Flower Tree

Flowers and evergreen trees are traditions of the holiday season. Here's a way to combine flowers and a tree shape. It's a small decorative tree made completely of fresh cut flowers! Created with standard carnations, a Flower Tree can last up to two weeks. It is a unique and festive way to accessorize any room of the house! 

 

Materials

 

• 1 brick of floral foam 

• Flower food/preservative 

• 50 to 60 stems of red or white standard carnations. Novelty varieties of standard carnations can also be used. 

• Knife for shaping floral foam 

• Small decorative pot or urn, approximately 4-inches in diameter.

• Floral clippers 

 

Directions

 

1. For approximately 30 minutes, soak the floral foam in warm water that has been treated with flower food/preservative. (Warm water enables the floral foam to soak up water quickly.) 

2. Using a knife, round the 4 corners off one end of the floral foam so that it will fit snuggly into the container. Now insert the shaved end of the foam into the container. Make sure the foam is secure in the vessel. 

3. Again, with the knife, begin making a cone (a tree-shape) out of the floral foam by shaving its sides and top. 

4. With the floral clippers, cut several flower stems about 3-inches in length. Insert the flower stems about 1-inch deep into the cone-shaped floral foam. Place each flower as close together as possible.

5. Continue this process until the entire foam cone is covered with flowers.

 

Gift giving and dinner parties are of course traditional at Christmas time. Give a gift for the dining table top in the way of a floral centerpiece. Each flower is individually wrapped yet placed in one container; ready for each guest as he or she departs. One variety or several different kinds or colors of flowers make this modern and unique centerpiece blossom. 

 

Gift Giving Centerpiece

 

Materials

 

• One round or oblong silver container. The container needs to be approximately 6-inches high and large enough to hold as many flowers as guests at the dining table. 

• Flowers-Red and white gerbera daisies, red and white roses, or red and white standard carnations. Purchase as many stems as there are guests. 

• Christmas evergreens, 1 stems per flower purchased

• Watertubes, enough for each flower stem. (Watertubes are available wherever you buy your flowers or at craft stores). 

• Flower food/preservative 

• 8.5-inches x 11-inches decorative computer paper or velum, one sheet for each flower. The paper is available at stationary or copy stores. 

• Double-sided scotch tape 

• Floral clippers 

 

Directions 

 

1. Fill each watertube with water that has been treated with flower food/preservative. Then replace the plastic cap. 

2. Cut all the flowers and foliage between 9- and 11-inches in height, so they fit nicely when wrapped in the silver paper. 

3. Insert each flower with greenery into individual watertubes. 

4. Wrap each flower- Attach double-sided tape in the lower right corner of the paper. Now set the flower diagonally across the paper, so that the water tube is in the lower left corner of the paper. Hold the watertube end and begin rolling the paper so that a cone shape is formed. Fasten the paper together with the double-sided tape. Make sure you can see each bloom. 

5. Insert the individually wrapped flowers into the silver container. Allow the individually wrapped flowers to fan out of the container instead of sticking straight up.