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Preparation is the key to success when preparing a Festive Table Centrepiece. Make sure you have everything you need before you start and lay it all out so you can see what you are working with. The planter box lined with a plastic bag forms the base for your centrepiece and can be later repurposed with flower seedlings or herbs etc. However, if preferred you can also use a waterproof rectangular container.
Foliage is the backbone of your arrangement. By using lots of different types of foliage you will get lots of texture in your arrangement, and it also means you don’t need lots of hero flowers.
Find or purchase all the tools and materials required. Collect, forage and find foliage and seasonal harvests- cones, seed pods, green crab apples, limes etc, see above. Select 5-9 stems of a hero red flower.
Arrange foliage, flowers, seed pods etc in separate piles. Prepare container and line the container with plastic bag (if needed). Roll up chicken wire and place inside the lined container – this acts as a frame to hold stems in place. Fill with water, adding 1 tsp bleach and 1 tsp sugar to promote long life.
Arrange foliage, berries, and seed pods, working from the outside inwards. Keep low around the edges and build up towards the centre. Aim to include something aromatic such as pine, larch or cypress to provide a festive scent.
Angle cut hero flower stems and arrange in between foliage. Skewer crab apples or limes with bamboo skewers and use these to fill the gaps.
Cover the table with a clean white tablecloth and run three strips of Jute tree webbing down the length of the table- one down the middle and one on either side about 8-10 cm apart. Place the finished centrepiece in the centre of the table and surround with fairy lights, cones and leaves. Top up water every couple of days.
This gorgeous festive table centrepiece created with found, gathered and foraged materials from your garden and surrounds brings the harvest and pickings of the season and your local area to your Christmas table. Get the kids to gather leaves and berries and small cones and head to Bunnings to fill in the gaps with any equipment or tools you may require.