Here are a few basic tips and ideas for creating your own wreaths either as a gift to yourself or for a friend.

TRANSOFRMED BARGAIN

Keep your eyes open for bargains with possibilities. I always check out the clearance section at various stores for items that can easily be transformed with a few fresh flowers or greens. I purchased this grapevine wreath with silk ivy for $5.00. In order to create a simple fresh holiday wreath, all I had to do was add a few sprigs of white pine, pinecones, and a green grosgrain ribbon. You can use almost any variety of evergreens. Simply insert individual sprigs between the grapevine branches and attach the pinecones and ribbon with wire or hot glue.

ORNAMENT WREATH

I adore this colorful bottlebrush wreath with the shiny ornaments and use it in different rooms and in different ways each year. This year I added tiny sprigs of balsam to the outer rim of the wreath by inserting them directly into the bottlebrush base. It not only gives it a totally new look, but also brings the refreshing scent of fresh evergreens into the room.

MULTIPLY THE MERRY

If one wreath looks good, doesn’t it follow that three wreaths will look even better! I love this Green Pear and Berry Wreath from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. It is available as a single or in a set of three and it is actually on sale right now!

CHRISTMAS IN BALI

This is how I imagine Christmas in Bali might look. Create you own little piece of Bali and go there when the stress and pressure of everything that you “have to do” starts to build up. Light a little candle, burn some incense, and be still. OK – now back to reality!

Did you know that the decorative value of a wreath is believed to have been derived from an ancient tradition? In the way that we use house numbers today, wreaths featuring different floral arrangements were used to identify different families and houses. This inspired me to create a few fresh arrangements for friends of mine to hang on their front door. Check back and see how I interpreted some of their professions and hobbies.

Inspired by the ancient tradition of featuring a different floral arrangement in front of a home to identify the family and profession of the resident, I created these one of a kind designs. These are the kind of arrangements that I really like to create as gifts. They are so personal and take more thought then anything else. They are gifts from the heart.

The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer, Mark Carr, hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.

No one will have a tree quite likes yours when you create your own version of the Holiday Flower Tree. Here are four trees that I created for you!

Modern Vintage
I found these sweet beaded flowers in an antique shop, and then came across the black & white polka dot vase. I think the finished product has a nice modern vintage feel to it. It also reminds me of Mary Engelbreit! When I was done I thought a bowl of cherries would be a nice prop and I could call this the “Life is just a Chair of Bowlies” tree!

Nantucket Christmas
With the traditional Nantucket basket as the base and natural decorations of pinecones, pods, and seashells this tree symbolizes the incredible natural rustic beauty of New England.

Star Light, Star Bright
Star light, star bright, do you have a Shiny Brite ornament for me tonight? Create a small boxwood tree in a vintage container like the Fenton hobnail milk glass bowl I used here in the picture. This is a perfect way to display your treasured collection of vintage ornaments.

Santa & Me Tree
I’m always coming up with new ways to display all of the Santa & Me photos that I love bringing out every year. Each one holds such wonderful memories. I love this idea of a Santa & Me themed tree. I scanned the images (which I realized was a good thing to do anyway, because now I have them preserved) first and then cropped them to 2” x 3”. For the base, I scanned the front of an old Santa & Me photo holder, sized it to the dimensions of the ceramic cube I was using as the base, printed four copies and used glue dots to attach them to the sides of the container.

I was thinking of making one for my daughter’s new apartment. I think it’s important to have some nostalgic pieces among your holiday decorations!

Now that we are in December I hardly know where to start. I have so much that I want to share with you, from ideas for decorating your home using what you already have to the hot new colors for Christmas, creative gifting ideas, and even more creative ways to wrap those gifts. One can take just one holiday icon, such as a wreath or a tree, and take it in endless different directions – it’s all up to you.

I recently did a wreath-decorating workshop for a 50th birthday party that was held at a great new creative space in Rockville Centre, New York called A New Leaf. It turned out to be quite fun. I will post some of the photos and ideas in a few days, so keep an eye out for that. Right now, I am getting ready to host a hands-on holiday tree workshop at the 1-800 Flowers Carle Place retail shop for some of our favorite bloggers. We will be taping this event and will post that within the next week or so.

In the meantime I’d like to share a few how-to videos that I’ve done in the past, just to get you started thinking about some new ways to decorate your home. Holiday decorating should be fun or why bother. Decide what you can handle and just have fun with it! And now for your viewing pleasure…

Here’s one last tip that will sure make your Thanksgiving table unforgettable.

Starting with terrific amber glass plates that I picked up at a discount price, all it took was a curvaceous bosc pear, a sprig of pyracantha berries, a tiny bundle of millet, and a gold trimmed place card to create what I like to call “tabletop art.”

Since pears are in the height of their season right now, you can find them at any local grocery store or supermarket. But most of all have fun with it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are so many options for flowers and décor for fall weddings that it can be difficult deciding on one theme or direction. Here are just a few combinations to delight and inspire.

Rich Hues and Lots of Texture
Tap into what’s in season in the world of flora and fauna for bouquets and centerpieces that are unique and visually stunning. Adding unexpected natural elements such as grasses, berries and branches adds visual depth to classic wedding flowers such as roses, orchids and hydrangea.

When choosing the classic wedding flowers mentioned above, opt for the rich colors of fall such brown Leondies roses or deep red Black Magic roses. Vanda orchids in burgundy and antique green hydrangeas would are also picture perfect choices.

Adding Color to a Bridal Bouquet
It’s nice to add a little bit of color to the bride’s bouquet in the fall when the rest of the wedding’s color palette is so rich and intense. Here I’ve added subtle touches of soft green with Green Fashion roses, light green hydrangea, seeded eucalyptus, lisianthus and hanging amaranthus.

Personalization – A Hot Trend Right Now!
I’m finding that more and more brides want their flowers to be personal and have a secial or sentimental meaning to them. An easy way to do that with bouquets is to add pieces of jewelry, both to the bouquet and to the stems. In the images below the bride’s grandmother had a fabulous collection of costume jewelry that she had been collecting for many years. We were able to go through the pieces and in some cases take apart bracelets and necklaces (most with broken clasps or missing stones) and add them to the bouquets to create one-of-a-kind bejeweled bouquets that were beyond the bride’s wildest expectations.

COMING UP NEXT – more fall bouquet options and ideas for the reception!

I was recently asked by a New York bride and groom to incorporate apples into the place card display at their Manhattan reception. They had many guests coming in from out of town and wanted to visually welcome them to the Big Apple.

I filled varying size glass cylinders with small lady apples and used large deep red apples as votive candleholders. The look was clean, modern and had that person touch they were looking to include in their special day!

There’s a reason for the saying “Fresh as a Daisy”. And the gerbera daisy with its wide selection of bold colors and its long green architectural stem adds a modern funky vibe as well. Gerbera daisies look best when used sparingly with no additional foliage both as a bouquet and in an arrangement. I’ve used a vibrant striped ribbon as a band on the stems for this bouquet – perfect for the bride or bridesmaids.

I love decorating a tabletop with multiples – vases, candles, etc. The look works great on either a round or an oblong table. Choose a modern shape glass vase like the unique fish bowl shaped one I used here. Two or more work best for an oblong table. You can get a nice dramatic look by lining up candles and floral arrangements right down the center of the table. Don’t the orange slice candles look fabulous! And in this case, the oranges were a personal shout out to the groom’s home state of Florida.

To make these candle arrangements, start with varying size glass cylinder vases. Place a pillar candle in the center. Fill the remaining area in the vase with orange slices and add water. Leave at least the top quarter of the pillar candle exposed for burning.

There are a few different ways that you can go when you are doing a beach type theme. You can go tropical and colorful or coastal and serene. Here I took the serene path and worked primarily with blues and greens.

Find a floral designer and/or event planner that can be a true partner throughout the process. Talk about your vision and your budget. Show them as many pictures as you can of things that you like. One way for you to make your décor unique and economical is for you to source and buy most of the hard goods (vases, candles, etc.) for the floral designer to use.

Tabletop

Linens can add a real customized feeling to the whole look. If the reception site doesn’t have the choices that you are looking for then I recommend visiting a local large fabric store. That’s where I found this perfect seaside stripe cotton material that I had a friend sew into a table runner.

Next stop was a large discount home goods store that has many options for vases, candles, etc. The retail prices in this type of store are unbelievably low (usually below typical wholesale pricing). The total cost of the 5 containers used for my tablescape is under $20!! I chose green cymbidium orchids for the oversized shell bowls and bear grass for the smaller green containers.

If you prefer to go with more of a Cape Cod/Nantucket coastal vibe then use Nantucket style baskets filled with hydrangea. Lots of candles and randomly placed shells complete the look.

Bouquets

For the bridal bouquet I went with white peonies and green cymbidium orchids. Peonies are perfect wedding flowers – they’re lush, romantic, and fragrant. Unfortunately, they have a relatively short growing season so I always try to use them when I can.

The bridesmaid’s bouquets couldn’t be simpler or more beautiful. A few stems of blue/green hydrangea tied with a ribbon and you’re set to go!

Check back for the details on the Wedding Day Daisies – a fun and modern look for that special day. If you are in NY – look out for me on the PIX Morning News. I will be talking about wedding day flowers! Can’t wait.

Creating a decorative detail on each dinner plate is an easy and inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your Thanksgiving table. You don’t necessarily need to add a place card, especially if your family is a “first at the table gets their choice of seat” type of family! It is a nice touch though. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices going.

Savory Succulent
This cut succulent looks good enough to eat. Luckily with all of the food you’ll be serving at dinner no one will be tempted to eat it.

Krazy for Kale
This kale is grown to be enjoyed as a cut flower and really makes a statement when placed on a dinner plate. Use one of the leaves as a place card.

The Colors of the Season
Wrap a few sprigs of colorful fall flora and fauna to bring the vibrant colors of the season onto your table. A few leaf shaped cards from craft store (or you can cut them out yourself) are the finishing touch.

Zen Style
Create a sense of peace this Thanksgiving with a Zen inspired holiday table. Keep the look clean and simple with minimal elements. Now let’s mediate on all we have to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving at the Shore
Whether you’re having Thanksgiving at your home on the beach or you just wish you were there, create the mood with sand dollar place cards with a single orchid tucked in for a look that’s simple and elegant.

Picture Perfect Place Settings
Give each guest at your table their own floral arrangement with petite colored bottles holding a single flower. For a truly personal touch attach a special note to each bottle telling that person what you are thankful for about them. Add a copy of a photo of them on the front of the note instead of just writing their name. I particularly like the look of photos from the past. It adds a sweet nostalgic feeling that is perfect for Thanksgiving!