it an excellent place to find a job, but NYC Floral Designers also have one of the highest pay rates in that field across the country.
Suppose you aren’t looking to launch a floral design career. Enrolling in a class to learn these valuable skills is an excellent activity with friends and a great way to meet new people in NYC. You can also use your skills to create a side hustle, like selling arrangements on Etsy or working at a local florist creating bouquets and making deliveries. In addition, you can learn floral design as a fun and relaxing new hobby or join a garden club or community group to widen your social circle. For example, explore NYC Parks GreenThumb, where you can join thousands of other volunteers who help sustain the city’s 550 unique green spaces.
Another excellent benefit of floral design is that it’s a relatively inexpensive hobby since you can grow flowers in and around your living space or in a community garden. And since you can floral design at any age, these relaxing and fun skills will last a lifetime.
In-Person Floral Design Classes & Schools in NYC
Attending an in-person floral design course is an excellent way to meet fellow NYC flower enthusiasts. Not only is it the perfect excuse to venture out into the city to meet new friends, but you’ll also network with like-minded people, which could lead to exciting career opportunities.
The Floral Arranging Beginner course offered at Adore Floral in the heart of NYC is a great place to start. Inspired by Japanese flower shops as a little girl, founder Chiyomi Uchino fulfilled her dreams and opened Adore Floral in 2005. This beautiful neighborhood flower studio offers courses featuring floral design basics to expert tips. In the Floral Arranging Beginner class, you’ll learn how to clean and process flowers and create whimsical designs based on color schemes, shapes, patterns, and textures. Shears and knives are provided onsite, with the option to purchase. The class fee also includes vases, boxes, and bags to transport your creations home safely.
If you’re looking for a more intensive program, check out the Flower Design Star: 1 Week Comprehensive course at the American School of Flower Design in Chelsea, Manhattan. Founded by world-renowned designer Michael Gaffney, this school has 16 locations in the U.S., London, Paris, and Rome. The schools feature courses for all levels in European, contemporary, bridal, landscape, and Asian floral design. The comprehensive Design Star program covers 24 floral design styles, taking you from novice to Floral Designer in a week. Don’t miss out on the rare opportunity to spend five days in class designing with Gaffney and receive an autographed copy of his best-selling “Design Star” book. In addition, on the last day, you’ll have the chance to take part in designing a mock wedding. If you’d prefer a shorter introductory course, explore the Floral Design Sampler. Grab a friend, spend the day designing with Gaffney, and go home with three show-stopping arrangements. You’ll gain expert knowledge as you delve into the world of floral design.
Can you imagine creating a floral arrangement that can last over a year? Petal+Eon, located in Midtown, Manhattan, offers a Make a DIY Floral Arrangement that Lasts a Year workshop where you’ll work with preserved flowers to make arrangements for your home or to gift to a loved one. Petal+Eon’s name literally means “flowers that last an eon.” This unique floral shop features real eco-friendly flowers preserved in peak bloom to look and feel like fresh flowers for up to two years. These stunning flowers are organically treated in a glycerin and silica solution for two to four weeks, making them look and feel like fresh flowers. Most of the flowers sold at Petal+Eon are grown in Ecuador, Columbia, Japan, California, and Korea.
If you’re looking for a unique and slightly advanced course, explore Japanese Flower Arrangement: Ohara Ikebana by HANADOJO at RESOBOX. RESOBOX is a cultural center in East Village, Manhattan, dedicated to celebrating Japanese influence in the arts. The center features various activities, events, classes, and art exhibitions. This small group flower arrangement class will help you master the basic Ohara Ikebana techniques and learn how to incorporate nature into your everyday life. You’ll work with bamboo skewers, cloth, kenzan, plates, and more to create gorgeous floral creations. This course is for individuals 18 years and over, and the fee includes all necessary materials.
Virtual Floral Design Classes & Schools
Do you need help finding a floral design course that fits your busy schedule? Sometimes in-person classes aren’t available at the right time or place to fit your needs. That’s why CourseHorse does all the legwork for you and gathers the best online floral design courses in the U.S. for you to search on its website. Now, you can learn floral design in the comfort of your home or anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
With live online learning, you have more course options to choose from and eliminate the hassle of commuting to class. In addition, you don’t have to stress if you don’t have the proper supplies. The schools provide material lists to purchase online or at a craft store before the course; some schools even ship items to your door.
If you’d like to explore a unique and relaxing form of flower design, check out the Virtual Flower Arrangement - Misho Ikebana course from RESOBOX. In this interactive class, you’ll learn lessons in Ikebana—the Japanese art of flower arranging blossoms, leaves, branches, and stems. So grab a pair of scissors or clippers and a vase or any other choice of container, and prepare to stretch your creativity in this relaxing course. You’ll need to supply two to three varieties of flowers of your choice, which you can find at your local florist, grocery store, or farmer’s market.
If red roses express love, what do pink petals represent? Explore the role of color in flower arranging in the New York Botanical Garden’s Color Theory for Floral Design course. You’ll work with a spectrum of flowers to help you understand color theory and learn about the latest hues and color combinations. This course is for students 18 years and over with all experience levels. The instructor will email you a materials list before class, which includes floral clippers, a container or vase, flowers, and a color wheel.
Private Group Floral Design Classes in NYC
Is your company looking for an effective way for employees to team-build and stay connected? Or maybe you’re planning a special occasion for family and friends and need a fun activity to highlight the event. Private group online courses are a fun and interactive experience for private groups to share. CourseHorse offers online floral design classes for private groups in NYC delivered straight to your office, home, or anywhere with an internet connection. In addition, private groups can engage in activities like watercolor painting, game show Bingo, and scavenger hunts—all from the comfort of their homes or offices. So why not plan an event for your private group to learn floral design skills from an expert?
For example, your coworkers, friends, or family can bond while learning to create a unique terrarium in the Virtual Terrarium Workshop. This low-stress class will teach you about feng sui and help you explore your creative side. You’ll make your own miniature garden in this fun and interactive class led by an expert instructor. CourseHorse ships all materials to you and each group member, so you just register and sit back and relax. Materials include a glass terrarium, a succulent, reindeer moss, decorative rocks, organic succulent soil, and crystal. At the end of the class, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind creation to display on a shelf or table or hang in your home. Up to 50 people can join this one-hour course, and you can change your final group counts up until a week before the event.
And don’t stress; booking a private group class on CourseHorse is easy. A personal event provider will reach out to introduce themselves to you, answer any questions, and provide additional helpful details about the course. There are no booking fees, and CourseHorse handles all the details.
In addition, CourseHorse offers customization of your event for a $150 fee. For example, if you’d like to add a game featuring specific questions or themes or add a second event with all materials included, CourseHorse has you covered. While Zoom is the preferred platform for class, CourseHorse can also accommodate Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Webex. They can even run courses and events in person at your home or office. For more information about private group classes, contact CourseHorse.
