Christmas Florals

Evergreens and Citrus

Materials:

floral foam
chicken wire
citrus fruit
cloves
wood stick

Steps:

1. Soak floral foam in water and cover in chicken wire to buffer the foam.

2. With a zester, peel away a strip of the citrus fruit, and insert cloves in a decorative fashion.

The key to this arrangement is that, rather than taking time to place twigs in foam, use a wreath as a base. A wooden pick inserted through the entire length of the wreath can support it on top of a container.

In this case, the container only serves as a support, and any items can go on top of the wreath, such as pine cones, fragrance and a store-bought bear.

Floral foam serves as the tower to this topiary. Small Christmas ornaments with a small wire on the end are inserted throughout the roses on the tower. The floral foam tower is secured by cutting a long block of foam in half and stacking the pieces in a container.

Wrap the entire mass of foam with small-gauge chicken wire and insert wooden sticks down the length of the foam. Stones should be placed in the container to offset the weight the roses and ornaments will exert.

Everyone will admire the elements of this arrangement featuring artificial pears, bamboo, hydrangea and seasonal foliage. The bamboo is stuck directly into floral foam, again wrapped in chicken wire. The horizontal bamboo that creates the frame is secured by any tying medium, from thread to gold ribbon. The artificial pears are tied to the frame and are also glued into small pots.

A neat trick for surrounding the pot in gold leafing is to spray gold paint across a surface of water, then to dip the pot into the water and turn it. The gold paint will attach to the pot surface.