I am excited to share how I created this effortlessly chic fresh flower garland. Two things may come as a surprise to you. First, that I constructed it into my existing Christmas garland above my fireplace and second, that it was constructed out of flowers from Ingles Market grocery store! I can almost hear the collective gasp. It really was effortless and chic!
Last weekend (12/10/22) I had the joy of hosting the paralegals from our firm in my home for a Christmas 2022 brunch. Most of the details were planned well in advance except for this fresh flower Christmas garland. During my Ingles Market grocery trip for menu ingredients, I spotted bunches of beautiful ruscus and single stem roses in the stores 3 for $10 floral selection. Simultaneously I had idea of filling my faux evergreen garland with the fresh greenery and red roses in a true light bulb moment. I claimed 5 bunches of ruscus and 6 of the red roses in my buggy and completed my trip.
At home, I filled a large vase a third of the way full with ice and water. Being it was the afternoon before my party, I housed them in the ice water tucked away on side table until just before the party. Now, there are floral products available like water vials that are designed to extend the life of cut flowers used in this manner. However, because this idea came on a whim, I saved the cutting and placement until last minute…almost too last minute.
HOW I MADE MY FRESH FLOWER CHRISTMAS GARLAND
Let me start with the details of the base a.k.a. my season round Christmas garland. The base was made of a 6-foot pre-lit faux evergreen garland and numerous faux evergreen picks in a different leaf pattern scattered with pinecones. It sits on the mantle over my fireplace flanked by a pair of golden stags and oversized mercury glass candles. I moved nothing.
There is a simple rule I follow for creating structured flower arrangements: What you do on one side, do on the other side.
Armed with kitchen shears and the flower vase at my feet, I cut down the stems of ruscus to 10 inches and began placing them into the faux garland, one at a time, first on the left and then the right. I worked inward and in an up and down pattern to evenly disburse the greenery. I repeated the process with the single stem red roses. That’s it. No fancy method or intricate design, just a classic arrangement into my existing garland.
I could not be happier with the outcome. Each part complimented the next. The bright green and red reminded me of my own wedding flowers December five years ago.
If you create your own fresh flower garland in this way and are looking for more longevity than a few hours (mine stayed vibrant about 12 hours), I strongly suggest researching water vials and their usage.
I would also LOVE to hear from your if you do, or if you’ve ever created any arrangement like this before.
I leave you with a few close ups of the mantle. I am still in awe of how beautiful I looked.
If you would like a post about my Christmas Brunch 2022 menu, let me know!
Until next time, xoxo,
Grace
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