Other tips for floral arrangements . . .

Use clear acrylic spray sealer to give fall gourds extra shine and dried flowers a boost. The spray comes in matte, satin, gloss and high gloss and is available where acrylic craft paints are for sale.

Glitter spray paint can add extra sparkle to holiday arrangements by spraying the edges of petals and leaves.

Clay pots make great containers for silk
and dried flower arrangements.
They are sturdy, inexpensive and can be customized to fit your decorating needs with a simple coat of spray paint. Look for pots with unique designs that you can spray paint and then highlight the design with antiquing medium, etc.

An inexpensive kitchen turntable can also make arranging your flowers easy as you can quickly view all sides of your work.

For a good selection
of silk flowers, including floral picks and bushes,
visit www.afloral.com

Creating a silk floral arrangement doesn’t have to cost a lot or require a class in flower arranging. Next time you’re in need of a quick seasonal arrangement, take a stroll through your local craft store’s floral bush aisle.

Every change in the season, you’ll find this aisle bursting with the colors of fall, winter, spring and summer. Plus, these bushes make creating economical arrangements extremely easy.

Another cost saving tip, check your Sunday paper for what’s on sale each week at the craft stores. Often, you can save 40 to 50 percent in pre-season sales – and then you’re not waiting for the flowers to go on sale past when you need them.

But the floral bush is just the beginning of your custom arrangement. Think of it as a blueprint for the structure of your entire project. These bushes make great filler and you’ll note how they are already formed with taller and shorter ‘branches.’

This structure makes it easy for you to pick a few individual stems to fill-out the bouquet. These accent flowers should be slightly larger than the flowers in the bush for visual interest; and you should follow the rule of ‘threes’ to provide further interest. You’ll also want to look for a few spikes to add– such as grasses, twigs, berry sprigs, etc. Then, simply follow the structure of the bush to make your arrangement.

As for your container, be creative. A quick way to save money is to use an existing container, such as placing a fall silk arrangement in a clay pot you used for annuals during the summer months. You can also look for economical clay pots at discount stores and craft stores and simply spray paint them the color that you need. You can also spray paint the interior of glass vases you may have from fresh flowers you've received. Other ideas include using baskets and other unique containers.

To secure the flowers in the pot, you’ll need inexpensive dry floral foam from the craft store. Keep a dull chef’s knife (or one you purchased from the dollar store) handy for cutting the foam to fit. And, if your pot is not deep enough to hold the stem of the bush as is, keep a very sturdy pair of wire cutters with your equipment for dismantling the bush.

When you finish your arrangement, you’ll want to have Spanish moss or other moss (available from the craft store) ready to tuck in and around the base of your stems to cover any spaces where you can see the floral foam and to give the arrangement a finished and professional look.  For a special holiday flair, add a little scent to your arrangement by substituting potpourri for the moss.

An additional tip – before you start your floral project, know where and how you’re going to use the piece. For example, will it be against a wall or will it be in the middle of a buffet where it will be viewed from all sides? This makes a difference on the placement of accent flowers.

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