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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(ARA) – Fall is a time of year when color is all around us. Leaves are turning yellow, orange, red and crimson; the grass is fading from brilliant green to varying shades of yellow, orange and brown; and bright orange pumpkins and cornucopias abound. Let nature’s palate serve as an inspiration for your fall home decorating by bringing a taste of the outdoors in.
“You don’t need to change your paint color or bring in new furniture to update the look in your home this fall. There are so many beautiful things you can do with natural materials like grasses, leaves, twigs and flowers,” says Jill Slater, a floral designer from San Francisco who serves as the spokesperson for the Flower Promotion Organization. “You can make a centerpiece for a table, a natural wreath for the doors and walls or put seasonal grasses and flowers in vases scattered around the house."
Slater has been preparing flower arrangements for years, but says you don’t have to be an expert to create a masterpiece. Here are some fall-themed projects you may want to try:
* EZ Spiral Bouquet
It's easy to look like a pro and impress guests this season with this easy, freestanding chrysanthemum bouquet that inspires the senses and delights the eye.
Materials: 10 to 15 stems of mixed colored chrysanthemums (if a larger bouquet is desired, use more flowers or add some greenery); waxed florist string or raffia approximately two-feet in length; one-inch wide complimentary colored wired ribbon, approximately two-feet in length.
Directions:
Step 1 -- Strip and clean the leaves off the chrysanthemums, removing foliage that will fall below the thumb while making the bouquet.
Step 2 -- Gather three to five stems of mums in your hand. (If you are right handed hold the flowers in your left hand and vice-versa.) Hold them vertically between your thumb, index finger and third finger. The lower you hold the flower stem, the longer and larger in circumference your spiral bouquet will be.
Step 3 -- - Begin the spiral placement by placing additional flower stems at a 45-degree angle against the rest of the bouquet. Do not lay the stems on top of each or let them cross, instead, lay them next to each other. After three to five stems have been added in this fashion, twist the bouquet (either clockwise or counter clockwise, depending on what feels comfortable in your hand). Add additional flowers using this same method. You will be creating a spiral of flowers. Keep all the heads/blooms of the mums at the same height. If desired add foliage.
Step 4 -- - Bind the flowers by wrapping the florist string or raffia several times around the flower stems at the point you held the flowers. Leave several inches of thread to tie off the bouquet. Bring the thread through the center of the flowers and pull the thread tightly. Cut the thread and tie it to the loose end.
Step 5 -- Cut the ends of the flower stems very straight and finish the bouquet off with a complementary ribbon if desired.
Step 6 -- To make the bouquet literally stand on end, by itself, gently spread the stems and if necessary, trim the center stems slightly shorter than the rest of the bouquet.
For people who like to entertain, another project Slater recommends for fall is to make seasonal place cards that can be set on the table for party guests. “Miniature pumpkin vases inscribed with your guests' names look perky when placed on the dining table as seating place cards. These miniature personalized vases will make a big statement and a lasting impression,” says Slater. They are also a festive and seasonal take-home gift for each partygoer.
* Pumpkin Place Cards
Materials: (For One Miniature Pumpkin Place Card) 1 miniature pumpkin, a paring knife, a teaspoon, a permanent marker, one-eighth brick of floral foam, floral clippers, 2 to 3 stems of chrysanthemums.
Directions:
Step 1: Soak the floral foam in water treated with floral preservative/food for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and then scoop out as much pulp and seeds as possible.
Step 3: With the permanent marker, inscribe the guests' names on the pumpkins.
Step 4: Next, cut the floral foam to fit inside the miniature pumpkin.
Step 5: Now cut the individual flowers off each chrysanthemum, leaving each stem as long as possible.
Step 6: Finally, cut each flower to approximately 4 to 5 inches in length and insert them into the floral foam. A round shape is the goal.
And if the party you’re hosting will take place during a football game, your fans are sure to appreciate a flower arrangement made inside one of their team’s helmets. Slater calls this creation “Helmet Hues.”
Materials: 1 football helmet, 1 bowl to fit inside the helmet, 1 brick of floral foam, 1 dozen fresh-cut flowers in your teams' colors, 6 stems of leather fern and 6 stems of lemon leaf, floral preservative, floral clippers and knife, teacup saucer.
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 to fit inside the bowl. Now set the bowl into the helmet.
Step 3: The trick to arranging flowers in a round container is to think of the face of a clock. Start with the greenery. The first step is to put the hour and minute hands in the center of your imaginary clock, which is really the center of the round container. All the greens should be cut to approximately five-inches in length.
Step 4: Next, arrange additional greenery at the quarter hours and then fill in all the hours of the imaginary clock with more greenery.
Step 5: The last step is to add the flowers. This is simple; follow the same procedure with the flowers as you did with the greenery. All the flowers should be cut to approximately 5 to 6 inches in length.
Step 6: Set the helmet full of flowers on a teacup saucer to stabilize it.
For more design ideas, or to order a free brochure about decorating with flowers, log on to www.flowerpossibilities.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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