Floral gifts from the heart. Give the gift of summer with geraniums

For Mother’s Day, a birthday, or simply as a small token of appreciation, geraniums are heartfelt gifts. With their long flowering period, huge variety of colours and low-maintenance requirements, they bring a touch of summer to everyday life. Whether you use them to create a lush basket design, a decorative heart arrangement or a creative craft project, geraniums can transform any gift into something personal. The experts at Pelargonium for Europe (PfE) share their inspiring ways to display these popular summer bloomers, from gift-wrapped plants to pretty packaging.

Simple gift ideas

Geraniums not only bring balconies and terraces to life, they also make extra-special gifts. With a little imagination, you can transform these colourful summer classics into floral gifts sure to bring joy to the recipient.

For example, turn a simple wooden box into a decorative miniature balcony box filled with pink and fuchsia geraniums, full of summer joy. Adding personal touches such as a heart-shaped note to the miniature garden fence and an occasion-appropriate label on the box makes the gift even more meaningful.

Equally expressive is a wicker heart filled with floral foam and packed with brightly coloured cut geranium flowers.

This arrangement is a symbol of love and affection as well as being a real showstopper, thanks to its colour and shape, providing long-lasting enjoyment

If you prefer a classic look, opt for a gift basket containing a pink geranium, a card and small gifts such as tea or chocolates, which conveys warmth and appreciation, as well as fresh summer feel.

Craft project: Vintage-style floral motif flowerpot

Homemade gifts are always extra meaningful as they demonstrate the time and effort someone has invested in creating a personalised gift. Geraniums are perfect for incorporating into creative projects.

With a few simple steps, these vintage-style flowerpots, decorated with floral motifs and filled with lush, blooming geraniums, are an example of just such a gift.

You will need a clean terracotta pot, wrapping paper with floral motifs, scissors, wallpaper paste, a brush, (optional) matt clear varnish for sealing.

Here’s how to make it:

Step 1: Cut out various plant or flower motifs from the wrapping paper.

Step 2: Coat the motifs with the wallpaper paste.

Step 3: Carefully place them on the terracotta pot. Smooth them out and press down firmly to avoid creases.

Step 4: Stick motifs of different sizes and shapes next to each other. This creates a varied and unique design.

Step 5: Leave the paste to dry thoroughly. Coat with matt varnish to protect your design and ensure a long-lasting result. Finally, place your geranium inside and your unique gift is complete.

Homemade geranium gift bag

Original packaging makes a gift look truly beautiful. This homemade paper bag not only holds the geranium securely, but also gives it a lovely presentation.

This homemade packaging is both sturdy and decorative, and can be made in no time – perfect for those spontaneous summer visits! For this craft project, you will need an A3 sheet of stiff cardboard, brown wrapping paper, a pencil, scissors or craft knife, a ruler, a hot glue gun with glue sticks and a flowering potted geranium.

The cardboard provides a sturdy base for the bag, and the brown wrapping paper gives it the appearance of a traditional gift bag

Here’s how to make it, step by step:

Step 1: Draw the shapes for the gift bag and handles on the cardboard and cut them out. The two curved handles should be 4cm wide by 33cm from the base to the tip of the curve, and the template for the bag should have a straight bottom edge 42cm long, a maximum height of 27.5cm on the curved top, and sides measuring 15.5cm and 19cm.

Step 2: Glue the wrapping paper onto the cardboard pieces so they resemble a classic gift bag.

Step 3: Curve the large piece into a cone-shaped bag by carefully overlapping the two sides. Glue the edges firmly together with hot glue to create a stable bag shape.

Step 4: Using the hot glue, attach the handles to the inside of the bag to a depth of about 9cm and press firmly. This ensures they are secure. A handle height of around 24cm will remain visible on the outside.

Step 5: Finally, carefully place your geranium inside the bag. Your beautiful floral gift is now complete

Floral double act: blooming gift wrapping

This creative packaging features geranium illustrations on paper alongside real flowers, artfully tied with raffia.

The illustrations and the fresh flowers complement each other to create a sophisticated effect that will surprise the recipient even before they open the gift. Placing the flowers in small tubes of water keeps them fresher for longer.

This makes the wrapping a living part of the gift itself, adding a special touch.