How to make a Christmas centrepiece

In the past we would have used floral foam to stand our blooms and foliage in, but this foam is fossil fuel based and doesn’t degrade, so we now avoid it whenever we can for the sake of the planet. Instead, a clever tape grid can hold the blooms.

Before setting up the grid, fill your pot with water so your flowers will have water to drink. Now grab your tape. Starting in the middle run your tape across the top of the pot, sticking it to either side. Make sure you don’t go to far down each side otherwise you’ll be able to see it, just over the edge of the lip is fine. Then continue to work your way out either side leaving about a finger’s width between each piece of tape.

Once you have completed one direction, start in the middle again for you cross hatch, however this time you can leave larger gaps between the tape. Now you’ve created a chequered design you have holes ready to insert your foliage and flowers.

Now it’s time to get going with greenery. One thing to not to forget when adding your pieces of foliage is don’t go too tall. You want people to be able to see over the table and chat.

Start with the foliage, your eucalyptus and conifer, cutting the stems at an angle before you place them in the pot. Cutting the stems allows the stem to take up more water. Take off the bottom section of the leaves, so, you have a nice clear stem. This has two purposes, firstly it helps you get the stem into the grid work and secondly it reduces the introduction of bacteria into the water.

Cut and strip the foliage as you go, placing the stems in the grid where they look good to you, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Initially your stems will be a little wobbly but as you continue, they will start to tighten up. Continue his process until your happy with how it looks.

Now you can start to add some skimmia, wax flower and lisianthus. Or the blooms you’ve chosen as alternatives. Cut these slightly taller than your foliage and give each their own space so they can shine. Your lisianthus will go a long way, you can get up to 6 pieces from one stem. Step back and take a look to make sure everyone will have a flower or two to look at or if there are any gaps fill them with some foliage.

Next add two or three carnations. Cut these slightly taller again allowing your layers to separate nicely. One carnation slightly taller than the other gives a more modern look to your Christmas table centrepiece.

You’re nearly there!

Time to add those final textural pieces. Take your rose hip berry stem, remove any thorns, and place it to one side of the pot slightly off centre. Next your dried lotus heads. Cut the stick to the length you need and place it in the pot either side. If you can still see the stick, cut it down again until you are happy with how it looks, all you want to see is the lotus head.