How-To Floral & Lifestyle Blog by Expert Julie Mulligan

DIY Holiday Flower Tree

Here are the basic step-by-step instructions for making one of 1-800-Flowers.com’s most cherished holiday arrangements, the Holiday Flower Tree (otherwise known as a tabletop tree-shaped arrangement). Once you master the basics, the sky’s the limit as far as creating unique, personalized trees in various sizes and containers.

What you need to make a DIY flower tree

Assorted fresh greens
Fresh flowers
Floral foam
Clippers
Waterproof tape
Decorations
Green sticks
Utility container

Instructions for making a DIY flower tree

Tape a brick of floral foam into a waterproof container and place it in water until the foam is thoroughly soaked. Boxwood is the main green I used for the tree, and I accented it, after the main shape was created, filling in with other assorted evergreens such as cedar, pine, and balsam.

Before starting to construct your tree, cut the greens off the main branch, creating multiple smaller pieces. Clean the bottom of the stems so they can easily be inserted into the foam.

diy flower tree with attaching decorations to sticks

Attach your decorations to small floral sticks or wooden skewers.

Start by inserting a taller precut piece of boxwood at the top to create your basic height. Do the same at the bottom and sides. This gives you the base shape of your tree.

diy flower tree with adding greens to floral foam

Continue adding pieces of boxwood, turning the tree as you go, until you have created the basic shape of your tree. Do not totally cover the foam yet.

diy flower tree with adding evergreens to holiday flower tree

I like to add a few sprigs of other evergreens, such as balsam and pine. These greens add that wonderful fragrance, and I find the different textures add visual interest as well.

Your tree is now ready to “decorate.” Because this tree is actually a “flower arrangement,” you can easily use fresh-cut flowers as a primary decorating feature. Just give your flowers a fresh cut and insert them directly into the foam, and they will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Add the non-perishable decorations, such as pine cones and mini ornaments.

Now go ahead and give it a try!

Holiday Flower Tree™ DIY FUNdraiser

The only way that spending a little time with a bunch of friends, learning new skills, and creating your very own Holiday Flower Tree® could get any better would be if it benefited a good cause. And that’s exactly what happened when my sister-in-law, Kathy, opened her home and invited a few of her neighborhood girlfriends in to join in the fun.

Female Friends with DIY Holiday Flower Tree Creations

Each guest made a contribution to Smile Farms at IGHL, an organization that is near and dear to my heart. 1800-Flowers.com graciously stepped up and donated all the materials needed for this workshop, which allowed us to make a nice holiday donation to Smile Farms on behalf of this group of friends.These are the typical ingredients used to make a classic holiday flower tree.

Supplies for Creating a DIY Holiday Flower Tree

In my opinion, presentation is everything. Make the work area feel like Santa’s workshop with a holiday cloth and use various baskets and wooden boxes to display the ingredients that will be used in making and decorating the trees. I also made a few different trees in advance to provide inspiration and stimulate ideas.

The beauty of learning the basic techniques of making a Holiday Flower Tree is that the possibilities are endless!

For example, this is the classic style that was created during the workshop.

And by putting the same tree into three different containers you create three different looks – modern, farmhouse, and rustic!

Different Containers for DIY Holiday Flower Trees

Everyone was thrilled with their finished product and I must say they had every right to be. They all looked incredible. The red truck is from a Harry & David holiday gift basket that is filled with the most delicious assortment of sweets. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to put a little tree in the back!

Ready to make your own Holiday Flower Tree? My next post will take you step-by-step through the process. In the meantime, here are a few more ideas for making tabletop tree arrangements that are as unique as you are!

Flower Design, Friends & Fun

Enjoy our guide to hosting your very own Flower design whether it’s as a class, workshop or an event. The DIY floral design workshop is great fun for everyone and your guests take their flower design creations back home!

I recently had the opportunity to go out into the “field” so to speak, and share a few of my favorite things – flowers and fun – with great friends, old and new!

The first event was of a corporate nature. My sister Peggy, asked if I would do a floral centerpiece workshop at her annual Customer Appreciation Night. She likes to have a little something extra and interactive for this event and the “Centerpiece Bar” worked out even better than we expected.

The venue was local Jersey shore restaurant Brandl and its warm ambiance set the perfect vibe for an evening of small bites, cocktails, and creativity. Flowers are a natural way of making people feel good anyway so it wasn’t long before guests were rolling up their sleeves and opening themselves up to the possibilities!

If you are going to host a floral design DIY party, I suggest prepping and pre-greening containers. That’s the messy work anyway so best to get it out of the way and let’s your guests get right to the good part!

K.I.S.S – Keep it simple silly. The floral selection is seasonal, and in the fall, that means lots of chrysanthemums. Be sure to had in lots of different textural options as well with the fillers and novelty foliage.

This type of event is all about enjoying the experience so keep it simple with a guide to follow but allow everyone to pick their own varieties and colors.

My role as the floral instructor was to guide, inspire, and ultimately make everyone comfortable enough to trust their instincts and have fun while creating their very own autumn floral centerpiece.

The evening quickly became a flurry of activity with co-workers and clients getting to know each other a little better, sharing laughs and new experiences.

And as if the evening’s festivities weren’t enough everyone got to take home their beautiful creations to enjoy all week long or perhaps to give it to someone they love!

If you’re looking for a great way to connect with clients or say thank you to your valued employees I highly recommend talking to your local florist about partnering with you on an event like this! Hosting it at a restaurant in town is another way of supporting local business and keeping them top of mind in the community!

Another “win-win” idea is to host a DIY party that raises money for a good cause. Or what I like to call a DIY FUNdraiser! My next post highlights a Holiday Flower Tree DIY FUNdraiser with lots of ideas for making your own miniature holiday tree!

Sunflower Decor Ideas

The sunflower is a symbol of happiness, strength, loyalty, and adoration. Because the sunflower always turns its face to the sun, it has also come to symbolize faith and the constant search for light, or enlightenment. All in all, it is one of the most beloved flowers on the planet.

Its overwhelming popularity also makes it a popular choice for decorating. These two sunflower decor ideas are the perfect way to incorporate the irresistible beauty and warmth of the sunflower into your next summer get-together.

Vintage sunflower tabletop

sunflower decor with Sunflower Tablescape with DIY Placemats

This fall-themed tabletop features vases and placemats that play into the sunflower theme, and can be assembled in mere minutes.

Use antique single-flower vases

For an updated twist on a traditional centerpiece, line an assortment of vintage-style green and yellow bottles, each holding a single sunflower, down the center of the table. This creates a garden of sunflowers with their faces looking up at the sun!

How to make sunflower placemats

Sunflowers come in many different colors and sizes, from mini to giant. These super-size sunflower placemats make a big impact and are so easy to make!

Materials

sunflower decor with Supplies for DIY Sunflower Placemats

Cardboard circle (approximately 10 inches in diameter)
Salal leaves (20 to 25 leaves in various sizes; fake leaves can work too for a longer-lasting placemat)
Glue
Yellow spray paint
Brown paint
Sponge

Instructions

Step 1

Cut one cardboard circle for each placemat. (This is a good use for old cardboard boxes!) Each circle should be about 10 inches in diameter. I used a dinner plate as a template to trace a circle onto the cardboard, which worked perfectly. Use the sponge to add brown paint to your circle, leaving a bit of the original cardboard color showing through to create a textured look for your sunflower center.

sunflower decor with DIY Sunflower Placemats

Step 2

Cut all the salal leaves from the stem and spray paint them yellow. Once they have dried, glue the wider end of the larger-sized leaves to the edge of the cardboard circle.

Step 3

Glue the smaller leaves between each of the larger leaves.

With fresh salal leaves, the sunflower placemats can be made a day or two before you plan to use them. Keep them flat and in a cool place.

These super fun sunflower decor ideas will help set the mood at a summer party and add a brightness and whimsy to the proceedings. After all, everyone is happier around sunflowers!

How to Make Back to School Flowers to Start Their School Year Off Right

Back to school flowers can help everyone start the new school year off on the right foot! According to research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed. “Flowers bring about positive emotional feelings in those who enter a room,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “They make the space more welcoming and create a sharing atmosphere.”

Here are some creative ideas that you and your child can put together the day before school starts. Your child might be a little nervous about the first day of school and spending time with you; putting a floral or plant gift together for the teacher will relax them and get them excited about giving their new teacher such a beautiful gift.

How to make a pencil vase with flowers

Can a teacher ever have too many #2’s? This adorable vase is just a clear beverage glass covered with unsharpened #2 pencils. Place a rubber band around the glass and insert the pencils between the glass and the rubber band until the entire glass is covered. Hide the rubber band with a fun school themed or colorful ribbon. Add about 2 inches of water into the glass (easier for transporting), but make sure the teacher knows they should add more water as soon as possible to keep the flowers fresher longer. Sunflowers are perfect long lasting flowers, but you can use any flowers. Flowers picked from your garden are great too!

Garden fresh flowers for the teacher

Keep it simple and fresh by cutting a few stems of flowers from the garden and placing them in a mason jar. Bring your child into the garden with you and let him or her pick out the flowers. There’s no right or wrong here — any flowers cut from a garden will look good together. I love this natural look! It reminds me of my grammar school days, when kids would bring flowers to the teacher. A few stems of garden roses wrapped with a little aluminum foil seemed to have magical powers for both the giver and the receiver!

Rosé All Day Party Game

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!

Rosé Wine Cooler Centerpiece

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.

These small pieces of floral foam in their own plastic cages can make it so easy to add real flowers to unexpected places while keeping them hydrated and fresh for days!

Before using, soak the IGLU in water.

Place the soaked IGLU in the tray. If you wanted to display two bottles of wine in this size tray, I would use three IGLU cages.

I wanted to have three bottles available, so I used two IGLU cages.

Add foliage first.

Then add roses.

You may find it helpful to have a bottle in place as you’re creating your floral design so that you can build around it.

You can use this to simply display your wine in a pretty way, or you can add a few ice cubes around the bottles to keep them chill!

Frozen Roses and Frosé

I’ve shown 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.

Here are a few tips to make it even easier:

Use small roses, such as a sweetheart or spray rose.
Cut the stem off at the base of the rose.
Stand individual roses in shot glasses (or ice cube tray) and fill 1/3 of the way with water.
Place shot glasses (or ice cube tray) with roses and water on a tray, and place in freezer.
After the water has frozen, take the shot glasses out of the freezer and add water to fill to the top.

Fill your bowl or ice bucket with plain ice cubes, leaving room at the top to add the fancy frozen roses.

If you made them in an ice cube tray, you would remove each cube from the tray. I liked the way the roses looked in the clear plastic shot glasses, so I left them in and just nestled them in between the regular ice cubes. I thought it added a special touch to something so easy to do!

And while we’re talking about a fabulous frozen rose display that’s easy to create, here’s my vote for the tastiest and easiest summer frozen cocktail: frosé!

How to make strawberry frosé

Fill your blender with frozen strawberries, add your favorite bottle of rosé, and blend away! How much rosé you add will determine how slushy your cocktail will be. It’s that easy!

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and rosé gummy bear, and you have an instant party!

I have a confession to make: There was a Pinterest fail associated with this project. I was going to make my own rosé gummy bears following one of the recipes I found on Pinterest. I ordered the gummy bear trays and gathered all the ingredients needed. Then I asked my daughter and her friend (with whom she used to own a baking business) to give it a try. Unfortunately, they gave me a big thumbs down. My suggestion to you: If you want to add the whimsy of the rosé gummy bears to your party, buy a box from Sugarfina and use them as a special garnish. They’re expensive but so darn cute!

DIY Roses and Rosé Wreath

This summer, everything is coming up pink! And that means lots of fabulous party décor in that trendiest of colors. This roses and rosé wreath is a particularly pretty — and pink — way to display your wine while keeping it chilled 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 they’re priced right.

Roses and rosé wreath

What you’ll need

Oasis floral foam wreath base
Fresh cut roses
Fresh foliage
Shallow dish
Pedestal dish (for elevated display)

a photo of a roses and rosé wreath with a shallow dish for the base

Soak the floral foam wreath base thoroughly. Then, place a shallow dish, such as a pie plate, on top of the pedestal dish, and put the foam wreath on the pie plate.

Start by creating the wreath shape with various sprigs of foliage. I was able to cut enough branches from the trees and shrubs in my backyard to use in this project!

a photo of a roses and rosé wreath with pushing leaves into floral foam

Because the wreath is elevated, make sure that you insert your lower branches into the foam on an angle so they hang over the dish.

a photo of a roses and rosé wreath with covering wreath base with flowers

Before inserting your roses, cut the stems to about an inch long so that the stem fits nicely into the foam without going all the way through. You want the bottom of the stem to stay in the foam so that it will be continuously hydrated.

Continue filling in with greenery and roses until you have completely covered the wreath base.

a photo of a roses and rosé wreath with bottles of wine in the wreath

When you’re ready to serve and enjoy your favorite rosé — mine is this delicious pinot noir rosé from Harry and David — fill the center dish with ice and add the bottles to keep them chilled between pours.

a photo of a roses and rosé wreath with a faux rose wreath

Want an even simpler version of this? Use a faux rose wreath instead. Place the wreath on the table, add a bowl filled with ice in the middle, and then fill it with a bottle of delicious, refreshing pink rosé!

Or meet in the middle and do a little of both.

Start with the pretty faux wreath base and add a few cuttings of fresh flowers and greenery to really make it pop!

As long as you want the roses to look beautiful for just a few hours, you don’t even need to worry about hydration — they’ll look great for the entire party. After the rosé is gone, you can remove the fresh cut roses and place them in a petite vase, and enjoy them for a few more days.