How-To Floral & Lifestyle Blog by Expert Julie Mulligan

How-To's

How to Make a Sunflower Topiary

August 24, 2018

Sunflowers are one of the most popular flowers, and for good reason. Their shape and bright yellow, orange & red petals are symbolic of the sun. Sunflowers symbolize radiant happiness and all things positive.

There are many different varieties of sunflowers and just as many ways to design and enjoy them. The topiary design is an easy way to display these cheerful blooms. And you can use this one design technique to create many different looks and styles, depending on the size and shape of the container and the sunflowers you use, whether you incorporate foliage and other floral varieties, as well as the accessories you add such as ribbon, raffia etc.

Here is a basic step-by-step for creating a sunflower topiary. The rest is up to you and your own creativity!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Container (if the container isn’t waterproof, you’ll need to use a liner such as a plastic bag)
floral foam
sunflowers (I find that 6 stems makes a nice size topiary.)
waterproof tape
raffia or ribbon
moss

Entertainment

Rosé All Day Party Game

July 30, 2018

If you feel, like I do, that no party is complete without a game or two, here’s a fun idea for your next wine – themed party: a Rosé party game!

Save the corks from the wine you drink, or ask friends and family to save theirs for you to collect. Fill a pretty bowl or any clear container with the corks and have your guests guess how many corks are in the container. Remember to count them as you put them in the bowl.

And the perfect prize for the winner? A bottle of wine of course!

How-To's

Rosé Wine Cooler Centerpiece

July 25, 2018

Knowing a few tricks from the floral industry can make it so easy to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that can set your party apart from the crowd!For this pretty wine cooler/centerpiece, you’ll need an oblong waterproof tray, a couple of IGLU floral foam cages, fresh flowers, and foliage. Continue Reading…

How-To's

Rosé All Day Topiary & DIY Garland

July 19, 2018

Whenever I am decorating for a party, holiday, or any special occasion, I start with what I already have and repurpose things to fit the theme! Case in point is this rosé-themed tablescape that incorporates myrtle topiaries from my backyard, a few odd napkins, scraps of ribbon, and a homemade garland.

How-To's

Frozen Roses and Frosé

July 9, 2018

In my last post, I showed you how to surround your bottles of rosé (I love the Harry & David rosé shown above!) with a wreath of blooming summer roses. Now I’ll show you how to keep the rosé chilled with frozen rose buds!

I would have made these in an ice cube tray, but because I have an automatic ice maker at home I didn’t have any trays on hand. I did, however, have plastic shot glasses, so I decided to go with them. Continue Reading…

How-To's

DIY Roses and Rosé Wreath

July 3, 2018

This summer, everything is coming up roses and rosé! And that means lots of fabulous party décor in today’s trendiest color-pink! Here’s a particularly pretty way to display your rosé while keeping it chill at the same time.

If you don’t have your own rose garden, or a blooming rose bush, don’t worry; roses are abundant this time of year…and priced right. Continue Reading…

Holiday Decorations

DIY Red, White & Blue Floral
4th of July Crafts

July 2, 2018

Fourth of July celebrations (and decorations) are the best! Whether you’re celebrating America’s birthday with friends and family on the beach or in your backyard, here are some easy ways to add little patriotic touches of red, white and blue with these fun DIY floral 4th of July decoration ideas!

DIY Mason Jar American Flag Vase

Seriously, is there anything you can’t do with a few mason jars? I took three small, clear mason jars and painted them in a stars and stripes tribute to Old Glory. One stem of blue hydrangea in each and you have a beautiful, fun, inexpensive centerpiece. You could paint a couple more while you’re at it and use them to hold cutlery or straws, or even tea lights, creating a festive look for evening festivities.

Julie's Blog

Create and Curate Part III

June 19, 2018

Creating a floral arch on site was the final project of the workshop. This was a group project that was led by Kaylee and an assistant, with help throughout the process from all attendees.

The first step to creating this fresh flower floral arch is to attach a brick of floral foam, which has been thoroughly soaked in clean water, to the sides and top of the metal base. Continue Reading…

Lifestyle

Create and Curate Part II

June 15, 2018

As if being surrounded by the most spectacular blooms imaginable, the workshop was held at one of Charleston’s hottest event spaces (The Knot 2018 Best of Weddings Pick). The Cedar Room at Mercantile and Mash, located in the celebrated Cigar Factory, is an open and airy space, featuring historic wood columns, hardwood floors, and original elements of the circa 1881 building. The walls consist of rustic brick and floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal a view of the architecturally acclaimed Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

Julie's Blog

Create and Curate in Historic Charleston

June 13, 2018

I love flowers so much that even though floral design is what I do for a living, creating with flowers is what I like to do on my “time off”. I recently treated myself to a fabulous workshop hosted by Mayesh Wholesale in Charleston, SC and turned the whole thing into an anniversary road trip for me and my hubby! It was our first time in Charleston but it won’t be our last!