"Many Photos" - Cutting down on costs for Mother's Day: Little ones can turn £1 flowers into Mum's pick of the bunch

Buying a fabulous flower arrangement for Mother's Day can be a costly affair.

But with supermarkets stocking an ever-increasing array of blooms, you don't have to spend a small fortune to come up with a gift that will make any mother smile.

There's one problem: how do you turn a simple bouquet into your own dazzling display?

Follow a few guidelines, and add in a few easy-to-find bits from the garden, and it really doesn't have to be difficult.

Beth Hale and her daughter Elise make a selection of Mother's Day floral arrangements from variously priced supermarket flowers ranging from £1 daffodil bunches, a £5 bouquet and a £10 bouquet

Flower school owner and author Judith Blacklock, of Judith Blacklock Flowers, says: 'If you want to have a go and make your own floral arrangements it doesn't have to be difficult or expensive.

'Daffodils are so abundant now and you can get ten stems for under a pound. There are many different ways to keep your stems in place using grids, chicken wire or floral foam.

'If you wish to place the blooms in water, select a vase that is half the height of your stems and they'll always look great.'

Judith showed Beth Hale and her four-year-old daughter Elise how to take three bunches of Tesco flowers — costing £1, £5 and £10 — and turn them into a beautiful arrangement any mum would be delighted with.

£1: A FOUR-YEAR-OLD CAN DO IT!

YOU WILL NEED: A bunch or two of daffs (they open quickly, so get tight buds if you want a longer-lasting display), an empty two-litre drinks bottle, some thick tape, a rubber band, a length of ivy from the garden and some strips of bark.

STEP ONE: Remove the top third of the bottle using scissors and use tape to cover the sharp edge (especially if small hands are involved).

STEP TWO: Put a rubber band around the middle of your bottle, and carefully slip your strips of bark underneath, overlapping each one as you move around the bottle. You can break off pieces to get the height you want — they don't have to be equal.

With supermarkets stocking an ever-increasing array of blooms, you don't have to spend a small fortune to come up with a gift that will make any mother smile

STEP THREE: Take a length of ivy and wrap it round the bottle, covering your elastic band and tucking the ends in to keep it in place.

STEP FOUR: Fill with water and slip your daffs in — and voila, a simple golden display!

£5: THIS ONE HAS A MODERN TWIST

YOU WILL NEED: A small mixed bouquet (we used tulips, roses, iris, hyacinth and miniature daffodils), a selection of thick, smooth stems from the garden or some smooth sticks, twine, a straight-sided bowl that is not too tall.

STEP ONE: Take your thick stems or twigs, cut them to the same length (slightly longer than your bowl's diameter) and bind them using twine or raffia to create an evenly spaced grid.

STEP TWO: Fill the bowl with water and balance your grid on top.

STEP THREE: Take the foliage from your flowers (or garden leaves if you want) and cut so the stems are long enough to poke through the grid and sit in the water, while leaving a layer of leaves on the top (make sure no leaves slip below the grid).

STEP FOUR: Cut the flower stems to the height of the bowl and poke them through the latticework too so they sit among the leaves; add flowers until you are pleased with the result then gently place your arrangement on the table or low sideboard.

£10: A FABULOUS TABLE DISPLAY

YOU WILL NEED: A small trug or basket, a piece of OASIS bio-floral foam (it's more environmentally friendly than other foam), some garden foliage such as ruscus, heuchera or ivy leaves, lavender or rosemary, any winter-flowering garden blooms such as hellebores and a mixed bouquet containing some large blooms (we used a selection containing chrysanthemum, carnations, roses, lilies and antirrhinum).

Beth Hale (pictured) says follow a few guidelines, and add in a few easy-to-find bits from the garden, and it really doesn't have to be difficult 

STEP ONE: Place a piece of wet OASIS into your trug; it should sit a little higher than the basket (what size you need depends on your trug).

STEP TWO: Use garden foliage — and any foliage from your supermarket bouquet — to create an outline, following the shape of the basket, but being careful not to obscure the handle. Make sure to point your stems towards the centre of the foam. At this stage you should be able to see the foam, but it should no longer dominate.

STEP THREE: Starting with the longer flowers, like the antirrhinum, cut your stems to length and place them at the edges of your display. Fill in with your other flowers, following the shape of the basket. Remember that tight lilies will open wide, so tuck them into the heart of the arrangement; making sure they don't protrude too much. If you have any delicate blooms in the garden, add them at the end.

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News Photo Cutting down on costs for Mother's Day: Little ones can turn £1 flowers into Mum's pick of the bunch
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