MATERIALS: pinecones, white sparkle gypsophila, white hydrangeas, white roses, white cymbidium orchids, white spray roses, white carnations, white spider mums, white chrysanthemums, white baby’s breath, white stock, silver brunia, white ostrich feathers
TOOLS & SUPPLIES: 1 Oasis Raquette, shears or clippers, a floral knife, 10 floral picks, thin floral wire, floral tape, spray adhesive, Martha Stewart Crafts glitter, 15 water tubes (only necessary if orchid stems are unsturdy)
1| Soak the Oasis Raquette overnight. Try to turn the Raquette over every few hours so it can absorb water from both sides.
2| Mark the middle of the arrangement in order to place your flowers symmetrically later on.
3| Attach some wire to each pinecone by twisting it around the bottom.
4| Wrap the wire around a floral pick to poke into the Raquette.
5| Spray the adhesive onto each pinecone evenly. Make sure this is done outside or inside with a paper towel underneath.
6| Sprinkle the glitter onto each pinecone while the glue is still wet. For this arrangement I used silver glitter, but there are many colors available.
7| Once your newly glittered pinecones have dried, begin inserting them into the middle of your Oasis Raquette in a straight line, creating the first row of your arrangement.
8| Because of the pinecones’ shape, there will be spaces between them that need to be filled with a smaller textured flower like the silver brunia. Cut the silver brunia beneath the floret, and place them in the Raquette between the pinecones on both sides.
9| Cut each rose stem two to three inches from its blossom, and insert them into the Raquette, making a tight row of roses on either side of the pinecones and berries.
10| Next, make little compact bundles of baby’s breath, with stems about two to three inches long. Because of their thin stems, poke a hole through the plastic on the Raquette with the tip of your floral knife before inserting them. Be sure to cover the spaces between each row of roses to create a full, lush look.
11| Next, create a new row on either side of the baby’s breath with carnations.
12| The next rows you create will be with cymbidium orchids. If the orchid stems are long and sturdy enough, you can poke them directly into the Oasis. If not, you can place each stem into a small water tube before inserting it into the arrangement.
13| After adding the orchids, create a row of stock mixed with silver brunia on each side. Before doing this, clip of the top inch of the stock to create a cleaner, more compact look. Make sure the other stock blossoms cover the stem where you clipped of the top. Then on each side, create a double row with spray roses. Next, add a light touch of clusters of sparkle gypsophila, which will give the arrangement a wintry effect.
14| After adding the sparkle gypsophila, create another row on either side using the spider mums, and fill in the open spaces with your regular mums. Next, tuck in a single hydrangea at either end of the Raquette so that it’s completely covered.
15| Because of the size of the ostrich feathers, clip each of them into two to three pieces. (They will need to be cut fairly short so that the flowers around them won’t be overwhelmed.) And for the last and final step, tuck the feathers softly into the arrangement in rows near the orchids or any space where the Oasis might be showing.
Adapt this technique to the season or your event. This variation on the party runner uses brightly colored flowers and berries.
