DIY Christmas Sleigh Centerpiece
I am lucky to live in an area that evergreens are readily available for harvesting in my own surrounding yard and gardens. Don't fear if you don't have this advantage, however, as mixed holiday greens are available for DIY designers as well as the fresh flowers to complete your designs!
This is a variety of yew trimmed from a yard shrub. Always trim from the back and take care not to spoil the shape of your yard shrubs.
It is good to soak your collected greens in a cool water bath and then allow to drain throughly. Wrap loosely in plastic and keep out in a cool area before using in your designs.
Trim the needles off the bottom stem for easy insertion into the florist foam.
Take care when using Christmas greens, because the bulky stems can quickly overwhelm the design if you don't take care.
Keep the stems shorter and proportioned to the size of the container.
Keeping the outer stem length to about the depth of the container will keep it in rein and not overpower the look of the container, which is an important part of the overall design.
Don't be afraid to cut off small portions of the greens and insert them quickly into the sides.
Start around the outside first, and push upwards so that the outer greens point down towards the table top.
Every good designer takes care to cover up the mechanics of their design, which in this case is the florist foam. Don't worry, however, Christmas greens fill in quickly and don't have to be packed too tightly.
