This Christmas table arrangement is the perfect centrepiece for any festive celebration read more
This festive floral masterclass post was created in collaboration with Nikki Tibbles, the owner of Wild at Heart Floristry.
Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year as I have the privilege to be able to decorate some fabulous homes and business who call on my bespoke Christmas decorating service to create Christmas for them. We do everything from a simple Christmas tree to a whole festive winter wonderland. It is such a magical time and I like to make sure that no matter what I create for my clients there is an element of warmth and homeliness to the final look. Incorporating candlelight and gorgeous scents is one of my key elements to help to create a room which feels cosy and festive. This table centre arrangement integrates both the candlelight and the lovely aromas with the fresh pine and dried fruit which will infuse a real wintery scent to any space. It may seem that there are quite a few elements to this arrangement but it is all about layering and creating texture to fashion a statement piece that will finish off your festive table setting perfectly.
What you will need
-A lined basket
-Oasis
-A pillar candle
-Fresh pine (bunch)
-Ilex berries
-Pine cones
-Dried fruit slices
-Flowering eucalyptus
-Lichen twigs
-Florist tape
-Florist scissors
-Florist stub wire
Festive Table Arrangement Steps
Step1: Before you start make sure that your basket is lined so that any water from the oasis won’t leak through onto your dining table. The oasis needs to be soaked by completely submerging it in a bowl of water and then cut to fit the basket. This doesn’t have to be neat as it will be completely covered it just needs to fit tightly in the basket.
Step2: Take the pillar candle and florist stub wire and bend the wire in half and tape onto the candle. Do this all the way around the candle.
Step 3: Place the candle in the centre of the oasis.
Step 4: Placing the candle in the centre of the oasis will give you a starting point for where you need to work around with all your foliage to create a ring of pine.
Step 5: Cut the pine into pieces so that when it is pushed into the oasis it will still hang over the side of the basket but isn’t too big that it looks ridiculous. Remember to always cut your pine (or any foliage or flowers) at an angle so that it drinks water much more efficiently.
Step 6: Place the pine into the oasis around the candle at an angle, so that it follows around the candle in a nice neat manner.
While you are doing this keep taking a step back to see how the shape is developing, layer the pine and work on creating a neat, texture ring of pine around the candle which must cover all the oasis and the base of the candle.
Step 7: Once you are happy with the shape of the pine then use this as a guide for how big you need to cut all the other elements you are adding to it. Everything should be of a similar proportion and dispersed in between the pine.
Step 8: Before adding any of the cones or fruit, add the foliage elements to the arrangement first as this helps to give a background to the main components of the arrangements.
So add sprigs of the flowering eucalyptus…
…and then the ilex berries which not only add another element of texture but also a vibrant festive red, giving the arrangement colour.
Step 9: Take your cones and with a wire wrap it around the base of the cone.
Twist the two ends together so that the cone is secure and that there is a long wire at the end which can be used to secure the cones in the oasis.
Step 10: Where you place the cones is up to you however often grouping them together looks the most effective.
Step 11: Group the dried fruit together…
…and then push the wire through the grouping of fruit, preferably off centre so that you are able to see the majority of the fruit and it isn’t lost too much in the foliage.
Twist the wires together so that the fruit stays in place…
…and use the wire to place it into the arrangements, pushing it into the oasis so that none of the wire can be seen.
Step 12: Take a small grouping of the lichen twigs and secure together with wire in the same way as before.
Use the wire to attach the lichen to the arrangement. Don’t put too much of this into the arrangement as it is fairly heavy but again it gives another layer of texture and also by placing it over the top of the other foliage it gives the table centre another component to its shape.
Step 13: The beauty that almost everything is attached by wires is that once you have introduced all the different elements you can then play around with them and move and bend each piece until you are happy with the final results. Once you are happy then place the arrangement in the makecraftcentre of your table, light the candle and enjoy the aromas and ambience it creates in your room.
Do you like the style of this flower arrangement? Let us know in the comments.