Floral design classes offer students an opportunity to make their own flower arrangements and learn about design concepts for a balanced, professional-looking finish. Whether they’re for special events like weddings or simply to brighten up your home, flower arrangements freshen a space with a beautiful natural touch.
Purchasing centerpieces and accent arrangements can be pricey—so if you’re inclined to get creative, you can learn on your own at home. There are a variety of class levels available, from beginning to expert, and both new and experienced florists can find the right option to learn new skills. Many courses also offer certifications upon completion for those interested in starting a career in floral design.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best online floral design classes to help you get started.
Best Floral Design Classes of 2023
Best Overall: Penn Foster Career School
“The program includes seven courses, such as Design Tools and Basics and The Business of Floral Design.”
Best Budget: Skillshare
“A low-cost monthly membership of around $14 per month will give you access to all the floral design courses available.”
Best for Career: Ashworth College
“Ashworth College is a great fit for students who want to end the program with a diploma in-hand and participate in a live commencement ceremony.”
Best for Beginners: American School of Flower Design
“Once you purchase a class, your flowers will be sent via FedEx overnight shipping, and the course will be immediately available to view.”
Best for Continuing Education: Floral Design Institute
“To register, you must have finished their Basic Floral Design course or have completed 500 hours of on-the-job training.”
Best for Hobbyists: Udemy
“These stylish arrangements are popular among hobbyists, but don’t replace the foundational knowledge available in some of the aforementioned programs.”
Most Creative: Team Flower
“If you want to learn how to make floral arrangements that look like they could be on an influencer’s Instagram page, Team Flower is for you.”
Best Free Courses: Create Academy
“Every class is available for a lifetime after purchase, so students can revisit instructions for specific projects at any time.”
Best Overall: Penn Foster Career School
Key Specs
- Price: $769 to $899 Skill Level: Beginner Certification: Yes
Why We Chose It
Penn Foster Career School is regionally and nationally accredited with a user-friendly program in floral design that takes students from the beginner level to certified florist. Success coaches for each student are available, and the course only takes five months to complete.
Pros & Cons
Overview
If you decide to enroll at the Penn Foster Career School, you can become a skilled floral designer in roughly five months.
Students receive certification in floral design
Regionally and nationally accredited
Comprehensive online program for beginner career florists
Must purchase additional materials to complete classes
Not for current florists with intermediate to advanced knowledge
More expensive than some competitors
This well-rounded floral design course is for people who are considering a career in floral design. And, of all the course offerings geared toward career florists, this site had the best balance of features. The learning experience is well-formatted and consists of a mobile-friendly design and progress tracking.
Once enrolled, you’ll be assigned a dedicated success coach. The program includes seven courses, such as Design Tools and Basics and The Business of Floral Design.
The tuition is in the middle of the road, costing $899 if you pay automatically monthly or $769 if you pay in full. In addition to the program’s cost, students will be required to purchase some additional supplies to complete hands-on floral exercises at home. Also, it’s important to mention that the Penn Foster Career School is both regionally and nationally accredited.
Best Budget: Skillshare
- Price: $14 per month Skill Level: Beginner to advanced Certification: No
Skillshare’s floral design classes can be hand-picked for florists to choose the specific skills they’d like to learn or to become professionals at certain arrangements. A membership only costs $14 per month, and free trials are available to test out classes before committing.
With several useful features, like reviews and course previews, Skillshare is a standout for online learning.
Affordable monthly membership
Students can choose from a variety of classes to perfect skills
Great for beginners to decide whether they want to pursue a career
Individual classes do not offer certification in floral design
Classes don’t cover every aspect of floral design
Difficult to ask questions in tutorial-style learning
The floral design coursework available on Skillshare is going to be more appropriate for someone who is a hobbyist or for someone who already has the basic knowledge and wants to try out some new techniques.
If you are looking to start a career in floral design, consider one of the courses above. However, if you are on the fence and want to see if you’ll like it, try a class on Skillshare first.
There are around 17 classes in the floral design section including Design A Hand Tied Bouquet, Flower Arrangements for Container Gardens, Design a Dried Floral Bouquet, and more. Nearly 4,000 students have taken the most popular one on Bouquet Making.
This site earned the Best Budget title because you can get the most value for your money. A low-cost monthly membership of $14 per month will give you access to all the floral design courses available. If you have a free trial, you can even take one or several floral lessons for free.
Best for Career: Ashworth College
- Price: $699 to $899 Skill Level: Beginner Certification: Yes
Ashworth College has a dedicated floral design program with start-to-finish classes for beginners to earn a floral design diploma. The program can be completed in four months at this accredited school.
Both Penn Foster Career School and Ashworth College are excellent choices for starting a career in floral design. However, there are some differences between the two options. Ashworth College could be a better fit for students who want to end the program with a diploma in-hand and participate in a live commencement ceremony.
Students receive certification in floral design
Shorter length of time to complete than top competitors
Offers a live commencement ceremony
Not for current florists with intermediate to advanced knowledge
Must be completed within one year
More expensive than some competitors
The class is broken up into 16 lessons, covering topics like Basic Design Techniques and Wedding Design. This floral design program runs for four months, but you have up to a year to complete your course work after registering. Tuition is either $699 or $899, depending on how you pay, which is a great value when you consider some of the more expensive options.
Ashworth College is a highly accredited school and an excellent choice for anyone looking to advance their career. However, we chose Penn Foster for the best overall because it offered more upfront information about courses and the learning process.
Best for Beginners: American School of Flower Design
- Price: $150 per lesson Skill Level: Beginner Certification: No
Michael Gaffney is a well-renowned floral designer with a variety of classes to offer at the American School of Flower Design. Materials are included and shipped overnight after purchase, and classes are also offered in some cities for students seeking an in-person experience.
Want to learn from a legendary floral designer? At the American School of Flower Design, you can. There, courses are taught by Michael Gaffney and are ideal for beginners looking to dip their toes into the floral design world.
Classes taught by a legendary floral designer
Materials are included in class price
Previews of each class are available to choose before committing
Certification is not available for individual classes
High cost per class
Online students can only take additional in-person classes in select cities
Each session will teach you how to master one popular flower arrangement. In addition, each course comes with the flowers and supplies needed to complete the arrangement, making the cost of roughly $150 per lesson seem even more reasonable.
Once you purchase a class, your flowers will be sent via FedEx overnight shipping, and the lesson will be immediately available to view. Before you decide on one, check out a preview of the course video to see how Gaffney approaches floral design.
If you love his teaching style and want to learn more, he also has some botanical design books for purchase. There are several in-person workshops at various locations across the country as well.
Best for Continuing Education: Floral Design Institute
- Price: $950 Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced Certification: Yes
Current florists seeking continuing education can enroll in classes at the Floral Design Institute to further their skills in wedding design, home decorating, and more. The cost is higher than other schools, but hands-on instructors help students get the most out of each class.
Your education doesn’t stop once you earn a diploma in floral design from an accredited university. The most skilled floral designers are those who continually add to their knowledge base and earn more certifications.
Specific classes to perfect skills in popular design categories
Advanced courses teach the science of floral design
Continuing education may be reimbursed by some employers
Only for florists with at least 500 hours of current training
More expensive than beginner schools
Materials for classes must be purchased separately
One popular floral program, the Advanced Floral Design Certification, is offered through the Floral Design Institute. Recently, this organization began offering an online option, which makes the certification even more appealing to people who are unable to travel.
To register, you must have finished their Basic Floral Design course or have completed 500 hours of on-the-job training. This training is intended to help florists enhance their skills in Wedding Design, Contemporary, European and Asian Design, Tropical Flowers, and Floral Marketing.
The cost is $950, but you’ll also need to purchase fresh flowers and supplies to complete specific assignments. If you already work at a floral shop, consider asking your employer if they would help cover the training cost.
Best for Hobbyists: Udemy
- Price: $25 to $100 per class Skill Level: Beginner to advanced Certification: No
Udemy offers significantly more classes than its top competitor for floral design hobbyists who aren’t seeking a certification. Students can learn how to create specific stylish flower arrangements they’re interested in without committing to monthly payments.
Like Skillshare, Udemy offers a ton of classes on a wide variety of topics. This site also provides users with reviews and course previews, as well as robust instructor profiles.
Thousands of tutorials for individual arrangements
Short and in-depth classes are available
Students can learn based on skill level at an affordable price
Classes must be purchased individually
No certifications available
Materials for each class must be purchased separately
The main difference between Udemy and Skillshare is how you pay. For Udemy, each course is purchased a la carte, which means it costs more if you decide to take more than one class.
However, there are many more floral design courses—upward of 50—and they tend to be more thorough. Offerings include Floral Design—Not Just Flower Arranging, Floral Design 101, The Complete Guide to Flower Box Arrangement, and more. Classes take between 45 minutes and three hours to complete, and they focus more on trendy floral design techniques.
These stylish arrangements are popular among hobbyists, but don’t replace the foundational knowledge available in some of the aforementioned programs. The classes range from around $25 to $100, which doesn’t include any flowers or supplies needed.
Most Creative: Team Flower
- Price: $499 Skill Level: Beginner to advanced Certification: Yes
The floral arrangements taught at Team Flower are modern and trendy. Individual classes are more expensive than through some competitors, but certifications are available—and students also learn about building a business in floral design.
Team Flower offers students an inviting online learning platform for all things floral. One of the main draws to the site is the online community the company has created for its students. Their website has over 2,000 members, while its Instagram account has more than 50,000 followers.
Offers an online community for students to discuss topics together
More affordable than other certification programs
Payment plans and refunds are available
Some individual classes are long; may take more than one session to complete
Materials for classes must be purchased separately
Site can be glitchy
Team Flower’s online classes are broken down into three sections: design, business, and growing. The site currently offers about 15 classes, but new lessons are added periodically. While the site is a little glitchy, the course content is creative and exciting. If you want to learn how to make floral arrangements that look like they could be on an influencer’s Instagram page, these are the instructors you want teaching you.
Each course description details exactly what to expect and pricing. For instance, the Bouquets and Personals class includes six hours of instruction and costs around $499 if you make a full payment (there’s also an eight-month payment plan option where you can pay $74 per month). Beginner classes are available for $199. If you’re unsure about your purchase, each lesson comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Get an idea for the company’s teaching style and floral aesthetic by checking out Team Flower’s YouTube channel for free.
Best Free Courses: Create Academy
- Price: $0 to $315Skill Level: Beginner to advancedCertification: No
Create Academy has free floral arrangement courses and paid class collections in a wide variety of subjects. While this school doesn’t include certifications, it offers plenty of schedule flexibility and the ability to rewatch classes after completing them.
Create Academy doesn’t offer certifications, but its online floral design courses are an excellent choice for hobbyists. Students can opt for free lessons in short videos or a paid collection of longer courses, which cost about $200 to $315 depending on the topic.
Free courses available
Flexible schedule for students; lessons can be started and stopped at any time
Courses are available forever after purchase
No certifications are offered
Individual classes are more expensive than some popular competitors
Not many classes available in floristry
Course collections feature topics like floristry and gardening, which can be chosen individually or combined in bundles. Every class is available for a lifetime after purchase, so students can revisit instructions for specific projects at any time. Current and upcoming floristry class titles include The Complete Floristry Masterclass, The Art of Presenting Flowers, and How to Create Forever Flowers.
Since Create Academy’s courses are not part of a certification program, students don’t have to adhere to a timeline. Each class can be started, paused, and stopped whenever needed, which makes this school an especially great pick for students seeking a flexible schedule.
Final Verdict
Penn Foster Career School is our selection for the best overall online floral design company. Students at Penn Foster will receive their certification in floral design upon completion of their classes. This comprehensive program is also praised for its easy-to-use online interface and assigns a success coach to each student to help them with questions along the way.
Compare the Best Online Floral Design Classes
Methodology
After scanning numerous companies, we compiled a list of 15 websites that offered legitimate online floral design classes. Of those sites, we ranked each one on authority in the field, user reviews, cost, course content, and the type of certification offered.
- If I Don’t Know Anything About Floral Design, Can I Take an Online Floral Design Class?
- Online floral design classes are suitable for beginners and experienced florists alike. Some classes offer specific topics to increase your skills in certain areas, while others help you start with the basics and ultimately earn a certificate in floral design.
- What Will I Learn in an Online Floral Design Class?
- Online floral design classes offer many different topics, from the basic foundations to using design tools, container gardens, dried bouquets, live bouquets, and more. Students can also opt to take classes for major topics like wedding design, contemporary design, European and Asian design, using tropical flowers, or floral marketing and business management.
- How Much Do Online Floral Design Classes Cost?
- Some floral design classes are offered with monthly subscriptions through online services. These subscriptions typically cost between $15 and $20 per month (with some free classes available as well). Full floral design programs—which help students earn their certificate to begin a career—often cost between $500 and $1,000.
- What Materials Will I Need for an Online Floral Design Class?
- Each class will give you the details on what specific materials you’ll need. Overall, most students in floral design classes need to provide their own flowers, tools, and additional materials for styling their arrangements. Some classes even ship the required materials to students overnight before beginning each lesson.
Online floral design classes are suitable for beginners and experienced florists alike. Some classes offer specific topics to increase your skills in certain areas, while others help you start with the basics and ultimately earn a certificate in floral design.
Online floral design classes offer many different topics, from the basic foundations to using design tools, container gardens, dried bouquets, live bouquets, and more. Students can also opt to take classes for major topics like wedding design, contemporary design, European and Asian design, using tropical flowers, or floral marketing and business management.
Some floral design classes are offered with monthly subscriptions through online services. These subscriptions typically cost between $15 and $20 per month (with some free classes available as well). Full floral design programs—which help students earn their certificate to begin a career—often cost between $500 and $1,000.
Each class will give you the details on what specific materials you’ll need. Overall, most students in floral design classes need to provide their own flowers, tools, and additional materials for styling their arrangements. Some classes even ship the required materials to students overnight before beginning each lesson.
From there, we analyzed which of the top contenders were the best fit for each category. For example, the Penn Foster Career School earned the title of best overall because it offers career-appropriate floral design courses with modest pricing and a lot of extra perks, such as mobile-friendly learning and career support.
The American School of Flower and Design won as best for beginners because its course selection is available on an a la carte basis and the flowers are included in the class fee. Each site included here contains original content taught by experts in the field, which is why we feel these courses are among the best on the internet.
