Holiday
Floralpiece

The rich, jeweled hues of holiday flowers provide an elegant complement to holiday foods. Flank holiday turkey, goose or ham with two of these colorful floralpieces – one on either side – to showcase your fabulous feast.

This will make one arrangement. You'll need to double the materials to make two.

Assembly:

• Clip the flower stems approximately 4"–5" in length. The arrangement should be only 8"–9" high.
• Cut the floral foam to fit snugly in the bowl, extending it several inches above the rim to hold the flowers. Press the foam securely in place. Fill the bowl two-thirds full with water, soaking the floral foam.
• Selecting one type of flower to start, cluster three stems together in a bunch. (Bunch 3–5 roses, separately, 3–5 dahlias or carnations, separately, and 1–2 hydrangeas, separately.) Loosely bind the stems with floral wire or a twist tie to hold them together. Repeat bunching process with each different flower type. You should end up with 2–3 bunches of red roses, 2–3 bunches of peach roses, 2–3 bunches of red dahlias or carnations and four or more bunches of hydrangeas.
• Position the bunches around the outer rim of the bowl, arranging them so that contrasting colors converge – reds next to peaches, then blues, etc. The arrangement should be visually symmetrical and balanced around the bowl. Push the cut end of the stems into the foam to secure. If needed, nest a few loose stems or leaves in the center of the arrangement to top it off.
• Let each blossom fan out gracefully, slightly overlapping the adjoining flowers. Go around the bowl, arranging and positioning leaves to emphasize greenery.
• Every two days, check water level by pressing gently against floral foam. If floral foam is not wet to the touch, add water as needed.