October 2013

DIY Halloween Crafts: Halloween Flower Arrangement with Halloween Candy

Looking for the perfect decoration for a Halloween party? This DIY Halloween craft featuring a ceramic pumpkin, your favorite candies, and the best fall flowers will wow your guests — and help satisfy their sweet tooth, too.

Create this festive centerpiece for your own home or as a gift for the hosts of a Halloween party you’re attending this month. Either way, it will help set just the right mood for you to have a monstrously good time!

Materials:

Pumpkin flower pot
Scissors or knife
Floral foam (preferably with holes)
Water
Flowers (I used lilies, “Viking” daisy poms, hypericum, snapdragons, roses, and sunflowers.)
Fall glycerin leaves
Halloween candy (in wrappers)
Wire sticks (for the candy)

Halloween Flower Centerpiece DIY with Candy

How to make the DIY Halloween flower arrangement:

Choose a Halloween ceramic container or pot. I used a pumpkin ceramic pot for my creation.
Carve the floral foam to fit your pot. You will want to place the cut foam into the container to make sure it fits snugly.

diy halloween crafts with pumpkin ceramic pot

diy halloween crafts with floral foam soaking in water

Place the floral foam in water and soak it for roughly five minutes. Let the foam sink into the water so it absorbs as much water possible. If your floral foam has holes (which is preferred), make sure the holes are face down in the water. This ensures the foam will absorb the most water possible and, thus, keep your flowers well fed!
Once the foam is fully saturated, remove it from the water and place it in the ceramic pot. Make sure the foam is secure and snug inside.

diy halloween crafts with adding glycerin leaves

diy halloween crafts with gylcerin leaves

Create a base with the glycerin leaves by carefully sticking them into the floral foam. I placed the leaves low to form a base for the flower arrangement. You can cut the glycerin leaves as needed to fit your arrangement but still allow the ceramic pot to show.

diy halloween crafts with adding flowers to pot

diy halloween crafts with adding flowers to ceramic pot

Now we add our fall flowers to our ceramic pumpkin and autumn glycerin leaves. Start with the tallest flowers first (in my case, snapdragons) to give the arrangement height. Typically, the rule of thumb is the flowers should be 2 1/2 times the height of the vase.
Add the remainder of your flowers in whatever order you please. In my case, I added the lilies, hypericum, “Viking” daisy poms, roses, and, lastly, sunflowers. I added more as needed to fill the arrangement, and adjusted the height to ensure all the flowers were visible. Note: Don’t be scared of sticking the flowers into the floral foam — you want to make sure they are secure.

diy halloween crafts with candies on wire sticks

diy halloween crafts with finished halloween centerpiece

Stick your candies into the wire sticks and place the sticks in the arrangement as you see fit.
Your Halloween flower centerpiece is finished! Feel free to add more flowers and candy for finishing touches, and make sure to allow some space so people can see your creative ceramic vase.

Enjoy and happy Halloween!

Pencils of Promise 2013 Gala | Centerpieces | Petal Talk

Pencils of Promise Flowers by 1800flowers — 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Flower Centerpiece Donated for Pencils of Promise 2013 Gala

Pencils of Promise (“PoP”) is an amazing organization that builds schools in the developing world, while training young leaders to take action locally and globally. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has had the pleasure of working with PoP over the past four years and was thrilled to be able to provide the floral centerpieces at this year’s Pencils of Promise Gala on October 24, 2013 in New York City. The night honors some of the most amazing Pencils of Promise ambassadors and leading figures in international education.

“We are proud to support this amazing organization. This year, we launched our prom program where a portion of all corsages sold online and in our flower stores, was donated to Pencils of Promise. With the proceeds raised, we were able to build a classroom,” says 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Vice President of Retail Marketing, Lisa Hendrikson.

This year’s PoP Gala was hosted by Sophia Bush and the honorees included sixteen year old Pakistani school pupil and education activist Malala Yousafzai, New Jersey Senator Elect Cory Booker, and The Cahill Family. Malala’s award was accepted by Shiza Shahid, Executive Director of the Malala Fund who recited Malala’s powerful words on her behalf, “…that education is our basic right.”

Pencils of Promise Artwork of Their Students by Chalkboard Artist Casey Opstad

Shiza Shahid at Pencils of Promise Gala — Pencils of Promise Artwork of Their Students by Chalkboard Artist Casey Opstad

Make Your Own Spooky Spider Tree Halloween Centerpiece

Here’s a “spider tree” that is very simple to make and will look great in a picture window, on a table in the foyer or as a centerpiece for a Halloween party. Begin making your own spooky spider tree Halloween centerpiece by starting with a store bought tree made from papier-mâché and pipe cleaners. Then I just glued black feathers, green millet and green spider mums to the pipe cleaner branches. I used a floral adhesive for the spider mums and it looked great, without water, for over a week!

If you want to turn the creepy scary up a notch wrap the entire tree with spider webs. These spider webs are so easy to make and can be put almost anywhere. Just take two small pieces of Styrofoam – just about 3” – 4” in size – and put a dollop of hot glue on one of the pieces. Put the two pieces together and slowly pull apart. You will see the spider strings start to form. Take your arms and go around the tree and press the two pieces of Styrofoam together again and then pull apart and bring your hands back around the tree and meet again in the front. Continue to do this until you are satisfied with the amount of spider webs you have created. To remove the spider webs, just spray with a hair dryer and they will melt away!

Thanksgiving Internationally: Giving Thanks Around the World

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, but there are many other holidays celebrated in other countries where people give thanks and celebrate what they are thankful for — whether that’s good health, having food and shelter, or enjoying the company of friends and family.

Picture of a 1-800Flowers Thanksgiving ad

Here are seven celebrations from around the world that embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving.

1. Thanksgiving (Canada)

Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. On this day, Canadians give thanks for the harvest and express their blessings for the past year. Families come together and feast on a turkey dinner, just like we do in the United States. Also as in the U.S., Thanksgiving gifts for hostesses include desserts, gift baskets, and flowers.

thanksgiving around the world with moon cakes

2. Mid-Autumn Festival (China)

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The Chinese believe the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day. During this festival, family and friends gather to express their feelings about one another and offer sacrifice to the moon. The traditional dessert for the Moon Festival is moon cake, a delicacy that consists of a doughy crust surrounding a filling of sweet lotus paste and salted duck eggs.

3. Chuseok (Korea)

Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, is a day of giving thanks in Korea celebrated in late September and early October. On this holiday, families come together to feast, share stories, and pay respects to their ancestors. The celebration also consists of dancing and dressing in traditional Korean costumes.

4. Dia de Ação de Graças (Brazil)

Brazil has its own Thanksgiving, known as Dia de Ação de Graças (the day of thanks), which falls on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, Brazilians express gratitude and appreciation for all God’s blessings, as well as for the plentiful harvest throughout the year. Like in the U.S., Brazilians enjoy a big turkey dinner on this day. Unlike in the U.S., Brazil also celebrates its version of Thanksgiving with colorful and vibrant carnivals throughout the country (unless you count our parades, which aren’t quite the same thing).

thanksgiving around the world with Erntedank

5. Erntedankfest (Germany)

The German harvest festival of Erntedankfest is celebrated in September or October. The day is filled with lots of music, dancing, parades, and sometimes even fireworks. Instead of a turkey, Germans feast on chicken and plenty of fruits and vegetables from the harvest.

6. Vaisakhi (India)

In India, farmers in the states of Punjab and Haryana celebrate a harvest festival called Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi). Usually falling in the middle of April, Vaisakhi is a time for people to thank God for their harvest and prosperity, and pray for another year of success. They celebrate by praying at the gurdwara (temple), having family gatherings, and having the big “melas” (carnivals).

Sukkah symbolic temporary hut for celebration of Jewish Holiday Sukkot

7. Sukkot (Israel)

Sukkot is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar. It is a holiday when farmers give thanks to God for the harvest. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur, on the 15th of Tishrei, and lasts for seven days. During this festival, devout observers build and live in a “sukkah” — a hut-like structure topped with branches and leaves — to give thanks.

How to Honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October

It’s time to go pink: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Charities are teaming up with women across theU.S.to raise awareness of the disease, fight for a cure and provide support to affected families.

According to the American Cancer Society, even though breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among American women, there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the country today. And that’s the message being sent out to all ladies not just in October, but all year long: There is hope! With regular breast exams, mammograms and early-detection screenings, tens of thousands of breast cancer cases can be prevented each year.

Whether you want to rally your friends and raise money for the cause, or pitch in your own time or money to support your favorite organization, there are plenty of ways you can honor the promising spirit of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here’s how you can make your mark:

Fundraise

Participating in a charity event is one of the most popular—and empowering—ways to raise money for breast cancer research. Gather the support of friends and family members, make new friends, and spread the inspiration throughout your neighborhood. Lots of organizations sponsor breast cancer awareness walks. Pick the one that fits you best, or join all of them! Here are three to get you started:

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

Volunteer

If you prefer to be out in the frontlines in the battle against breast cancer, you can make a difference by volunteering your time. You can partner with one of many organizations to help give emotional support to women who have been diagnosed, or provide educational resources about preventing the disease. These three volunteer programs are great options to consider during National Breast Cancer Awareness month:

National Breast Cancer Foundation Outreach Volunteer Program
American Cancer Society Reach to Recovery Program
Look Good Feel Better Program

Donate

Don’t have much time to volunteer or walk for a cure? You can donate to the cause by purchasing products you love. Many companies like 1800Flowers.com and General Mills give proceeds to charity every time you buy their National Breast Cancer Awareness Month merchandise. Or, you can even make a speedy online donation by visiting one of these organizations’ websites:

How will you get involved in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?