Creativebug As some of you may have noticed in her Creativebug Trailer, Melanie Schow has a gift for flower arranging as well as bent wire jewelry. I love the idea of having fresh flower arrangements in my house, but I don’t usually think to buy flowers when I’m out. Melanie had some fantastic ideas for floral accents when we recorded her workshops, and we asked her to share them with you, as you set your tables this week to give thanks with your loved ones.
“At the holidays I like to showcase the bounty of the harvest and the foliage of the season. Fill your floral arrangements with greens and edibles from your yard, your garden and your pantry.”
“Depending on where you live you will have different options. In California, I chose to anchor one of my arrangements with a branch of lemons from my tree, then I clipped some branches from other graceful trees in my garden, used the last of the roses and found a little Autumn color. In a colder climate you might have colorful twigs, the last remnants from your vegetable garden or cat tails. Look at things creatively and consider what “found objects” from your yard would look interesting as decoration.
I also like to use fruit and vegetables – consider apples, citrus, small artichokes, a bunch of grapes, cloves of garlic, peppers or anything that strikes your fancy from the fruit basket or the produce aisle. You can skewer fruit and vegetables on kabob picks or use floral wire to secure them to branches. Use your favorite container, vase or even line a leaky pitcher with a plastic storage bag. Make a big arrangement for the sideboard or a low arrangement for the table. Use you crafting sensibility to include harmonious colors, contrasting textures, repeat elements in odd numbers and balance the arrangement stepping back to see the big picture.
“The result is an original and personalized arrangement for your holiday table. This technique works for most holidays – change the greens and edibles to what is in season, use colors that relate and you have something really special for your celebration.”
For more from Melanie, be sure to check out her Charmed Bracelet, Wire Linking Basics, and her Knot Bead Pendant workshops!