How to create a pretty centerpiece

 

Hi everyone. Today I thought I’d show you how to make this simple centerpiece that I created for the recent Loyola Guild Luncheon. So many of you liked the color combination of flowers, especially the Bells of Ireland, that I thought I’d  list the flowers too. You know me, my favorite saying is “If I can do it, anyone can,” and I truly believe this. Any time you try something new and outside your comfort zone it’s a good thing; it just takes practice and a few tips.

Because of the size of the flower box, it meant that I would need to put my flowers into floral foam, which I think is a bit trickier than just arranging them in a vase of water.

1.  The first step is to measure your foam and cut it so that it fits snugly into your vase of choice. Because I was using a wooden box, I needed to use a plastic liner for my foam.

Soak the foam for at least 10 minutes before adding the flowers. I found out later that making small groves on the top of the foam helps absorb the water.

2. Choose your flowers with your vase in mind. There are certain flowers that don’t do well in foam because they love a lot of water. They do better in a vase. Although I initially had my heart set on using Hydrangeas, I was concerned they might begin to droop in the foam,  so I changed my plan.

These are the flowers I used:

• Bells of Ireland
• White (Football) Mums
• Aster; Purple Matsumutos
• Gerbera; deep red
• Spray roses; hot pink (As you might notice in the photo, those are NOT spray roses, I had to improvise for this post because all I could get were medium sized roses on the day of this post)

3. When you get home, be sure to remove all the excess foliage and discard. I keep my flowers in a large bucket of water while I work. Cut the stems at an angle to the desired length. For thicker stems or branches, you’ll need to use clippers.

4. Put the longest (or largest flower) into your arrangement first. I put my Bells of Ireland in the center.

5. Add the flowers in random intervals. I like to work in odd numbers, but as you add your flowers keep in mind the shape and the balance of color.

I used the large, fluffy Mums as a base and then added pops of color with the spray roses.

Since I didn’t have the spray roses on hand, I worked in threes with my medium sized roses.

 

6. Step back and access the balance of the arrangement. Do you see the imbalance in this photo?

Yes, the Mums on the left side need to be raised out of the foam.

When working with foam, there are empty spots that will show you where flowers need to be filled. At the bottom of the arrangements it’s nice to add flowers or vines that are longer and offer some texture. 

Because I was using a flower box with a label on the front, I had already decided to add jars of baby’s breath around the other three (plain) sides of the boxes. That would be my texture.

For this reason, I kept this centerpiece short and compact.

 

And here’s another shot of the finished centerpiece on the table. I was surprised how many people liked the Baby’s Breath too. I had added pieces of lace around the jars and simply tied each jar with a piece of rough twine. I love these colors with the French blue toile, don’t you?

And if you like the French flower box you can check out this DIY post on how I made it.

Voila!

See how easy that was?  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Let me know if this inspires you to make a centerpiece using floral foam.

And remember, take time and smell the flowers and

….have FUN!

 

Leslie

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