Tips for Beautiful Tulip Arrangements (2024)

Get my easy tips for making beautiful tulip arrangements, and find out a simple trick that anyone can do to fix drooping tulips!

How to Arrange Tulips

For some of us, the winter months can be long and dreary…but there are things we can do to brighten our spaces, and add color to our decor. This can be easily accomplished by simply picking up grocery store flowers, or visiting your local flower shop or florist.

Find the freshest bouquet that you can. There is nothing that can cheer up a room more than a bunch (or two) of fresh cut tulips. They come in a wide variety of colors, and make a gorgeous arrangement. Follow these simple steps for making long-lasting and beautiful tulip arrangements.

Choose The Vessel

My favorite flower vessel for tulip arrangements is, hands down, an ironstone pitcher. The simplicity and texture just add to the beauty of the The stems of some flowers, especially tulips, can turn the water murky. This can happen after just a few hours, even when the water is still very fresh.

By choosing a vessel that is not a clear glass vase, this problem is not an issue. For tulips, it’s also important to choose a vessel with a round mouth. The bigger the mouth, the more the tulips will spread out, and possibly droop. A smaller mouth will keep the tulips gathered together, with straighter stems.

Separate and Gather the Tulips

Begin with a vessel filled with cool water, sharp scissors, and a large bunch of tulips. I bought one bunch of pink tulips and one bunch of white tulips, for a total of 20 stems. Separate the tulips and remove any damaged or large outer leaves. One at a time, gather the tulip stems in one hand, making sure the blooms are as even as possible.

How to Cut Tulips

Holding tightly to the tulip stems with one hand, carefully cut all the stems evenly. I have large hands, and as you can see, it was all I could do to keep the tulips together. If you cannot get all the tulips in one bunch, it’s fine to make, and then cut, two bunches. Just make sure the stems of both bunches are the same length.

Tip #1: don’t cut the tulip stems too short the first time. It’s better to cut them too long, and trim again if necessary.

Tip #2: drop an ice cube in the water before you add the tulips. They love to be cool!

How To Put Tulips in a Vase or Pitcher

All at once, set the group of stems that you are holding in your hand into your vessel. Make sure the ends of the stems are all the way to the bottom of your vessel. Let go of the stems, and let the beautiful blooms fall naturally.

Tips + Tweaks

At this point, you can carefully remove and reinsert stems so the arrangement is balanced in size and color. Personally, I don’t worry too much about this. I don’t mind if there is a rogue tulip that sticks out too far…or if the colors are a little off. You can have beautiful arrangements without going for perfection. As you can see in the picture of the flowers below, the tulips all immediately drooped. I love this look, but if you prefer your tulips upright, read on!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Tulips Droop?

Your tulip arrangement can droop for several reasons. The most common reason is not enough fresh water, but they can also be affected by too much light, a room that’s too warm, or stems that are weak.

How To Keep Tulips From Drooping

This blog is not really known for dramatic before and afters…so I am thrilled to be able to share this one with you! You can see in the image above that the tulips are lovely, but totally drooping. I took the step-by-step pictures above on a cloudy day, in the afternoon. That night, before I went to bed, I cut off two more inches from the ends of the tulips, and dropped two pennies in the pitcher. When I got up in the morning, the image below shows you what happened.

I learned about this trick last year when I posted a picture of some drooping tulips on Instagram. There were several comments advising me to put a penny in the water. Evidently the copper from the penny is what makes the tulip stems stand tall. I have to admit that I was slightly shocked that it worked!

How to Make Tulips Last Longer

• give them fresh, cool water every day
• trim the ends so the stems can absorb more water
• keep them away from bright windows and lamps
• display them in a cool room if possible