Flower Crafts Archives

St. Patrick’s Day Decor: 2 DIY Ideas with Flowers

St. Patrick’s Day brings together unique colors, and color combinations, that you don’t get to play around with much during the rest of the year. Here, we offer two St. Patrick’s Day decor ideas with flowers: A centerpiece that mimics the Irish flag and a floral arrangement constructed from symbols of the holiday: green carnations, cabbage, and potatoes.

st. patrick's day decor with irish flag made from flowers

Irish flag centerpiece

Creating a centerpiece modeled after the Irish “tricolour” — as the flag of Ireland is frequently referred to — is very easy and will last for a few weeks. This works out great for anyone (like me) who likes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for the entire month of March!

The simplicity of the flag’s design of three colors in three equal parts makes it easy to recreate in flowers. The meaning behind it, however, is deep and captures the desire for peace during conflict. Here is what each color of the flag represents.

Green

Green is a color long associated with Ireland and Irish republicanism. Back in the 1700s, the Society of United Irishmen, who were predominantly Catholic, launched a rebellion to end British rule, resulting in the creation of an independent Irish Republic.

st. patrick's day decor with Saint Patrick's Day parade with Irish flag

Orange

Protestant King William III led an army that defeated the Catholics, led by King James, in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. King William was known as William of Orange because he came from the Principality of Orange. More than 100 years later, the Northern Ireland-based Orange Order, a Protestant supremacy group, was formed. Over time, orange came to represent Protestant British unionists.

White

Between the two opposing colors of green and orange is white, which represents peace and the hope of a lasting truce between the two sides.

The flag represents the ideal that every Irish person has a place in Ireland regardless of political association or ethnicity.

Flowers you’ll need

Green button poms
White cushion poms
Orange spray roses

How to make it

Choose a shallow rectangular container that is either waterproof or can be lined with plastic.
Soak a few bricks of floral foam in a sink or bowl of water.
Cut the foam to fill the entire container. The foam should sit just at the height of the container.
If you’re transporting your centerpiece to another location, use waterproof tape to secure it to the container; otherwise, it’s not necessary.

st. patrick's day decor with irish flag floral foam container

Cut each individual flower from the main stem, leaving only about 1-1½” of stem to insert into the foam.
Measure and mark the foam into three equal parts.
Starting at one side, insert each flower in that colorway, one at a time, directly into the foam. Continue until you have finished the three color sections of the flag.
Spritz your flag with water and add water to the tray/container every few days to keep it fresh.

Tip: An easy way to add water to the container is to slip a few ice cubes between the flowers. They’ll melt and keep the foam moist!

st. patrick's day decor with beer mug flowers

Looking for another fun craft to make for March 17? Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day like a big old mug of “beer”!

St. Patrick’s Day DIY floral arrangement

What better way to decorate your house this March 17 than with this easy-to-make DIY St. Patrick’s Day floral arrangement!

st. patrick's day decor with green floral arrangement

Materials needed

1 large head of cabbage
6 green carnations
6 stems of Bells of Ireland
2 stems of monte casino
A small piece of floral foam
Paring knife
Plastic cup
A few red potatoes (optional)

Instructions

Carefully cut out the top of the cabbage (about a 2-by-2 hole) with a paring knife, cutting at least 2 inches deep.
Cut a plastic cup to fit into the hole, making sure it sticks out at least a half inch above the opening in the cabbage.
Place the soaked foam in the cup so it is at least 1 inch higher than the cup. Note: Make sure to use the plastic cup because the floral foam and cabbage together are not aroma friendly.
Starting at the top, place your first Bells of Ireland into the floral foam (about 1-1/2 times the height of the cabbage). Continue to add the bells in a triangular shape.
Add the green carnations.
Complete your arrangement by adding the monte casino as filler.

Optional: We added some potatoes alongside our arrangement, so feel free to accent your St. Patrick’s Day flowers with some spuds at the base of the cabbage.

How to Make a DIY Christmas Centerpiece

christmas centerpiece ideas with christmas centerpiece floral craft

When Christmastime comes around, it’s easy to get into the holiday spirit. From Christmas decorations to the gleeful melodies of Christmas music and carols to the festive holiday foods, there’s so much to love about the season.

And to make your Christmas even more special, we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide to making your very own floral DIY Christmas centerpiece in just a few easy steps. Your handmade Christmas centerpiece will not only impress guests but will look amazing next to Christmas dinner!

Before you start, we should point out that you can make the centerpiece without the flowers first to make it last longer. Then, when Christmas nears, add the flowers a day or two before to have your floral centerpiece extra fresh for the holiday!

Materials for DIY Christmas centerpiece

Floral tray (We used a round floral tray, but you can use anything that mimics that shape…even a round soup bowl!)
Floral foam
Water
Tapered candle (We used a 15-inch red candle.)
Knife or clippers
Floral wires
Floral sticks
Millimeter balls clusters
Pine cones
Holiday greens (We used cedar, variegated holly, balsam, white pine, and sugar pine. You may be able to find some of these on nearby trees.)
Flowers (We used white cushion pom poms and red mini carnations.)

Instructions for DIY Christmas centerpiece

Cut the floral foam to fit the shape of your tray.
Set the cut piece of foam in water for about five minutes, until it is completely saturated. If your floral foam has holes, which is actually preferred, place the foam in the water holes side down. The trick is to let the foam sink to the bottom, to allow it to absorb the most water possible.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with floral foam in water

Place the soaked foam snugly into your floral tray.
Add the candle to the center of the foam. You can use a candleholder or not.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with adding greens to foam

Now, add your greens to the floral foam. A helpful tip: Look at the centerpiece as an extension of the table. Start low so the greens just about hit the table, and then work your way up to build the arrangement. With how long the needles of the white pine (aka sugar pine) are, we thought this was a good green to start with. After filling the base with sugar pine, we added the rest of the greens: balsam, cedar, and then variegated holly.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with adding pine cones and millimeter balls

Next, add the pine cones and millimeter balls. So these elements can stand out in the arrangement, place them on sticks, securing them with wire. Do this by wrapping the wire around the pine cone and then wrapping the same wire around a stick, until the pine cone is secure. Then, do the same with the millimeter balls. (In all, we created six pine cones and six millimeter ball clusters on sticks.) Add the pine cones and millimeter balls on sticks to the arrangement, making sure you spread them out to achieve a good balance.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with placing flowers

Now it’s time to add the flowers. Do this in whatever order you prefer. We started with the white cushion pom poms and then added red mini carnations, making sure to create a nice balance of red and white alongside the greens for an extra festive look.
Inspect your centerpiece for any “bald” spots or areas that are lacking. Add your leftover greens, flowers, or decorations as you see fit to fill these empty spaces and create the fullest centerpiece possible.
Once you’re happy with your Christmas centerpiece, place it on the table and admire it!

Very Merry Modern Christmas Centerpiece

Here’s another Christmas centerpiece idea. It’s called the Very Merry Modern Christmas Centerpiece, and it uses noble fir, cedar, and white pine for greenery; green hydrangea, and red and white spray roses for flowers; and pine cones, hypericum, and ornaments for accents. The materials are pretty much the same as above, only instead of a long tapered candle, it features a glass cube vase in the middle with a tea light candle or flameless candle inside.

Watch the video below to learn how to make this Christmas centerpiece that will wow your guests!

How to Paint a Flower

Do you want to learn to be a better painter? One of the best subjects to practice with is a flower. Flowers are composed of easy shapes and pretty colors, points out Wendy Anderson, an artist and Paint Nite instructor. “You can be more playful with contrast and color, versus trying to draw a really complicated shape,” she says.

Don’t insist that your creation has to look exactly like the sample; just enjoy the process.

Wendy anderson

Artist and Paint Nite instructor

Painting is a fun and relaxing activity, and it can even improve your mood. The human brain reacts positively to the aesthetics of a painting, which research suggests is a biological and neuroanatomical response dating back to prehistoric times.

And speaking of objects that make us happy, sunflowers are probably the cheeriest blooms around — and they’re easy to paint as well. Below is a step-by-step tutorial from Anderson on how to paint a large sunflower with lots of appealing highlights and shadows, using acrylic paints and a few brushes. It may look difficult, but it’s not! Assemble your materials and follow these instructions.

Materials

12×16 stretched canvas
Acrylic paint: black, blue, red, yellow, white, green (blue + yellow), orange (red + yellow)
Brushes: (1) large square; (1) medium, either square or round; (1) small round
Pencil
Water
Palette or mixing plate (plastic or glass)

Instructions

Step 1

Start by sketching your flower and leaves; keep it very loose and basic. Be bold and use a generous part of your canvas, as shown.

Step 2

For the background: Using a large square brush, paint the background light blue. Use white and blue mixed, then add yellow to lean toward teal blue or red for more of a cool baby blue. Add lighter colors toward the top and right side, and use a little added red in the blue to cool and darken the left side of the shape. Clean your brush in between each color application and let dry. (A little dampness is OK.)

Step 3

For the center and shadowing: Use the medium round brush to mix some red and yellow, and add black until you see a dark brown. You can use any dark colors, such as dark purple (mix your red and blue together to make purple; for a darker shade, add a small amount of black if needed) or pure black, for this part. Add the dark shadows to the center and the stem and leaves. Fill the shadow for the center all the way in, even making your way into the edges and base of the petal shapes. The shadow for the stem will fall on the left side and for the leaves on the bottom. Let the layers dry.

Step 4

For the leaves and stem: Use a clean, dry, medium round brush to paint in your medium green shades, using yellow and blue. Go from darker to lighter as you move up on your leaves and to the right on your stem. For a lighter shade of green, simply add more yellow.

Step 5

For the petals: Clean the brush and add yellow mixed with a little white for your petal base color. Petals should be thicker at the base and come to a point at the tip. You can add some personality here by curving them this way or that and making them various sizes (not all petals are exactly the same). Using a slightly darker shade of yellow, which you can achieve by mixing a little red and yellow, add some strokes feathering from the bottom of the petals out and around the edges.

Step 6

For some layering: Create an even darker shade, mixing red into the yellow and adding a tiny amount of blue to make burgundy. Pull this shade from the edges of the center and out into the petals for some medium shadow colors. Next, use some pink (red mixed with white) or orange (red mixed with yellow) to stipple (dab) the center of the flower. Brush this lighter color onto the centers or edges of the petals, being careful not to cover them completely.

Step 7

For highlights: Using the small round brush and white paint (or very light pink or yellow), tap and stipple toward the top of the center of the flower, adding strokes toward the top of the leaves and the far right of the stem. You can also add highlights to the tips of the petals. Make any finishing touches you wish. And don’t forget to sign your creation!

Wendy’s 3 tips for becoming a better painter

Adjust your mindset. You are an artist and must call yourself an artist before you start. Don’t insist that your creation has to look exactly like the sample; just enjoy the process.
Many people are afraid to take up space on the canvas; you actually want to take up space. Use enough paint, let it go on, spread it out, and don’t be afraid to mess up. Composition is affected by the size.
Check your colors, and make sure you always mix three different shades for each element. For example, the petals would have three different shades of yellow, ranging from light to medium to dark. Try to make each shade very distinct from the others.

Happy Birthday Snow People

Who better to deliver birthday wishes on a chilly winter day than a happy little snowman? Think about it: Have you ever seen a snowman who didn’t have a smile on his face? Snowmen are a celebration of winter, unexpected snow days, and family fun. And the best part about this snowman (or “snowlady”) craft is that it can stay inside, sharing birthday smiles without melting!

This happy little guy is the finishing touch to a birthday vignette of floral cakes and cupcakes, and I created him with everyday materials found around the home. With a little research online, I found many snowman recipes that called for corn starch and shaving cream. After doing some experimenting, I went with the shaving cream version, but both work great! This snowman craft is a fabulous fun sensory activity to do with kids too.

Make a snowman craft (without snow)

What you need

Two 16 oz. containers of corn starch
One 10 oz. can of shaving cream

Snowman Decoration Supplies- Beads, Hat, Nose, etc.

Miscellaneous items to dress your snowman and add personality, such as:
- Decorative beads
- Sculpting clay
- Twigs
- Decorative paper, pom-poms, chenille stems (for birthday hat)
- Wires
- Glitter and faux snow

What to do

Pour the corn starch into a large bowl and slowly add the shaving cream, mixing it in as you go. Keep working the shaving cream into the corn starch until you can mold the mixture and it feels dry to the touch. You can store the faux snow mixture in a resealable bag, and it will keep for a few weeks.

How to Mix Snowman Supplies & Roll Into Balls

Because this was for a birthday, I added a birthday hat that I made from a small piece of decorative paper, and added a silver pom-pom at the top and a silver chenille stem around the base.

Snowman with Hat and Happy Birthday Sign

I also made a little “Happy Birthday” sign and attached it to one of his little twig arms!

You can also add the sign to a pile of snow made with the cornstarch mixture. I used some faux snow around the snowman, as well as floral cakes and cupcakes, to complete the look.

Create a floral snowlady

Another way to make an indoor snowperson is with flowers. If you know someone who has a birthday and deserves to smile, then this is one homemade gift they would be delighted to receive!

What you need to make a snowlady

2 or 3 sizes of floral foam spheres
A stick
White button poms
Decorative elements to create the face (beads, sculpting clay, etc.)

What to do

Thoroughly soak the foam spheres. I used three sizes, but you can use just two.
Place the largest sphere on a flat plate and insert the stick.

Building Floral Snowman with Foam Spheres

Place the next largest size on top of the larger one, and then the smallest. Cut the stick at the top if it is still sticking out.

Cut all the individual button poms from the main stem, leaving about 1 inch of stem on the flower to insert into the foam.

Start at the bottom and insert the button poms until you have covered all the foam.

This is a large snow lady — she stands a little over a foot tall — so it takes lots of button poms to make. (I used more than 15 stems.) You can create a smaller one using the same method, however.

For the birthday bouquet, I gathered a few stems in my hand and cut the bottoms short, and inserted them into the foam. I took the parts of the stems I had cut off and inserted them into the foam as well, and added a bow between the flowers and stems to make it look like she was holding a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers! Because I knew I was going to be giving her this bouquet, I didn’t put the button poms in the area where I planned to insert the bouquet.

For the floral crown, I used small sprigs of flowers and greens, and wired them together.

Creating any of these vignettes is a sure way to let someone know how special they on on their birthday — and every day!

DIY Tabletop Floral Christmas Tree & Decoration Ideas

I love Christmas, and I love decorating Christmas trees! The main tree in my home tends to be pretty traditional, changing only slightly from year to year, with new ornaments added here and there. So, I’m here to talk about the beauty and versatility of fresh tabletop Christmas trees.

These beautiful arrangements are usually handcrafted by your local florist and make great gifts. In fact, the Holiday Flower Tree has been a bestseller since it was first introduced nearly 20 years ago!

Picture of Christmas tabletop tree for office

Trending mini Christmas trees with lights

If you’ve attempted to decorate a Christmas tree with lights, challenges ranging from broken bulbs to tangled cords are enough to have you scrap the lights for a tree with ornaments. Fear not, for some mini Christmas trees with lights come pre-assembled, such as this Holiday Spruce or Rustic Christmas Tree. Another festive option is the Hand Tied Mini Christmas Tree Bouquet that comes with lights in a rustic mason jar. There are also trees that come with ornaments, if you want the full tree package.

Mini Christmas trees are versatile

Whether you live in an apartment, are an empty nester, or are traveling during the holidays, tabletop Christmas trees are festive additions for those who want to have a tree without the production. You can add a mini Christmas tree to the bedroom, kitchen, foyer, office, or any space that cannot accommodate a larger tree. And the trees, like the Holiday Lavender Tree, are sustainable too, and can be replanted in your garden or kept indoors for natural decorative appeal during the cozy winter months.

Other tree options that can work for the holidays and after are bonsai, olive, magnolia, and, money trees. Simply add a tree skirt or lightweight ornaments, and it’s getting to look a little more like Christmas.

DIY tabletop Christmas tree

If you have a little time and want to get creative, these trees are pretty easy to make. The basic instructions are the same for whatever size tree you want. The smaller the tree, the faster and easier it will be to construct. Petite trees are so sweet and can be tucked into so many unexpected spots. Larger trees, on the other hand, allow you to create a completely custom look based on your choice of container, decorations, and color scheme.

How to make a tabletop Christmas tree

What you need:

Floral foam
Dish/plate
Tape
Clipper
English Boxwood
Assorted evergreens

Step 1: Set up your floral foam

Cut the corners from one end of the foam as shown; fill your sink with water; and place the foam into the water, allowing it to become totally soaked through. Tape the foam into a plate/dish. You can use any waterproof container as the base and put the foam directly into your chosen container before creating the tree. Or you can create the tree using a smaller base, like the one in the image, and then place the finished tree into a decorative container.

Step 2: Prepare your greens

Boxwood is the main green that 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, cut the greens off of the main branch into smaller pieces of varying lengths ready to insert into the foam.

Step 3: Arrange your greens

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

Step 4: Fill in your tree

Continue adding pieces of boxwood, turning the tree as you go, until you have filled in the whole tree.

Step 5: Accent with various evergreens

I like to add a few sprigs of other evergreens for two reasons. The first is that evergreens such as balsam and pine add wonderful fragrance. I find it adds visual interest as well.

Tabletop Christmas tree decoration ideas

At this point, your tree is 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 chosen flowers a fresh cut and insert them directly into the foam; they will stay fresh for up to two weeks at least. I like to use fresh flowers that will dry nicely too, such as baby’s breath (which looks like snowflakes), pepper berries, and heather.

Here, I nestled my Christmas tree arrangement into a large bird’s nest basket and added white heather, baby’s breath, and pepper berries.

In keeping with the woodsy feeling, this is the same basic tree arrangement placed in a natural birch container. The decorations include dried pods, baby’s breath clusters, vintage silver pine cone ornaments, and burlap ribbon garland.

The theme really comes to life with the addition of these faux snowy owls. Owls are on-trend, and this is an easy way to include them in your holiday decorating.

I have created and decorated so many different trees over the years, and I find that I never run out of new ideas. Here are a few more examples to inspire you to create one of your own and start a new tradition. It’s also a great way to give a truly personalized gift!

Thanksgiving Floral Arrangements That Have the Florist’s Touch

Not all of us have the time or materials on hand to make elaborate centerpieces or place settings around the holidays. Never fear: I’m sharing with you some of my favorite ideas for decorating and entertaining this Thanksgiving. Whether you are hosting the big event or just having a few friends over during the long holiday weekend, these ideas are really easy and add that extra touch that your get-togethers always have!

I have a few season-specific decorative pieces that I reuse every year, such as this gorgeous ceramic pumpkin. I filled mine with a farm-fresh palette of flowers, grasses, peppers, and succulents.

thanksgiving decorating ideas with Thanksgiving centerpiece

Staying with the farm-fresh theme, a great way to create a stunning tablescape is to set vintage berry baskets filled with similar floral on each plate. These arrangements look almost good enough to eat! Add a bit of personalization simply by slipping a place card in among the florals and greenery.

thanksgiving decorating ideas with Thanksgiving flower arrangement

I find these little berry baskets to be the perfect size to use as multiples as I did on the dining table or to add just the right festive touch on the dessert or buffet table.

thanksgiving decorating ideas with fall succulents for Thanksgiving

Just line the basket with a small dish, bowl, or can. Cut a piece of floral foam to size and thoroughly soak the foam before placing it in the dish. The foam will make it easy to create your piece, as it holds each insertion in place and provides hydration to keep your flowers fresh.

thanksgiving decorating ideas with foam floral supplies

Guests will be so enamored of these handmade Thanksgiving decorating ideas that you can give them as gifts once the meal is over. It will add to their list of what to be thankful for.

Picture of a 1-800Flowers Thanksgiving ad

How to Make a Sunflower Topiary

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

Many different varieties of sunflowers exist, as do ways to use these flowers to decorate your home. The topiary design is an easy way to display these cheerful blooms. You can use this one design technique to create many different looks and styles, depending on the size and shape of the sunflowers you use, whether you incorporate foliage and other floral varieties, and any accessories you add, such as ribbon, raffia, etc.

The container you use contributes to the final look, too. A terra cotta planter gives a nice rustic garden look, while a white ceramic wine cooler, such as the ones pictured above, feel brighter and lighter.

Making a sunflower topiary is easier than it looks. Here’s what you’ll need:

Materials

Container (if the container isn’t waterproof, you’ll need to use a liner, such as a plastic bag)
Floral foam
Sunflowers (at least six stems)
Waterproof tape
Raffia or ribbon
Moss

Instructions for making a sunflower topiary

sunflower topiary with fitting foam in container

Cut a piece of floral foam to fit the size of your container and soak thoroughly before placing it in the pot. If the container you’re using isn’t waterproof (this terra cotta pot has a drainage hole on the bottom), you’ll need to line it first. A plastic bag will do the trick.

sunflower topiary with choosing sunflowers

Choose six long-stem sunflowers with similar size heads.

sunflower topiary with gathering sunflowers

Gather the sunflowers in your hand, one by one, with one in the middle and the other five placed around and slightly below the middle one.

Using waterproof tape, wrap the stems together first at the top of the stems right under the heads of the sunflowers…

sunflower topiary with wrapping stems again

…and again near the bottom of the stems.

sunflower topiary with covering tape with raffia or ribbon

Use raffia or ribbon to cover your tape and to add a decorative touch.

sunflower topiary with wrapping bouquet with ribbon

Continue bringing the ribbon down to the bottom of the stems to wrap the bouquet together tightly.

Cut the bottom of each stem on an angle.

sunflower topiary with inserting stems into foam

Insert the stems into the wet foam.

sunflower topiary with covering foam with moss

Cover the foam around the stems with moss. You can also add additional flowers, fruit, or other decorative elements.

And that’s it! Your finished sunflower topiary is ready to be displayed.

Remember to add water to your sunflower arrangements daily, and they’ll stay fresh for about a week.

4th of July Crafts: DIY Red, White, & Blue Vases and Table Decoration

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 fun DIY floral 4th of July craft ideas to add little patriotic touches of red, white, and blue to your party.

4th of July craft No. 1: Mason jar American flag vase

4th of july crafts with american flag vases

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.

What you need

Clear mason jars
White acrylic spray paint
Blue and red acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Rubber bands
Paper
Pencils
Scissors

Instructions

4th of july crafts with mason jars spraypainted

In a well-ventilated space, spray paint ONLY the OUTSIDE of your mason jars and let dry thoroughly.

4th of july crafts with drawing stars on mason jar

Using a pencil, draw stars all around the outside of one of the mason jars. You can do this free hand or make a template with a piece of paper first.

4th of july crafts with painting mason jar blue

Paint the rest of the mason jar around the stars with blue paint. Remember, this is not a piece of fine art — it’s a craft project, and imperfections should be embraced!

4th of july crafts with painting red stripes

Use rubber bands to create guidelines for painting red stripes on the other two mason jars.
As soon as the paint is dry, fill with water and add your flowers.

4th of July craft No. 2: Upcycled glass bottles with red, white, & blue flowers

4th of july crafts with glass bottles with red, white, & blue flowers

I picked up all three of these blue and red bottles for under $5. The finishing touch is the U.S.A. hangtags I made using small blackboard hangtags and chalkboard markers. Tie each one around the neck of the bottle with a thin, coordinating ribbon, such as the red and white striped one shown here.

But what I really love are these firework flowers. Don’t the spider mums look like fireworks exploding in the night sky?!

4th of july crafts with red, white and blue spier mums

Look how fabulous they look in a simple galvanized French flower pail. What a perfect arrangement for a summer July 4th celebration!

4th of July craft No. 3: Red, white, & blue mini flag garland table decoration

4th of july crafts with DIY red, white, & blue mini flag garland table decoration

This is an all-out, spare-no-expense WOW of a Fourth of July floral arrangement. As beautiful as the red, white, and blue roses, blue hydrangea, and firework spider mums look in the oversized red enamel container, the mini flag garland really makes it pop!

What you need

4th of july crafts with flag garland supplies

Decorative paper (Use at least three different patterns all in the same color way; in this case, I used red, white, and blue.)
Ribbon (I used red)
Scissors
Glue (two-sided tape, adhesives tape runner, glue dots, etc.)
Sticks or wires to hold the garland above your arrangement

Instructions

Measure a piece of ribbon to the size you want, and then add a few extra inches to each side.
Figure out how many flags you will need based on the size you want them to be. (My flags were 1 inch wide and the length of the ribbon where I attached the flags is 18 inches, so I needed 18 mini paper flags.)
Glue each flag to the ribbon. Use a ribbon that is narrow but has enough area to glue the flags to. (The ribbon I used was one-eighth inch wide.)
To raise the garland above the arrangement, glue the ribbon to heavy gauge wires or wooden skewers.

This garland can be made in any size that works for your applications. Just adjust accordingly.

Happy 4th of July to all!

Easy-to-make Santa Hat Treats & Holiday Crafts

Everyone knows Santa’s iconic red and white hat. Put one on and you’ll instantly be in the holiday spirit!

You know what else will put you in the holiday spirit? Making this floral centerpiece and these strawberry treats that are both in the shape of — you guessed it — Santa hats!

Want to learn ho, ho, how to create them? Read on, my little elves.

Santa hat floral centerpiece

I decided to have a little fun and make a Santa hat entirely out of fresh flowers. Not only is it creative, but it’s so easy to make and will make you look like the “hostess with the mostess” at your next holiday get-together!

What you’ll need for your Santa hat floral centerpiece

Red and white carnations
Floral foam (cone shape)
Dish
Evergreens

Instructions

Thoroughly soak the floral foam by letting it float in a sink full of water until the water is fully absorbed. Then, place the foam on a flat dish or low bowl slightly larger the the foam itself. (I used a 9 x 4 floral foam cone and a 6-inch clear design dish.)
Cut the carnations’ stems to a length of about 3 inches. Insert the stems into the foam starting with the white ones to form the “fur” trim at the bottom of the hat. Leave one carnation for the pom-pom at the top.
Add the red carnations all the way around until the foam is completely covered. Finish by adding the white one on top.

You can add a few sprigs of evergreens to the base and top if you feel it needs a finishing touch.
Keep your Santa hat centerpiece in a cool location, adding an ice cube to the dish every day, and it should stay fresh for at least a week.

DIY Santa hat strawberries

Need the perfect complement to your floral Santa hat? These sweet little pop-in-your-mouth treats are so easy to make, you’ll find yourself wanting to make more — for yourself, your family, friends, co-workers…you get the idea!

What you’ll need to make your Santa Hat strawberries

Strawberries
White melting chocolate
Coconut flakes
Mini marshmallows

Instructions

Remove the stem from the strawberry. Don’t cut it off; just gently pull it away from the strawberry.

Dip the larger end of the strawberry into the bowl of melted white chocolate, covering about a fifth to a quarter of the strawberry.

Immediately hold the dipped strawberry over a bowl of shredded coconut and, using a spoon, drop the coconut flakes onto the melted chocolate on the strawberry. Place on a plate dipped side down.

Dip a mini marshmallow into the melted white chocolate and then place it on top of the strawberry to complete the Santa hat. As the chocolate cools and hardens, it will hold the marshmallow onto the strawberry.

Peppermint hot chocolate

Who doesn’t love a nice cup of hot cocoa, especially during the holidays? For me, it’s all about the presentation. I used a regular hot cocoa mix but made it look fancy by serving it in a monogrammed mason jar mug, garnishing the rim with crushed candy canes and topping it off with marshmallows and a candy cane. The candy cane alone will add a peppermint flavor to the hot chocolate, or you could add three drops of peppermint oil per glass. Better yet, include a shot of peppermint schnapps to the hot chocolate to help chase away that winter chill!