Flower decorations
Garlands, wreaths, carpets, arrangements and the customs of decorating with flowers. 262 decorations so far, best known first.
Arrangements and bouquetsFlowers composed in a vase, a bowl or the hand: ikebana, bouquets, centrepieces.47Garlands and wreathsFlowers strung, woven or bound into a line or a ring.18Flowers that are wornIn the hair, round the neck, on the lapel and on the head.25Carpets and floor patternsPetals laid on the ground: pookalam, infiorata, flower carpets.19Parades, floats and big displaysFlower parades, floats, floral clocks, shows and installations.60Offerings and ritesFlowers given to gods, guests and the dead.44Flower craftsPressed, dried, preserved, distilled and made by hand.51Flowers in art and designPainted, woven, carved and printed flowers, and what they stand for.70Garden stylesWays of laying out a garden, from the charbagh to the cottage border.33Customs, festivals and the tradeFlower festivals, the language of flowers, markets and the flower trade.184
Decoration
Vase
An open container for holding and displaying cut flowers
Arrangement
Decoration
Corn dolly
Straw figures shaped for harvest customs across Europe
🇮🇪 Ireland and 3 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Paisleyبته
A curved teardrop motif from Iran and India, now used worldwide on textiles
🇮🇷 Iran and 8 more · Art or design
Decoration
Butaبوته
A curved floral motif found in Persian, Indian, and Central Asian art and textiles
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 more · Art or design
Decoration
Pomander
A scented ball or container worn or carried to perfume the air
Worn flowers
Decoration
Cake decorating
The craft of adorning cakes with icing, fondant, and edible decorations
🇺🇸 United States · Art or design
Decoration
Sugar sculpture
Artistic centerpieces and figures made entirely from cooked sugar
🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Papel picado
Mexican folk art banners made by cutting designs into colored tissue paper
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Quilling
Decorative art made by rolling and shaping strips of paper
🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Kusudama薬玉
A Japanese paper sphere made from folded flowers or units, often hung as decoration
🇯🇵 Japan · Flower craft
Decoration
Shellcraft
Decorative art made by arranging and using seashells
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Herbarium
A scientific collection of preserved plant specimens for study and reference
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 more · Parade or display
Decoration
Attarअत्तर, عطر
Traditional natural perfume oil distilled from flowers, herbs, and spices
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Flower craft
Decoration
rose oil
Essential oil distilled from rose petals, prized in perfume and tradition
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 4 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Enfleurage
A traditional French method for capturing flower fragrance in fat
🇫🇷 France · Flower craft
Decoration
Absolute
A concentrated aromatic plant extract used in perfumery
Flower craft
Decoration
Essential oil
Fragrant plant oils used for scent, flavour, and traditional remedies
🇵🇪 Peru · Flower craft
Decoration
Concrete (perfumery)
A waxy extract from flowers used to make perfume absolutes
Flower craft
Decoration
Palmette
A fan-shaped floral motif from ancient Egypt and Greece, used in art and architecture
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 more · Art or design
Decoration
Trellis
An open lattice framework for supporting climbing plants
Garden style
Decoration
Hortus Eystettensis
A 1613 botanical book showing over 1,000 garden plants from a Bavarian palace
🇩🇪 Germany · Art or design
Decoration
Chintzछींट
Indian floral-printed cotton fabric with a glossy or painted finish
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Art or design
Decoration
Kanzashi簪
Traditional Japanese hair ornaments, often crafted as folded silk flowers
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Decoration
Oshibana押し花
The craft of making pictures from pressed flowers and leaves
🇯🇵 Japan · Flower craft
Decoration
Floral design
The art of arranging flowers and plant materials into decorative displays
🇪🇬 Egypt and 7 more · Arrangement
Decoration
Flower frog
A tool for holding flower stems in place for arranging
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Decoration
Tulipiere
A pottery vessel with spouts for growing tulip bulbs indoors
🇪🇸 Spain · Arrangement
Decoration
Rosette
A round, stylized flower motif used in art and decoration
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 more · Art or design
Decoration
Espalier
Trained flat against a wall or trellis, in patterns that save space and bear fruit
Garden style
Decoration
Sugar paste
A sweet, moldable icing for cake decorations and edible flowers
Flower craft
Decoration
Bonkei盆景
Miniature Japanese landscapes built in trays from dry materials
🇯🇵 Japan · Art or design
Decoration
Phulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ / پھلکاری
Hand-embroidered floral shawls and cloths from Punjab, made by women
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Kalamkariవ్రాత పని
Hand-painted and block-printed cottons from Andhra Pradesh using natural dyes
🇮🇳 India · Art or design
Decoration
Suzani textileسوزن
Embroidered dowry textiles from Central Asia, rich in floral and tribal designs
🇹🇯 Tajikistan and 3 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Monoï oil
Traditional Tahitian scented oil made from tiaré flowers and coconut oil
Flower craft
Decoration
Potpourripot-pourri
A bowl of dried, scented plant materials to perfume indoor spaces
🇫🇷 France · Flower craft
Decoration
Easter palmpalma wielkanocna, verba
A decorated willow or juniper branch for Palm Sunday in Poland and Lithuania
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 3 more · Offering or rite
Decoration
Flower preservation
Ways to keep flowers looking fresh long after they are picked
Flower craft
Decoration
Artificial flower
Imitation flowers made from fabric, plastic, paper, clay and other materials
🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Arrangement
Decoration
Sachet
A small scented cloth bag filled with herbs or aromatic ingredients
🇮🇳 India · Flower craft
Decoration
Jasmine tea茉莉花茶
Green or other tea leaves scented with jasmine flowers, prized in China and Vietnam
🇨🇳 China and 2 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Orange flower water
A fragrant distillate from bitter-orange blossoms used in food, drink, and tradition
🇩🇿 Algeria and 7 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Gulkand
A sweet preserve made from rose petals and sugar
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Gul
A medallion motif woven into Central Asian carpets and textiles
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan · Art or design
Decoration
Botanical illustration
Detailed drawings of plants for science, books, and art
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 more · Art or design
Decoration
Millefleur
A tapestry and carpet style with scattered small flowers on a grassy ground
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Art or design
Decoration
Pietra dura
Images and patterns inlaid from polished coloured stones, often on marble
🇮🇳 India · Art or design
Decoration
DelftwareDelfts blauw
Dutch tin-glazed pottery known for blue and white floral designs
🇳🇱 Netherlands · Art or design
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Vase: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Corn dolly: Renata ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Paisley: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Buta: Thomas Watier, Public domain, source
- Pomander: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Sugar sculpture: kirstenjolanda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cake decorating: Michael Prudhomme, CakesMadeEasy.com, CC BY 2.5, source
- Papel picado: Ferfive, CC BY 4.0, source
- Quilling: Inna Dorman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kusudama: Angie, CC BY 2.0, source
- Shellcraft: Verne Equinox, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Herbarium: DIST Lyon1, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Attar: Kerina yin, CC0, source
- rose oil: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Absolute: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Essential oil: JJ Georges, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Concrete (perfumery): Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Palmette: Lameiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trellis: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hortus Eystettensis: Wolfgang Kilian, Public domain, source
- Chintz: Karun Thakar Collection photo. Work by unknown Coromandel artisans. Ph, Public domain, source
- Kanzashi: Anonymous ( Japan ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Oshibana: Pmlydon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Floral design: Jmaxx37, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Flower frog: Lathama, CC0, source
- Tulipiere: Lourdes Cardenal, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rosette: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Espalier: KVDP, Public domain, source
- Sugar paste: Pirum, Public domain, source
- Bonkei: Utagawa Hiroshige, Public domain, source
- Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kalamkari: Anilbhardwajnoida, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Suzani textile: Ilhoms, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Monoï oil: Verodemortillet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Potpourri: Herbert James Draper, Public domain, source
- Easter palm: Evaldas Liutkus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Flower preservation: Flor4U|Wolfgang Roth|Blumenwerkstatt Roth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Artificial flower: Flor4U|Wolfgang Roth|Blumenwerkstatt Roth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sachet: Jebulon, CC0, source
- Jasmine tea: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, source
- Orange flower water: Amadalvarez, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gulkand: Dforest, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gul: Hawley, W. A. (Walter Augustus), 1863-1920, No restrictions, source
- Botanical illustration: artist not specified; the author of the corresponding article is Helen, Public domain, source
- Millefleur: David Jackson, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, source
- Pietra dura: Jacopo Ligozzi / Romolo del Tadda, Public domain, source
- Delftware: Daderot, CC0, source