I am a great fan of gorgeous fresh flowers, and usually not so keen on the artificial ones. But there are times when artificial flowers can really save the day! Having that creative centerpiece ready and waiting for a last minute gathering can really pull everything together, and in the heat of summer money spent on fresh flowers is usually better spent elsewhere!
And one of the wonderful benefits of artificial flowers is that one can use them in so many interesting ways to create centerpieces and decorations that would be quite difficult with the real thing! Not only that, who ever heard of amaryllis in the summer?
The colorful centerpiece shown above was inspired by my love for the proportions of a topiary, and the idea of creating a floral tree of sorts. I love the results, and tucking the blooms at the base (instead of the traditional moss or rocks) really completes the look.
You'll Need:
- a flower pot or interesting container
- four stems of artificial amaryllis blooms, in a variety of colors
- floral foam
- floral tape
- hot glue gun
How To:
- With a large kitchen knife cut floral foam such that it fits very tightly into container.
- Note: If you are using something light-weight such as a basket, you will probably need to place some weights at the bottom of the basket— something like smallish rocks or a small brick. This will prevent your arrangement from being top heavy and falling over at the wrong time!
- Examine the proportions of the flower cluster versus the base size and decide which trunk height looks the best (you can always make it shorter later, if need be
- Using a wire cutter or very sharp scissors or pruning shears, cut the stems to size, allowing for the portion of the stem that will be inserted into the floral foam (that measurement depends on the depth of your container)
- Arrange stems in a pleasing manner and use hot glue along the length of the stems to attach one to the other, resulting in a single trunk. If one is using flowers with smaller blooms, (you'll need at least ten stems) try arranging the cluster such that the overall shape will have a rounded top as opposed to a flat one, meaning that the stems at the center of the cluster are placed slightly higher than those at the periphery. Is that clear? Hmmm.
- Using floral tape (available in green, brown, cream...) firmly wrap the entire length of the trunk, starting at the top and hiding the first end by wrapping over it. Floral tape is slightly adhesive, so the layers adhere to one another, resulting in a nice, clean finish.
- Insert wrapped trunk into foam, secure with hot glue if desired.
- Cover floral foam at base with blooms that were removed from their stems.
- Stand back and gasp at the gorgeous and inexpensive centerpiece you've just created!
All the best, and please take a few moments to let me know what you think!
