Volume 1, Issue 7 December 2003
Christmas Designs
Hello dear Subscribers,
This year had gone so quickly it is hard to believe that Christmas is almost upon us.
This is the time of year when beautiful Christmas decorations can be used to create really stunning designs. There are so many lovely decorations available including - glass baubles, pine foliage, beaded garlands, picks, poinsettias, pine cones, frosted or glitter ornaments and stunning decorative ribbons. The list is endless. Some ideas you might like to try are:
A beautiful centrepiece in a gold urn filled with red and gold poinsettias, red candles and bows made from wide gold ribbon.
A blue and silver arrangement in a tall silver chalice bowl filled with cascading branches of silver tipped foliage, white liliums, pale blue glitter balls and silver strings of shiny beads draped between the branches.
A Christmas swag is hung on the wall. Imagine hot pink foil leaves, purple baubles, glittery pink flowers and purple wide ribbon trimmed with metallic gold edging.
A setting will look more spectacular when you use several designs following a theme and using the same materials together in each one such as a Christmas tree, centrepiece, wall wreath and swag.
Door or Wall Wreath
Materials I have used for this design are:
- 1 foam wreath base
- 6 red Christmas picks featuring roses and pine cones
- 6 clusters of red silk balls
- green cypress foliage
- gold leaves
- gold beading for loops
- plain red ribbon for around the edges of the wreath base
- red ribbon with gold edging for bow and tails
- 22 gauge wire x 45cm (18") long
- 22 gauge wire x 23cm (9") long
- dressmaking pins
1. To make a hook at the back of the wreath to hang it on the wall, take a long 22 gauge wire by 45cm (18") long and bend it into a long hairpin shape with equal sized legs. Insert the wire ends into the centre back of the wreath base. Push the wire ends through the wreath base until the centre of the wire hairpin sits about 5cm (2") up from the back of the wreath base. Twist the wires together at the front and cut them short and bend them and insert the wire ends into the front of the wreath base. Press the wire hook up to sit flat against the wreath base.
2. To cover the outer sides of the wreath base, place the edge of the plain ribbon against the edge of the wreath base and secure in place with dressmaking pins placed in the centre of the ribbon at intervals of about 7.5 cm (3"). Cut off the excess ribbon. If the ribbon is not wide enough to cover the edges, repeat this step with another piece of ribbon placed just above it. Repeat this step on the inner edges of the wreath base.
3. Cut the cypress foliage into lengths about 7.5cm (3") long. Take a few 22 gauge wires and cut them into lengths of about 7.5cm (3") long and bend them into hairpins with equal sized legs. Place pieces of cypress to extend out horizontally around the edges of the wreath base and secure each one in place by placing a wire hair pin over the top of the stem and pushing the wire ends into the wreath base. Repeat this step on the inner round of the wreath base.
4. Wire other pieces of the cypress foliage by placing the centre of a 22 gauge wire (9") behind the end of the stem and wind the right hand wire twice around and bring the two wire ends straight down together. Cut the wire ends slightly shorter and insert the cypress to stand up evenly into the top of the wreath base.
5. Insert the 6 Christmas picks evenly into the top of the wreath. If extra support is needed, wire each one as explained in Step 4 placing the wire higher up the stem right under the base of the pick.
6. Insert the red silk balls evenly through the wreath.
7. Wire the gold leaves in the same way as explained in step 3 and insert them evenly around the edges of the wreath.
8. Check the wreath to see that there are no obvious bare spaces showing. If they are, they can be filled in evenly with extra pieces of cypress or cut up pieces of Christmas picks or other decorative accents.
9. Make a six loop bow with the red and gold edged ribbon by forming the ribbon into three figure eights - one on top of the other. The top two loops will be the smallest and the next two loops slightly longer and the next two loops slightly longer again. Wire across the centre of the bow by placing a 22 gauge wire x 23cm (9") long on top of the centre of the bow and pull the two wire ends straight down together at the back and twist the wires around each other. Puff the ribbon loops up to sit attractively and insert the bow into the base of the wreath.
10. Make ribbon streamers by cutting two pieces of matching ribbon to the bow and place them on top of each other and wire in the same way as for the bow. Insert the streamers into the wreath base to extend from the base of the bow.
11. Fold the gold beading into two loops having the one at the back slightly longer and wire by placing the centre of a 22 gauge wire x 23cm (9") long behind the ends of the beads and wind tightly twice around. Pull the wire ends straight down together and insert them into the wreath base just in front of the streamers.
About Our School
Many different Christmas designs are explained in our Floristry Diploma Course. Please visit our web site on http://www.floral-art-school.com.au/. You will learn how to make beautiful Christmas designs the professional way.You will be able to use these in your own home, choosing materials that will go with your decor.
I am sure family and friends would be delighted with a gift of a beautiful Christmas floral design that you have created.
One of the benefits in making floral designs in lasting materials is that they will keep for several years. After Christmas, wrap the arrangements carefully in tissue paper and store them in a cardboard box until next year.
Well that's it. I am visiting the USA at the end of the year and am looking forward to it very much. Christmas is the time for us all to extend love and good will to each other.
Take care, have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy your holidays and all the very best wishes for 2004.
Warm Regards,
Fay Chamoun, Principal
Floral Art School of Australia and
International Floral Design School
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER
This newsletter is
written by Fay Chamoun who is the Principal of Floral Art School of Australia
and International floral Design School. The school was established in 1972.
For full information on our courses please visit our web site on http://www.floral-art-school.com.au/ or e-mail us on info@floral-art-school.com.au.
To subscribe to our newsletter please click here http://www.floral-art-school.com.au/floralnewsletter.htm.
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