How To Become A Paper Florist: A 10-Step Guide Written by Amity Beane of Florabeane

How to
Become a
Paper Introduction
Florist This guide was written to share exactly how I

became a paper florist, beyond the oh, wow,
how does one do that! reaction I had when the
January “12 Paper Flower Artists to Follow on
Instagram” article came out on Design*Sponge
A 10-Step Guide written by in 2016. (Haven’t seen it? Go ahead and look
Amity Beane of Florabeane at all the paper flower magic. I’ll wait!)
That oh wow moment ignited my passion. My

mind and hands were occupied and my
1 of 23// How to Become a Paper Florist copyright 2018 Amity Beane //All rights reserved
questions started: where do I buy those Step 1. Create and practice paper
materials, how do I make that flower; you’d flower construction so you can
like to buy this bouquet? I can ship that... build a repertoire of flowers you
make very well
In a relatively short amount of time, and
before I had my baby in June, I’d shipped over You know that tingling feeling when you see a
a half-dozen orders, taught a class, had my gorgeous flower? Capitalize on it. It can be
picture in the paper and, well, learned a lot! hard to know exactly how to start, so let me
recommend that you buy several rolls of
I’ll say it again and again. This entire process Italian crepe paper or German doublette in
took time, over a year! You are not failing by complementary colors. I recommend cream,
moving deliberately and slowly towards your white, peach, blush, and rose because they can
goals. This is how my own journey went, along be the starting point of many flowers and
with many ideas that you can use, modify, or whatever you make with them will go together
re-invent. in a bouquet. You will also need a roll of green.
Let’s get started with the education and For the stems and leaves I prefer doublette as
construction of paper flowers. It’s a no- the colors are much more natural. I would
brainer. If you want to be a paper florist, this is recommend eight folds of a moss leaf
the first step! (You may think starting a doublette.
business means ordering business cards, but in With the papers in hand, now you need glue:
this case, it’s the endless pursuit of aesthetics-- Hot glue, school glue, or tacky glue are fine.
practice, practice, practice!) You will discover which works best for which
paper and flower. Stem wires are a must;
cloth-covered, and 16-gauge for the main stem
and 18- and 20-gauge for the side stems and
foliage. You might also want waxed floral tape.
I use this on my stems if they are in vases with
real flowers.
That’s it--this is what you need to get started.

Waxed floral tape can be found at most craft
stores and online also as well as all the glues.
Make sure you find a very very sharp pair of
scissors! I use Chikamasa grape-pruning
scissors.
Here is what I recommend for a new paper

florist to do first:
• Choose a flower, make a dozen. Choose

another, make a dozen more. You will learn
right away how to improve on each flower
this way. You will also learn your capacity to
batch-cut, or cut several papers at once for
your pattern.
• Try different tutorials, and play around, but make sure to give it some dynamic energy by
also study the botanical plates of any given bending the stem as it might appear in
flower. Be free to make your own template nature.
based on what you learn.
If you look at some of my top images from the
• Not every flower will look right the first time, past two years, it’s my peonies that rise to the
most do not! The first flower wonkiness is to top. People love them, and I enjoy making all
be expected. different kinds of peonies because I feel I truly
understand their botany. I consider it my
• Don’t stop making the flower until you
personal break-through flower. There are
understand it (which is why making a dozen
several online tutorials on paper peonies. This
is helpful.)
is a really great online paper flower class
• Pay very close attention to petal arrangement featuring a luxurious double paper peony, with
and botanical elements as you go, as this a simpler center to make than most, and with a
makes the most difference between craft and high value in the retail market once finished.
artistic presentation.
It’s important to realize that even though you
• Do not be put off by learning the foliage of can read this series in a short amount of time,
each flower. If you really detest foliage, learn the time it took for me to put all this into
to make it first. It always adds to an practice took months. This hard-earned
arrangement. wisdom came from having to have systems in
place to be taken seriously as a business. It
• Remember that a lot of flowers do not have
does take time, and it should be something you
straight stems. When you finish a flower,
can do happily because it’s a happy creative
space you are making, for your own artistry
to bloom!
Step 2. Organize your studio to

enable creativity: making,
finishing, photographing,
packing, shipping and storing
My first few months making flowers, I began

to acquire supplies and materials. Paper,
glue, wires, and cardboard boxes sat around
my living room! I was pregnant, and it was
convenient. As winter melted to spring, and
each finished order led to another
commission, I decided to use the nursery
space. To be honest, my partner also started
to get frustrated with the state of the dining
room table. Once I moved into the nursery,
even with my own room to make things in,
things easily got out of hand with every
project! So, I began to compartmentalize.
First thing to remember is that you do not • bought shelving units to stack my storage
need a room of your own. You really just need boxes full of supplies (and I use one as a
several boxes and moveable props. Really! I stand-up craft and record station for videos!)
still operate in limited space within my home,
• bought cookie sheets-lots of cookie sheets-to
and it functions because I implemented the
have project “home base” layers and a way to
following:
capture scraps when I was cutting
• acquired storage boxes for each type of
• created backdrops that could be moved
material I used so that everything always had
around easily with foam core or old wood for
a home when a project was over
photography
• purchased folding craft tables in two sizes so
• purchased and stored packing and shipping
I would have two flat areas to process, pack,
supplies
ship flowers on
Truthfully, my space is often messy and in-use.
• sourced glass frogs from second-hand and
Sometimes it will really languish, especially if I
vintage shops so that many flowers could be
have several things going at once. But the
processed at once
mood will strike to organize, and if it doesn’t,
• organized plastic tulip crates that my real my habit is to clean it on my studio day (more
bulbs came with vases and vessels to use in on that later). Everything having a home
arranging paper flowers makes a world of difference when it is time for
a massive clean-up and sort. Most paper
scraps go into brown bags that we eventually
put in the wood stove. I do save sizable pieces,
but not obsessively and cleaning up paper
scraps is very satisfying, as is a clean studio.
These steps took me a considerable amount of

time. It took me a whole year to reserve the
name “Florabeane” on a website, a whole year
from when I started informally selling on
Instagram to having a formal online brand and
business. Personally this was the time I needed
to grow into my identity as a paper florist and
also, to have my baby!
Why Florabeane? My handle on Instagram at

the time was Photobeane, and it was an easy
switch. My first name can be difficult for
people to spell, but Florabeane is catchy and
easy to spell.
Step 3. Decide on a name for your

studio and reserve it online and on
social media
Even if you’re not ready to share your work Write down your top choice and variations,
online, when the passion of paper floristry and search online to see what else, who else,
ignites your soul, think long and hard about and where else this name exists. This does take
your business name. time! You DO want to be unique. You DO want
it easy to spell.
• Is it easy to spell?
Once you have the unique and winning
• Is it available as a domain?
business name that is available on Instagram,
• Does anyone else have it? Facebook, Pinterest, and as a domain...yes, go
and register, claim, create the accounts to
• Is it too similar to others?
represent you. Do them in order so all of your
This process should take some time. You want accounts are associated with a branded e-mail.
to ensure that all of your platforms can have
You will want to make accounts with the
the same handle or ID. You want to make it
following platforms. Remember, your own
very easy for people to find you on whatever
website is the most important. With a quality
social media you decide to use, beyond your
website, your other accounts will flow content
website. Yes, you need a website. If you want
from it.
to be a brand, a business, a presence, you must
have your own website. It’s the real estate • Gsuite (Gmail for businesses)
online that you own, that no one else can
• A domain seller, such as GoDaddy, you want
control or lock you out of.
your business name to end in .com and be
sure to pay extra to make your details private
in the WHOIS directory
• Pinterest
• Facebook Business Page (this may be

connected to an already existing email)
• Instagram (this is an app for your phone
although you can view pictures on your
computer)
Don’t worry if you still don’t have stuff to share

on these accounts. It is okay! The first step is
just reserve your name. Think of it as making
sure your kid gets into the pre-school of
choice. A little due diligence (search and define
what name works across the web and in real
life), and it’s a walk in the park (make a list,
and register each account!) You need a domain
name (yes, a .com that represents your brand
for eternity), and any social media handles. It’s
a serious amount of due diligence....but will
pay off later when you are ready to move
ahead.
You’re practicing lots of beautiful flowers, here, and it will also advise you to search by
organizing your studio, and you’ve figured out state. Once you have this number, you will
the name that works for you and your business start to pay taxes on your income from your
long-term and done the legwork to reserve the business as well as be eligible for wholesale
name as a domain and across social media. accounts with your suppliers. This is a crucial
This next step is one that legitimizes you as a step into paper floristry as a sustainable
business entity. income. Your ability to purchase supplies
wholesale directly affects your bottom line as a
Step 4. Register your business and creator. So, don’t be afraid! Here’s is what you
apply for a state tax ID so you can need to do in order to get started.
purchase supplies wholesale
• Research your state’s rules regarding getting
In the interest of full disclosure, I have a tax a state tax ID and registering your business
accountant who assists me in filing my
• Create any applicable accounts with your
business every year. I file my business “DBA”
state bureau of taxation so you can pay your
or “Doing business as” and have a separate
taxes online.
bank account for my business expenses under
this name. • With your new employer identification
number you can register for wholesale
In order to know what you will need to do, first
accounts with different types of suppliers.
research your state requirements on how to
register as a business. You will find a lot of • Create a separate bank account just for your
information about getting a tax ID number paper flower business.
Don’t let getting a tax ID intimidate you at all.
Each state is different in its laws. I registered
as a florist in the state of Maine and pay taxes
quarterly. This is part of being a paper florist:
treating your work as a real business and
benefiting from that!
You should already be saving your receipts for

your purchases of your supplies. Anything you
use for your business is now worthy of
examination for tax purposes. My camera,
lenses, laptop, cell phone and internet are all
in support of my business. Good habits make
for clean accounting, so save your receipts, and
re-invest in your business.
I know that right now your burning question

is: what wholesalers can I work with? And
that’s what I will talk about next.
My journey to creating a business from my

paper flowers took time, and sharing exactly
how I did it is my gift to you. Be sure to modify
and adapt this plan to work for you. It may
come as a surprise but I purchased very little tax. This is something you can request if you
paper at the beginning of my business and only want to patronize a local shop.
now purchase paper after an order has been
• Eventually I learned of a large wholesaler in
paid for. I do not have room to keep a stockpile
Minnesota, Rose and Meyer. This wholesaler
of supplies. It was only after I started creating
was able to give me volume discounts on
online courses that I saw large-scale paper
paper, but not Italian crepe paper.
purchasing as a needed expense. With that in
my head for perspective, I began setting up • For Italian crepe, establish a wholesale
wholesale accounts almost immediately after account with Luna Bazaar or Carte Fini.
getting my state tax ID, but not with paper
Many wholesalers require a minimum order.
suppliers.
These orders can feel expensive, but they are a
Step 5: Establish wholesale legitimate business expense that you should
track. This allows you to see, over time, your
accounts with paper flower
profit from your paper flower business.
suppliers
When I received my first order for paper
To me the most important thing at the flowers, I had a good idea of what an invoice
beginning was faux foliage! should have on it and designed something on
• My first account was with afloral.com. my laptop. The second order seemed easy
enough; I copied and pasted everything into a
• Fiddlehead Artisan Supply offered me a
new file and added together my expenses on a
generous discount and no Maine state sales
spreadsheet. This was easy! Before the baby
arrived several more orders were created in
this way. I finished my first year with no
website and no invoicing system, yet with a
small profit margin and many new ideas for
growth. It was time for me to get serious about
streamlining different processes so that I could
focus on creating beautiful commissions for
my clients.
Step 6. Establish an invoicing

system, an inventory, and track
expenses
I tackled the invoicing system by enrolling in
PayPal Business. Here is what I did to set up
an invoicing system. There are other invoice
systems to choose from and all will require
some forms of the following.
• Established a PayPal business account with
my branded Gsuite email
• Set up an itemized quote template for clients can enter the inventory, and then take a
to see the cost of an order (I bill per stem) picture of any attached documentation like a
with my terms of service receipt or order form, whenever I have new
stock in.
• Started my invoice sequence with the year
(example: my first billing of 2018 will be Once an order is finished, I update the
18001) inventory for that order. This allows me to see
what materials and supplies are left over for
The benefit of having a template and a number
any new commissions. It also allows for very
sequence was that it became very easy to quote
clear documentation for tax purposes. I can
orders as they came in and, more importantly,
also put in what form of payment was used so
to establish my terms of service up front, and
that I can cross check my bank statements
to get paid.
when doing taxes.
Establishing an inventory and tracking
Another key reason to keep an inventory is for
expenses I still do on good old-fashioned
insurance purposes. If you are working out of a
spreadsheets. In my inventory I like to write
home studio, and something happens, you will
down what it is, and how much I paid for it,
have a record of your inventory and expenses.
and for what order or client. I created a Google
Form with these questions along with a photo By now you’ve read all the other parts of how
capture question so I can take a picture of the to become a paper florist. Practice, get
receipt of invoice and store it in a spreadsheet organized in the studio, pick the right name
generated by the form. I made the form an and reserve it, get a tax ID, establish wholesale
icon on my home page of my phone so that I accounts. You must be anxious to make that
business card (don’t do it yet), get your website
going, and move on with being a paper florist!
Logos are so important, I am sharing this little

trick first so that you can move forward in
becoming a paper flower powerhouse. Logos
inform the public and should be reproducible
on a small and large scale. Here is how I
handled the logo step in becoming a paper
florist:
Step 7. Keep your logo as simple as

possible with a text logo
Of course, you can come up with a nice logo
that is not text. You can hire someone, draw
one, design one with a computer, or whatever
you like! In my case, I needed to quickly
establish my brand identity. I found the most
effective way to translate this was through a
simple text logo. Why is this so simple and yet
so effective? Fonts do a lot of work without us
even realizing it. Different typefaces tell us
different stories because we have been Don’t overthink your text logo. You need a
conditioned through time and marketing to simple starting place to tell your story. Try
associate fonts with products and services. copying and pasting your business name in a
new file and trying a new font with each one.
Pick a font that your resonates with you and
You will find a text logo that works for you.
your customers! This font will represent your
logo until you decide to change it. Once you have an idea for what font to use for
your logo, it’s time to finalize your brand
Here are some ways to think about choosing
identity
your font.
Making a logo out of text is a simple shortcut
• If your brand is for young moms, look at
to start a brand identity. However, there is a
other brands that cater to that age group and
bit more to consider in this process. You create
see what fonts they use.
a brand identity to align every single thing you
• If your brand is for stylists and decorators, do to represent your brand and your customer.
identify what fonts represent that space in So, as you look at what makes you, you--ask
the market. yourself, who do I create for? This will help
you cut through all the noise that is out there
• If you are unsure of who your customer is, or
in the maker market.
who you are making flowers for, ask
yourself: if I had the ideal commission what Step 8. Create a brand identity to
would it look like? This sort of visualization
stay focused and use it across
helps you understand how to market your
platforms
work.
People will ask you to do craft fairs. People will
ask you what your Etsy is. What is
fundamental in this step is establishing who
you are and who you work for so that there is
never any confusion and your path is clear.
• Decide on what you want to be known for

and how it will look, this is part of your
brand identity.
• Your website is where your brand lives and
is the home of your branded content.
• Create content that reflects your brand

identity and put it on your website and then
push it to other platforms.
• Use the same profile picture and tagline on
every platform.
• Use the same font and logo on every

platform.
• Be consistent.
When I first started, I didn’t have a website. I that Squarespace offers and recommend it
just knew my name was Florabeane and that without reservations for anyone needing a
my work was made to order for artists simple solution to building a website.
and tastemakers to elevate their own
If you followed along so far you’ve reserved
work and lifestyle. My first text logo was
your unique business domain ahead of time.
fun, but did not represent that artist and
This domain will connect with your
tastemaker. So I started again and came up
Squarespace website so that people can find
with something more representative. I started
your business easily. In reality, it will take a
creating images and ideas that reflected my
few hours to set up your website and connect it
customer and my brand.
to your domain. It doesn’t make sense to sit
For me, going to craft fairs or creating a stock and start this task without first creating your
or product options on Etsy was not key information and high quality images that
representative of my brand, and it didn’t fit my reflect your business and brand. All along I
life, my space, or my workflow. Florabeane have said that this process takes time. It took
is an artist interpreting nature, me a year of making images and content
presented as fine art through gorgeous before I was ready to commit to a paid website.
photography. It was worth the wait for me! You should get
organized before opening any free trial
Ask yourself: who do you represent?
account, because you don’t want to pay for
Name, logo, brand identity...It’s a lot to do. Go anything that is not complete and ready to go.
slow. When you’re ready, it is time to start
working with your website. I love the product
Step 9. Populate your website with
key information and high quality
images that reflect your brand
You do not need to be a trained photographer
or even have a lick of marketing experience to
master a few simple tricks for high quality
photos and content for your website. Your goal
is to build a library of images and content that
you publish on your own website and push to
social media.
With your brand identity in mind, here is how

you capture the essence of your artistry in
order establish your paper flowers as a
credible business.
To set up for high quality images to put on

your website:
• Orient your photography set up so that it is
illuminated by a window on the north side of
your home.
• Set up the background for your images. This so any huge high res beauties can easily be
should reflect consistent styling. trimmed up so your page loads faster.
• Use a tripod and a shutter delay (I use two • On every single picture you MUST put your
second delay) to avoid any shake. business name and what it is for search
engine purposes. I write Florabeane Paper
• Experiment with depth of field and how
Flowers on each of my images.
much of your image is in focus. You want
your details to always be in focus. Depending So, now that you have your images and content
on what you want to highlight is how you together, open up your website builder of
determine what should be in focus. choice, pick a template, and start plugging
things in.
To prepare high quality content to put on your
website : Don’t forget: you need an “about” section, a
contact form, and a portfolio.
• Gather top images and what you want the
page to say. One thing I love about Squarespace is that
anytime I get stuck, I can quickly and easily
• Write this out and proof and perfect.
search for the answer just by adding
• You want to copy and paste your Squarespace to my search terms. For example,
information into the template, not write on I might search for “import blog entries
the fly. squarespace” and the answer I am looking for
is usually the first one and in the Squarespace
• You will need to resize your images for the
knowledge base.
web. Squarespace has a built in image editor
Now, you have everything in place. Here is my last piece of wisdom, because truly,
you have arrived (and you don’t even have
You have a repertoire of flowers you can do
business cards yet...that’s the very last
well, and an organized space to make,
paragraph in this series).
photograph, and ship your flowers.
Now, you get to have fun. You get to make
You have a business name. You are registered
things, share things, educate yourself, and
for tax purposes. You have a business bank
educate others. So, keep making things! Make
account.
things that inspire you. Challenge yourself.
You have an invoice system, an inventory, and There are many classes and tutorials out there
you are tracking expenses. and you can even make your own templates.
Share what you make! Remember the rule
You have a logo. You have a brand identity.
here: put high quality images and content on
Your pictures reflect your customer and your
your website first and then push that out to
artistry.
social media. Your goal is to have people visit
You have social media accounts ready to roll your web page--the one place on the web
(Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook). where you own all the content and the way
information flows. When I say educate
You have a website with high quality images
yourself, I mean look deep within the industry
and content that is searchable and a way for
people to contact you using your branded and sub-industries. Paper floristry is exploding
email. as a creative industry. It has a home within the
floral industry, the wedding industry, the DIY
So what do you do now? industry, and both event and photography
industries. Without a doubt, your passionate
need to create beautiful work and present it as
a brand and business has everything to do with
solving problems within those industries. For
artists, the problem is solved through art. For
paper florists, the choice is yours as to what
direction you want to grow in. No matter what,
you need to keep making things that challenge
you and that have purpose.
Step 10. Create content on a

schedule and understand the flow
of content from your webpage to
social media
Remember the four rules of content: make
things, share things, educate yourself, educate
others.
• It is ok to share your works in progress on

Instagram but always make time for finished
photos for your portfolio.
• Share your tips, processes, and resources.
• Depending on your time constraints, decide
to post once a week or more frequently. As a
business you should be adding content
within the categories above at least weekly.
• Examples of content are works in progress,
links to resources, round-ups of
inspirational teachers, how-to posts of how
you create unique works of art.
• Be very cautious of linking to work without

citing the source and in some cases express
written permission from the creator. It is
always the right thing to check if you are
unsure.
Now it is time to make your business cards.

(It’s never the first step.) I have a referral link
for Moo that gives you twenty percent off your
first order. Go for the square cards, they are so
fun! Enjoy your process and your journey. It is
time to make business cards for the business
you’ve created!

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How to

Florist This guide was written to share exactly how I

That oh wow moment ignited my passion. My

That’s it--this is what you need to get started.

Here is what I recommend for a new paper

• Choose a flower, make a dozen. Choose

Step 2. Organize your studio to

My first few months making flowers, I began

These steps took me a considerable amount of

Why Florabeane? My handle on Instagram at

Step 3. Decide on a name for your

• Facebook Business Page (this may be

Don’t worry if you still don’t have stuff to share

You should already be saving your receipts for

I know that right now your burning question

My journey to creating a business from my

Step 6. Establish an invoicing

Logos are so important, I am sharing this little

Step 7. Keep your logo as simple as

• Decide on what you want to be known for

• Create content that reflects your brand

• Use the same font and logo on every

With your brand identity in mind, here is how

To set up for high quality images to put on

Step 10. Create content on a

• It is ok to share your works in progress on

• Share your tips, processes, and resources.

• Be very cautious of linking to work without

Now it is time to make your business cards.

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