DIY HOLIDAY FLOWERS

Yesterday we hosted a small holiday party for some of our closest friends. With the help of my florist friend, Helen, we created a gorgeous golden holiday table setting. Here Helen shows us an easy guide on how to create a beautiful holiday floral arrangement.

Materials:

Long rectangular black vase
Oasis Floral Foam
Floral Knife
Gold Spray Paint
Fake Gold Poinsettias
Brake Fern
Israeli Ruscus
Polar Star Roses
White Mini Carnations
White Scabiosa
White Amaryllis
White Hydrangea

Step 1: Prep your materials
Paint the Brake Fern and Ruscus gold to add some color to your arrangement. It is usually better to paint the greens rather than the flowers themselves. Cut the floral foam to fit the size of the container. The foam should be sticking out the top for about an inch. If you have a large container, you can bevel the edges of your foam to use less flowers. Soak your floral foam in a bucket of water for a few minutes.

Step 2: Add your greens
Add the Brake Fern and Ruscus into your arrangements. Put them against the lip of the container to hide it as well as in the center to break up the flowers a bit. Save some of the greens to add later, after you’ve added your main flowers.

Step 3: Start with the larger flowers
Modern arrangements do not need to be symmetrical. Add your larger flowers into the arrangement in places they can be noticed. If you have a “main” flower you want to focus on, make sure you put that front and center where it can get all the attention. We added some fake gold poinsettias to give our arrangement a holiday feel. Flowers should be cut at an angle when placed in the floral foam. If you don’t like the placement of your flower, you can always remove it and try again – but remember not to put the flower in the same hole, otherwise it won’t be able to absorb water from the foam.

Step 4: Fill in the gaps
Start to fill in any open areas your larger flowers left. Keep in mind that the flowers do not all need to be the same height. You can also add some more greens if you’d like at this point.

Step 5: Maintenance
The arrangement will last longer if you properly maintain it. As long as the floral foam has not dried out completely, you can add water to your vase for the foam to soak up. This will keep your flowers happy.

In a later blog post today, I will share our completed table setting!