March 2017
Easter will be here before you know it so we thought it would be fun to share a simple basket centerpiece tutorial. We chose whites and all shades of purple for this arrangement. It’s very easy to put together so let’s get started…
What you’ll need: A small wicker basket, plastic liner, wet floral foam, scissors, floral preservative, floral tape, hydrangea, purple stock, purple tulips, magenta carnations, waxflower and greenery.
1. We begin with a small wicker basket.
2. Make sure when using a basket to always place a plastic, waterproof liner in the bottom so that any moisture will not escape your arrangement.
3. Soak the WET foam. Remember when working with foam, there is no need to push the foam down or run water over it. Drop the foam in the water and let it absorb the water.
4. Prep your flowers by giving them a fresh cut and placing them in a working vessel of water with floral preservative. This works best if you let them sit overnight or for at least a few hours as it helps perk up the flowers and allows them to last longer.
5. Secure the foam in the basket. We used a bit of floral tape to allow for a more secure fit.
6. Begin with your largest blooms. In this case, we used some beautiful hydrangea blooms. Next, add some purple stock, making sure to work on all sides of the arrangement.
8. Add in a few light purple tulips, some magenta colored carnations and accent with waxflower.
9. To complete the arrangement, fill in and cover up your mechanics with greenery.
Go ahead and try this tutorial for yourself. You will be surprised at how much life and beauty it brings to your table even though it is simple and small. Happy Arranging!
Carol,
All great questions. If you are wanting this Centerpiece to last a while then I would change from using foam to using a vessel you can fill with water and grid with tape or use a floral frog. A simple plastic bowl nestled inside the basket would work but try to find one as deep as possible. As for the tulips, these were cut tulips. If you use tulips still on the bulb, you could plant the bulb but many times these type bulbs are used for Floral arranging rather than gardening. I have heard that these bulbs will bloom outdoors for a few years and then fizzle out.
I hope this helps you and As always, remember to give your flowers a fresh cut and place in water that has floral preservative in it.
Hi Gina, this is beautiful and looks doable! How long should I expect it to last? And also, when you do buy the purple tulips with bulbs that are in a pot, do you discard when they have lost their color and are wilting, or should one save the bulbs? Thank you for all of your helpful tips!