Springtime Celebrations

Springtime is a time for celebration, inside or out, during the day or at night. Beverly Reese Church shares some of her favorite spring-flavored projects, including picnic, brunch, luncheon and dinner invitations, decorations, tips, food ideas and recipes.

Spring Picnic

Celebrate the season with a potluck picnic. Encourage your guests to add their own special creative touch. When planning this picnic, consider the following:

• Location--Even in early spring you can take advantage of an outdoor setting. Think park, beach or even your own backyard.

• Invitation--This can be as uncomplicated as a phone call, but if you'd like a special personal touch, consider the following idea:

Materials:

Chinese takeout carton (available at party-supply stores in all colors)
tissue or crinkled paper
goodies (your choice of cookies, little packaged sausages, cheese, etc.)
black marker
paper cutouts (for invitation information--any designs desired)

Steps:

1. Line the Chinese takeout carton with tissue or crinkled paper.

2. Add some edible goodies (small sausages and cheese were used for this project) of your choice.

3. Use the paper cutouts to write the directions and information for the picnic. Place in the carton.

4. Hand deliver.

As far as decorations go, spring flowers are the obvious choice, but be creative. For example, why not line the picnic area with long-wire beverage holders, filled with flowers? And no picnic table should go without a centerpiece.

Materials:

floral foam (oasis)
water
small plastic foam cups
flowers (your choice--lilies were used for this project)
foliage (your choice, but think big leaves)
long-wire beverage holders (found in party-supply stores)

Steps:

1. Soak the floral foam in water.

2. Place the wet floral foam into small plastic foam cups.

3. Insert the flowers and foliage. Be sure to cut the stems at an angle for increased water absorption.

4. Place each into a long-wire beverage holder and insert into the ground.

Materials:

watermelon
knife
flowers (your choice--roses, sunflowers and lilies were used for this project)
foliage (your choice, but once again--think big leaves)

Steps:

1. Slice the bottom of the watermelon so it can rest squarely on the plate.

2. Insert the flowers and foliage. Be sure to layer according to size from front to back.

* Notes:

• If a watermelon isn't handy, a fun substitute is a hollowed-out gourd. Simply fill it with flowers and foliage of your choice.

• Complement the centerpieces with a spring-inspired tablecloth--for example, one with a floral, fruit or vegetable design. Bright colors are a must.

• Provide shade by using large table umbrellas or a picnic tent, which is created by draping a plain canvas tarp with colorful springtime fabric.

• Colorful cups and napkins are a must as well. Nancy Easterling, a caterer, says that 60 percent of any guest's experience is visual. "Keep the selection of (serving) platters different. It adds texture to the table. It adds a little bit of design," she says.

Activities--Outdoor fun is the key here. Why not set up a croquet course, horseshoes or badminton.

Consider the following when planning a spring brunch:

Invitation--Compile a guest list and consider the following leaf-card invitation.

Leaf Invitation

Materials:

aspidistra leaves (or any other "long" leaves that are available)
gold-ink marker
ribbon (design and color of your choice)

Steps:

1. Wipe the aspidistra leaves clean.

2. Write the invitation information on one of the leaves with a gold-ink marker.

3. Bunch a few leaves together, including the invitation leaf (make sure it stands out), with decorative ribbon.

4. Hand-deliver the invitation.

Decorations--Create a garden atmosphere wherever the brunch is being held, indoors or out. One way to do this is to tie split-leaf philodendrons to the backs of each chair. Palm leaves can be used, also, but the main consideration is that the leaves are large. Tie them together with raffia and attach to the chair-back with wide, decorative ribbon. * Note: If the leaves droop, use a wooden dowel or stiff ginger leaves to straighten.

Bring a touch of spring to the tabletop with leaves (such as ginger, Boston fern, etc.), instead of a tablecloth. Any florist will have a nice selection of foliage. Use a variety of leaves for color and texture.

If you want to use place cards, consider using a jar of homemade preserves. Decorate it with ribbon, a sunflower and a leaf (galax, for example) with the guest's name written on it with gold ink. This place card will double as a party favor for your guests to take home.

Top off the brunch table with this garden sunflower topiary centerpiece:

Materials:

small terra-cotta pot
floral foam
water
knife
eight to 10 sunflowers (large)
raffia
spring flowers (asters and roses were used for this project)
greenery

Steps:

1. Cut the floral foam to fit the terra-cotta pot, then wet the floral foam and place it inside the pot.

2. Gather the sunflowers into a bunch and tie with raffia at the bottom, center and right below the blooms. This creates a strong base.

3. Insert the sunflower base into the center of the floral foam.

4. Cover the floral foam with spring flowers, such as asters and roses, along with some greenery.

5. Place in the center of the table.

Menu--Choose items that can be prepared ahead of time, and think cold dishes. Fresh spring vegetables and cold soups would work well.

Spring Luncheon

Take advantage of the bright colors and smells of spring with a special luncheon.

Here's a fun and simple idea invitation idea:

Materials:

vase
flowers (Tulips, roses and anemones were used for this project.)
decorative ribbon
card
pen or marker
hole punch

Steps:

1. Fill the vase with colorful spring flowers.

2. Write the invitation information on the card and punch a hole in the upper left corner. Attach to the vase with decorative ribbon.

3. Hand-deliver.

Decorations--Line your walkway with festive, tall candle-like holders, called torcheres, filled with flowers.

Materials:

torcheres (Tiki torches were used for this project.)
water-based latex paint (color of your choice)
paintbrush
plastic drinking glass
springtime flowers (anything bright, with big, long branches)
springtime greenery
decorative ribbon

Steps:

1. Remove the oil can from the tiki torch and paint the torch with a bright spring color (lime was used for this project). * Note: The torch is easier to paint if braced in a large flowerpot.

2. Insert the plastic drinking glass into the top of the tiki torch and fill two-thirds with water.

3. Fill the glass with an arrangement of springtime flowers and greenery. Tulips, roses and chrysanthemums were used for this project.

4. Tie a decorative ribbon around the top of the tiki torch.

5. Use splashy floral or spring-oriented linens, glasses and beverage pitchers. Reds, hot pinks, yellows and bright blues are the colors of choice.

Another fun idea is to create a miniature maypole.

Materials:

30-inch tall by 3/4-inch thick wooden dowel
spray paint (moss green)
12-inch flowerpot saucer
floral foam
knife
water
spring flowers (tulips, roses and anemones were used for this project)
galax leaves (ivy and geranium work as substitutes)
roses
wide rubber band
three bright ribbons

Steps:

1. Spray-paint the wooden dowel with moss-green paint.

2. While the paint is drying, create the flower base by soaking floral foam and placing it in the 12-inch flowerpot. Be sure the floral foam is secured tightly. It must support the wooden dowel.

3. Cover the base with spring flowers and foliage.

4. Create the top of the maypole by soaking a ball of floral foam and covering it with long-lasting galax leaves. Cover the ball with roses. Be sure to cut the stems at an angle.

5. Place a wide rubber band about two inches from the top of the wooden dowel, and carefully insert that end of the dowel into the decorated floral-foam ball up to the rubber band.

6. Tie three bright ribbons under the floral-foam ball down the dowel approximately three or four inches, leaving plenty of ribbon to flow down over the flower base.

7. Assemble the maypole on the luncheon table. Place the base on the table first, and then insert the dowel down into the center of the base securely.

8. Arrange the ribbons so they flow around the base and onto the table.

Menu--Serve whatever is easy for you, but for spring, always consider light foods. The highlight of the meal will be the following dessert:

Materials/Ingredients:

small lead-free flowerpots
cookies (your choice)
ice cream (your choice)
plastic bag
spoon
large straw
delicate stemmed flowers (tulips, daisies or camellias)

Preparation:

Boil the lead-free flowerpots for 20 minutes. Let cool, then freeze until ready to serve. Crumble some cookies and place in the bottom of the frozen flowerpot.

Insert a large straw in the middle of the dessert (figure B), and then place a long-stem flower--such as a tulip, daisy or camellia--into the straw to complete the flowerpot illusion.

Spring Dinner

Continue to enjoy spring flowers after dark by bringing them to the table for a special dinner.

Invitation--The invitation for any special dinner is important because it sets the mood for the party. To grab your guests' interest, create the following:

Materials:

small boxes (found at a party-supply store)
water-based latex paint (color of your choice)
paintbrush
colored tissue paper
audiotape
decorative ribbon
card

Steps:

1. Paint the boxes with a water-based latex paint. Use a bright spring color.

2. Insert colorful tissue paper into the box.

3. Record a greeting on an audiotape with all the information for the dinner party.

4. Insert the tape into the decorated box.

5. Close the box and decorate with ribbon, and place a card on top.

Decorations--For any dinner party, the best place to start is with the centerpiece. Try these unique tall creations:

Materials:

long green piece of plastic foam
aspidistra leaves (or any other "long" leaves available)
wooden floral picks
glass tubes (different sizes)
fragrant lilies (or flowers of your choice--should have long stems)
blooming branches (your choice)

Steps:

1. Cover the long piece of green plastic foam with aspidistra leaves (or any long leaves that are available) and secure with wooden floral picks.

2. Fill different-size glass tubes with water and insert lilies (or long-stem flower of your choice).

3. Insert the flower-filled tubes into the plastic foam. Be sure to space the tubes evenly.

4. Fill in around the tubes with blooming branches of your choice. These can help to hide the wooden floral picks as well.

Another clever decorating idea is to use a tablecloth topped with clear-glass service plates:

Materials:

14" round glass pieces with beveled edges
spring flowers and greenery (Ferns and begonias were used for this project.)

Steps:

1. Have a glass company cut 14-inch glass circles with beveled edges. A good substitute would be large clear-glass plates.

2. Place an arrangement of spring flowers and greenery on the table, and top with the cut and beveled glass.

Greet your guests with personalized party favors in the form of wineglasses:

Materials:

wineglasses
stencils (or use freehand designs)
nontoxic paints (for use on glass--found at craft stores)
craft paintbrush

Steps:

1. Paint the base of the wineglass with a solid color.

2. Settle on a design and use either a stencil or freehand.

3. Paint the design and personalize each glass with the name of each guest.

4. If you're using glass goblets, bake them in the oven according to the instructions on the bottle of glass paint.

A clever place-card idea is to use lemons, limes or oranges. Simply cut a small slit into the fruit and place a card with the guest's name into it.

Menu--The choice of food is left to you, but one thing to remember is that garnishes can go a long way in enhancing any dinner party. For spring, consider the following:

Materials:

fat carrots
knife
green bell peppers
toothpick
baby squash
peanut butter

Steps:

1. Slice off the big end of a fat carrot.

2. Cut a green bell pepper to resemble the top of a palm tree.

3. Score the carrot to look like a palm tree trunk.

4. Secure the bell pepper top onto the carrot with a toothpick.

5. Place on a plate and surround with baby squashes.

* Note: If the carrot is having difficulty standing up, place a dab of peanut butter under the trunk.