I have loved flower arranging ever since I aced my flower arranging class at Auburn University, which was actually part of my major in Home Ec! (Am I perpetuating the southern stereotype or what?)
Awesome Floral Designer, Kelly Long from Costa Mesa, California, taught a bunch of us this flower arrangement. (It was too many years ago to even count.) The arrangement is super simple to pull off, but comes out beautiful. It is perfect for a centerpiece because it is designed to be low. The best part is that everyone will think it was done by a professional! You will get to say, "no it was moi").
You will need:
-2 kinds of flowers in bunches that go together well. (Take your time in picking out your flowers.)
-greenery ex. camellia or azalea leaves. (You may need to "borrow" greenery from your neighbors yard).
-soft oasis (Michaels, of course:)
-clippers or sharp scissors
-a short container.
-optional: 2 itty bitty pumpkins or apples and wooden skewers. (My neighbor's baby apple tree has a branch that comes over our fence. I think the baby apples are fair game, don't you?)
Step 1. Cut oasis to fit container snuggly, then throughly soak with water.
Step 2. Cut the stems of one kind of flower. Stems should be 3.5 to 5 inches depending on whether container is smaller or larger.
Step 3. Arrange some of the first type of flower in a corner of the container (forming a cluster).
Step 4. Arrange the same number of flowers of the first type across from the first cluster of flowers. (Thank goodness there are pics.)
Step 5. Then take the second type of flowers and repeat steps above. Putting the flowers in clusters gives the arrangement a dramatic effect. You will need to work with the flowers to make the arrangement look the way you want it (cutting the stems shorter, switching the flowers around, etc.). It takes a while to get it right. As they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day". (Wow that rhymes!)
Step 6. Add greenery where there are empty spaces (esp. around base and top).
Step 7. (optional) Put baby pumpkins or apples on wooden skewers. Then place each one in the center of a cluster of flowers and then the other in the center of the cluster across from it. (This keeps arrangement balanced.)
Step 8. Water the arrangement and continue to water regularly.
Steps 1-4
Step 5
Steps 6, 7 & 8
Do you believe it? All of these three arrangements are the same design.
