Party Planning
- Holiday
Decorations Inspired by Mother Nature
 |
(ARA)
– The time of year when people are inspired to decorate
their homes is upon us once again. You may have already put
up a tree, hung wreaths on the walls and doors and garland
on the mantle. That’s a lot of green in the house, but
it’s easy to spice things up. Just add colorful flowers. |
You may be thinking to yourself,
“Where in the world am I going to find flowers? All the plants
have gone dormant and it’s snowing outside.” Flowers may be in
short supply in your backyard, but they are still growing in other
places, and are plentiful at your local flower shop or floral
department.
“Red roses and carnations are
extremely popular around the holidays. So are blue irises and
lilies, but decorating at this time of year doesn’t necessarily
mean you have to stick to the traditional colors of red and green,
or for those of the Jewish faith, blue. I recommend that people look
for flowers that will accentuate the hues in their home decor,”
says Jill Slater, the design spokesperson for the Flower Promotion
Organization.
If you have yellow walls in your
dining room, for example, she recommends you turn a gold Christmas
ornament upside down, fill it with water, set it in a napkin ring
and add a handful of yellow daisy mums. If blue is the dominant
color in the room, Slater says to set up a vase of red roses
intermixed with blue iris. To accentuate a room with pink walls, mix
some pink carnations in with a bouquet of red roses. “Silver,
gold, bronze and brass accents add a nice touch too,” she adds.
This time of year, Slater travels the
country reminding people that flowers make great complements to
their holiday decorations. You may have caught one of her
appearances on your local television station where she shared these
“recipes.”
* Topiary
holiday “tree”
For a simple yet festive holiday
centerpiece that’s easy to make, fill a holiday-inspired mug with
a topiary Christmas tree of red Gerbera Daisies and tied with a
festive holiday ribbon. Cover the foam with cranberries for a
picture perfect look.
You will need: 10 red gerbera
daisies, 1 red or green mug, one-half brick floral foam, 2-feet
holiday ribbon, Fresh cranberries, 1 rubber band, flower
preservative.
Directions:
Step 1 -- Fill container with
wet floral foam (soaked in water and flower preservative for at
least 30 minutes). Gather the flowers in the web of your hand
(between thumb and other fingers), holding them just under the
bloom. The flowers should tuck neatly into each other. If right
handed gather the flowers in your left hand. Rubber band the stems
together and bring the rubber band up just under the blooms. This
will make the gerberas perky and straight.
Step 2 -- Hold all the stems
of the flowers in a neat bundle, cut them about 1” from the bottom
with a sharp knife or pruning shears or clippers. Insert the bunch
into the center of the floral foam.
Step 3 -- Cover the floral
foam with fresh cranberries. Using your favorite holiday ribbon, tie
a bow around the rubber band. For trans-seasonal appeal, change the
color of the Gerberas or try other flower varieties as Iris,
standard and miniature Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Roses and Lilies.
Be sure to match the container and ribbon color to the season.
* Evergreen Wreath
Customize an evergreen wreath by
accessorizing it with fresh cut flowers. It doesn't take a lot of
effort or flowers to turn a regular green wreath into the star of
your neighborhood.
Materials: One 12-inch
evergreen wreath, 1 spool of narrow gauge wire, three to five 2-inch
clay pots, 1 to 3 flowers for each clay pot (red roses look
gorgeous), floral clippers, flower foam for each pot, flower
preservative.
Directions:
Step 1 -- Soak the floral foam
in water and flower preservative for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2 -- Run a 16-inch piece
of wire through the drainage hole of the pot. Twist the wires
together to hold the pot tightly.
Step 3 -- Place the wire pot
on the wreath and thread the wires through the wreath to make a
sturdy attachment. Twist the wires on the back of the wreath to
permanently adhere the pot. Now do the same for the other clay pots.
Scatter the pots throughout the wreath or as you desire.
Step 4
-- Fill the pots with
floral foam, cut the flowers with a sharp knife or floral clippers,
and insert short cut flowers. Each pot should hold 1 to 3 flowers.
Flowers can also give a big boost to
the décor of families celebrating Hanukkah where blue and silver
are the predominant colors.
* Hanukkah Blue and Bold Bulbs
Materials:
1 trifle bowl, 1
brick of floral foam, 5 stems blue iris, 1 small bag of white
decorative rocks, floral preservative and clippers
Directions:
Step 1
-- Soak the floral foam
in water that has been treated with floral preservative for at least
30 minutes.
Step 2
-- Cut the floral foam
into a square that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the trifle
bowl. The foam should be about 1.5-inches in height.
Step 3
-- Cut the iris to
approximately 4-inches in length; then peel off the foliage on the
iris to reveal its small narrow stem.
Step 4
-- Carefully cover the
floral foam with the rocks and pour a bit of water into the bowl.
Step 5
-- Move the rocks aside
and insert the iris evenly into the floral foam
“Even though it might be cold and
dreary outside, Mother Nature is still being good to us. Her flowers
make it possible for us to be inspired by a house filled with color
all year long,” says Slater.
For more of Slater’s design ideas,
or to order a free brochure about decorating with flowers, log on to
www.flowerpossibilities.com. Courtesy of ARA Content |
