Best Online Floral Design Classes
A floral designer, or florist, is a creative professional who arranges and designs bouquets, centerpieces, and other types of decorations with flowers. Some are business owners, with small shops and websites offering arrangements. Others work for large florist companies and other businesses.
If you’re interested in floral design as a career, you don’t need to earn specific credentials. However, you do need skills and practice. If you can’t find florist classes or a floral design school in your area, look into online courses.
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How to Become a Florist or Floral Designer
There are no official requirements for training, education, or licensing for floral designers. Of course, you can earn certificates, degrees, diplomas, and professional certifications. Having these credentials will make it easier to get new clients.
Most importantly, floral design courses give you the skills and knowledge needed to make beautiful flower arrangements and decorations. A great way to get started is to take professional florist classes. After you’ve learned the basics, you can find a job working with a professional florist to learn more with hands-on experience. Then you’ll be ready to advance in your career or start your own business.
What Are Online Floral Design Classes?
Floral design is both an art and a science that requires learned skills. It’s great to learn with an expert florist in person, but this isn’t practical for everyone. An alternative that can be just as helpful is taking online courses.
Online floral design courses range from local one-time classes for creating a particular project piece to complete programs that confer a certificate or diploma. Some schools that have in-person floral design programs also offer online versions.
What you learn in an online flower design or florist class depends on the particular course. Start with the basics of floral design. Beginner classes will teach you about the tools of the trade and foundational principles in floral design. You can also take business classes if you hope to start your own floral company eventually.
The Best Online Floral Classes
Choosing the best floral design courses depends on your particular goals. If you only want to learn how to make a bouquet for your wedding, for instance, look for a project class that teaches you how to make bouquets.
If you’re interested in becoming a professional florist, you’ll need several classes, starting with basic floral design. From there, you can take additional courses in more advanced topics. Here are some of the best online classes for future floral designers:
1. Penn Foster
Penn Foster is a nationally recognized and accredited online school offering various programs and courses, like floral design. The floral design career diploma program is well-rounded and designed for aspiring professional florists.
The program takes between 7-11 months to complete, although you have some say in the pacing. The cost is $799 if you can pay the tuition amount in full. You can also finance the tuition at $50 per month for a total of $929. Expect extra costs for buying project materials. You’ll take several exams to track your progress and complete a final project.
Courses in the Penn Foster program include design basics, floral design tools, design techniques, working with real and artificial plants, and more. You’ll learn how to care for plants and how to identify different types. Courses also include instruction in making arrangements for all types of events, from weddings to funerals.
2. Ashworth College
Ashworth College is located in Georgia but offers several online educational and career programs, including a career diploma in floral design. The program can be completed in as little as four months, but the school gives you one year from the time you enroll to finish the courses. Tuition is $899 if you pay $50 per month or $849 in total.
The Ashworth floral program includes four groupings: floral design orientation, floral design fundamentals, floral identification and care, and design techniques. The program was developed to help people enter this career, so courses include design skills and business lessons. It is a complete professional course for students serious about becoming florists.
Ashworth graduates retain access to the Ashworth College Central Network, which is an online career tool. It provides essential resources, including tips on resume writing, interviewing skills, and career search information and assistance.
3. New York Institute of Art and Design
NYIAD is an online art and design school accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. It is dedicated to providing courses and career programs for aspiring creative professionals, including future floral designers.
The floral design certificate includes video lessons, advisors, a student forum, and a mentorship program. Students pair up with professional florists for mentoring, advice, and feedback on their work. Lessons are organized into six units:
- Getting Started in Floral Design
- Developing Your Online Presence
- Day-to-Day Design
- Weddings and Events
- Advanced Floral Design
- Designing as a Professional
You can complete this program at your own pace. NYIAD gives students up to 18 months to complete the classes. You can also try out the course for two weeks risk-free. If you don’t want to continue, you can get a tuition refund. Tuition is $1,049 with monthly payments or just $749 if you pay in full.
4. Team Flower
Team Flower is not a university or college but an online school dedicated to supporting and training florists. Pro florist Kelly Perry started Team Flower after fielding questions from aspiring florists. She created an online community that now has more than 5,000 members.
The website offers 12 classes that fall into three different categories: business, design, and growing. The “How to Become a Florist” course is a great way to start for newcomers to the industry. It teaches students about the foundational skills and requirements for floristry. It also provides one-on-one coaching for newbies. This beginner’s course is just $199.
Once you get started, you can take courses in subjects like principles of design, bouquets, arbors and ceremonies, centerpieces, advanced wiring and more. These courses range in price from $199 to $697.
Each course is priced individually, so you can start at the beginning or return to Team Flower later for continuing education and learning new skills. There are also occasional in-person floral design workshops and an annual conference for flower professionals.
5. American School of Flower Design
Expert florist Michael Gaffney created a complete online curriculum for aspiring florists and hobbyists interested in learning more about flower arranging. His American School of Flower Design provides flexible learning options. You can purchase one course at a time or enroll in the ultimate online floral class.
The latter includes more than 30 instructional videos, Gaffney’s three floral design books, his flower design system, discounts you can apply to wholesale flower purchases, and ongoing support. This is a good option if you are serious about becoming a flower professional.
If you’re just getting your toes wet in floristry or are a hobbyist, you can purchase one-time lessons, each of which focuses on a particular project: wedding bouquets, vase arrangements, centerpieces, and more. Each lesson costs $150 and overnights the supplies and flowers needed to complete it. You get access to a training video to make the floral design.
6. Floral Design Institute
The Floral Design Institute is an excellent resource for continuing education. If you already work in the industry and want to expand your skills, try courses like Advanced Floral Design, Wedding Flower Bootcamp, Flowers to Wear, and Fundamentals of Floral Design.
The Institute offers in-person workshops as well, but the online courses provide valuable information and cost less. Tuition varies depending on the class. As an example, the advanced floral design course is $950, including all applicable fees.
7. SkillShare
If cost is an issue, consider starting with SkillShare courses. Courses on this online platform are free with membership. The cost is just $14 per month. This is not the best option if you are serious about starting your career right away, but it’s a good way to try out floral arranging without splurging on a complete florist program.
The online courses include: Designing Professional Floral Arrangements for Beginners, Floristry 101, Bouquet Making, Dried Flowers, Winter Arrangements, Centerpieces, and Advanced Centerpiece Design. You can see how many people have taken the courses and their reviews. You can also get a free trial membership to SkillShare and try out a few classes before paying the monthly membership fee.
Floral design is a rewarding creative career that allows you to earn a living while making beautiful decorations. Whether you want to seek employment with an existing company or start your own floral business, starting with the right classes is essential. Don’t overlook online options that allow you to learn floral design right from the comfort of your home.
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