Poetic Paris: design your own dried-flower candle holder in this hidden workshop in the 11th arrondissement

Forget fleeting bouquets and step into a hidden green haven in the heart of the 11th arrondissement. At Poétique Paris, craft your own dried-flower candle holder—a luminous, one-of-a-kind piece in the capital—during a cottage-core inspired DIY workshop.

In the bustle of the 11th arrondissement of Paris, a discreet address invites you to slow down and reconnect with the poetry of floral arrangements, through a workshop to craft your own bougeoir en fleurs séchées, the only one of its kind in the capital. At Poétique Paris, you dive into the world of a former florist who shares her floral artistry during DIY sessions pastoral and accessible workshops.

Hidden away, Mimi's workshop is worth seeking out. You won't stumble upon it while wandering the street, since there’s no sign to indicate its location (so be sure to tell her you’re coming so she can open up for you). And given the beautiful pieces on display, it’s almost a pity you can’t buy them in a nearby shop along the street. But that’s the idea here: you are invited to create them yourself—these beautiful dried-flower objects.

After ten years spent as a florist, Mimi decided to devote herself to dried flowers with a clear goal: to give them a second life. Open to the courtyard and its soft light, the small space is filled with plants, arranged by color, that brighten the room. If we chose the Candle-Holder Workshop, unique in its kind, at €59, there are also classes to make your own mobile, earrings, a bell, a crown, or a headband—depending on what suits you!

For 1h30, we followed step by step our instructor's guidance to craft the most harmonious candlestick possible! We learn about the few tools we’ll be using: the secateurs, a pair of pliers and a hot glue gun, that’s it! The main frame is already in place, with a specialized foam that holds the flowers to come, which we will pin in successively.

It’s time to choose our fleurs, and above all select two main colors, which we can then brighten with other accents. We settle on bordeaux and gold for our arrangement. A wide selection of botanicals is at hand, to the point that deciding can be tough! For us, it’ll be golden wheat, preserved hydrangea, red immortelle, gypsophila, flax flowers, lagurus (bunny-tail grass), with a sprig of lavender.

After trimming the selected stems with pruning shears to the right length so they sit properly in their globe, you should apply a dab of glue, before grabbing the flower with tweezers to place it delicately on the foam or beside the others.

We hold it steady for a few seconds to give the glue time to set, then repeat with the next flowers. Under Mimi’s patient, encouraging gaze, we learn to pair textures and shades to achieve a visually satisfying balance.

She guides us to position them slightly to the left, toward the back, then toward the front, filling the gaps so that each bloom has a place. It’s a calm, soothing moment that nonetheless demands a lot of precision, because unless you have miniature hands, it’s hard to drop the flowers straight through the small opening of the candle holder. You might even uncover a natural flair for floral arrangement!

All that remains is to choose an LED candle or a real little flame to sit atop our candlestick, giving these beautiful flowers a glow as radiant as their first bloom, for a touch that is both poetic and luminous in the decor.

The upside of this elegant creation is that it stands the test of time, unlike fresh flowers that can wilt. You’ll just need to dust them off from time to time to keep them looking their best.

The atmosphere is deliberately intimate, with a workshop that can accommodate up to 11 people, but it often takes place in a smaller group, encouraging exchanges and personalized advice—perfect for a moment with friends or for a mother-and-daughter outing, for example.

Open to anyone from 15 years old, the workshop is indeed not suited for very young children who won’t have the patience to place the flowers one by one, but it’s perfect for botany enthusiasts and those who enjoy taking their time! botany and those who like to go at their own pace.

Perfectionists shouldn’t let the clock run away with them; we finished ahead of schedule, but there are always one more touch to add. The key is knowing when to stop to keep the candle-holder arrangement balanced and avoid clutter.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.