How to make a Floral Arrangement for your Autumn Table

Well, Mary’s Annual Birthday Event has come and gone, and just like in previous years, everything about the evening was divine; there was Andy’s famous shrimp bisque, Tracey’s beautiful autumn décor, the sheer warmth and laughter of all those gal pals, and of course, Mary’s sincere overwhelm at being the center of attention. It seems that the older I get the more I’ve come to appreciate these kinds of girly evenings. Honestly, what more can a woman ask for? Fantastic food, free-flowing wine, and oh-my-gosh, how many engrossing conversations can be happening at once?  I think we broke a record!

I made this floral arrangement for the kitchen island and so many friends liked it, that I thought I would show you all how easy it was to make.

Look closely at this arrangement, because most of these items can be found in your garden (or your neighbor’s). Here’s what I started out with:

• I was lucky. My brother has a gorgeous overgrown hydrangea bush and I wanted these big, bold blooms to be the anchor flower of this arrangement. (Sorry Madonna, but I think you’re wrong about hydrangeas).
• I cut a few Magnolia branches from a local tree.
• Picked a rich-colored, plump pumpkin.
• Added berries and leaves.
• Purchased some orange dahlias and a spiky-looking thing (sorry, I don’t know the plant name) for added texture.

I bought a long metal planter and filled it with green floral foam. Then I began to layer my greenery.

First, I made a bed of magnolia leaves, by sticking the stems into the wet foam and moving around the edges of the planter. I already decided that the pumpkin would be placed off the center and at an angle.

Next, I added my spiky accents. I wanted this arrangement to be bold and large-scaled so I left these pieces long. Remember, anything you put into your green foam can be moved around, that’s what makes the process so fun.

I then placed the pumpkin into the planter along with the hydrangeas in order to evaluate  the scale and balance of the arrangement, and this is what it looked like. Don’t you love the contrasting colors?  The leathery, brown underside of the magnolia leaves looks lovely with the sage-tinged hydrangeas, and the smooth deep green leaves are enhanced by the lime-colored spiky pieces. When choosing my floral items, I always look for foliage with contrasting textures.

I placed the dahlias into the planter and added the burnt orange-colored leaves. I happened to get artificial leaves because I was in a time crunch, but you could easily choose ones from your yard. At this point, I was ready to start filling in the open spaces with berries and more leaves. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but there were clearly those spots that needed fullness.

In this photo, you can see the addition of the berries more clearly.

See how easy that was? I hope this motivates you to make an arrangement for your own home. Just grab some of your favorite flowers and foliage and begin. You’ll be surprised at how lovely it turns out and so special… because you did it.

And don’t forget to tell me about it!

Thanks for visiting!

Technorati Tags: How to,floral centerpiece,Autumn table