DIY Floating Pool Flowers for the 4th of July!

Fourth of July is about a week away and while it has always been an outdoor holiday, this year people will be celebrating by the pool more than ever!

Here are a few easy steps to create your own festive floating flowers.

Mise En Place

Oasis floral ring with plastic backing

waterproof tape

twine or bind wire

Bubble wrap

fishing line

fishing weights

scissors

red roses

white roses

blue hydrangea

white hydrangea

greenery

Queen Ann’s Lace Flower

Blue Love in a mist Flower

Optional Floating Candle

Steps

Step 1: Soak your oasis ring by placing it oasis side down in a tub of water and allowing it to soak up towards the plastic. Note: Do not press down!

Step 2: Cut your bubble wrap into strips and attach the strips to the back of the oasis wreath using your water proof tape.

Step 3: Attach 2 loops to the ring, this is where you will ultimately time your fishing line and weights so that your ring does not drift with the current.

Step 4: Start inserting flowers beginning with your largest roses, moving to hydrangea, and then smaller roses, accent greenery, queen ann’s lace and love in a puff.

Step 5: Take your floral ring to the pool and gently place it on the water. Attach weighted fishing line to the bottom of the wreath once you have it in the desired location.

Step 6: Add a candle and light it.

Note: You most likely will need to be in the pool to position them exactly where you would like them.

This design does not have to be 4th of July themed, but can be branded for any occasion.

Fleur Encore Keepsake Bauble

A great way to preserve your special event flowers and create something new is a keepsake bauble. The advantage is you can store both your dried flowers and a sentimental card, program, or invitation all together!

Mise En Place:

• Clear ornament of any shape

• Dried flowers

• Invitation, card, or program

• Scissors

• Pencil, pen, paintbrush or knitting needle

• Pipe cleaner (optional)

Step 1:

Stuff an empty ornament with dried flowers.

Step 2

If your ornament gets any dirt or dried petals stuck to the sides, use a pipe cleaner to wipe it clean

Steps 3 & 4

Cut your program/card/invite into tiny strips hi-lighting the good stuff.

Next curl the strips around a small object such as a knitting needle, paintbrush or pen

Enjoy!

If the card or program has a tassel, use it to hang the bauble. Enjoy!

Fleur Encore - DIY Recycled Candle

Have you ever wondered what to do with extra candles leftover after a special event or party? If you are like me, you probably have a hard time throwing them away, and yet can never find a use for them either.

Here is a solution. Melt them down, add a few petals from a special event, and create a new decorative keepsake candle. Here’s what you will need to do it.

Candle wax (Any kind will do, but I’m using leftover 3” floating candles)

An old pot for melting the wax

A clear glass vessel to pour the “new” candle into

Wicks

Tacky glue or adhesive spray

Flower petals

Chicken wire or some kind of grid to keep the candle wicks upright while your candle is drying.

Step 1: Use tacky glue or adhesive spray to attach dried petals and leaves to the inside of your vase. This will make sure you can see the petals through the wax. Let dry.

Step 2: Affix a wick to the bottom of the vessel with glue. If you do not secure them, they will float up. Let dry.

Step 3: Cut the wax into smaller bits so that it will melt easily.

Step 4: Using an old pot, add the wax in a little at a time. Let it melt down and then adding more.

Step 5: Mix additional dried flower petals into the wax. The more the better, medium to small petals work best.

Step 6: Carefully pour the wax and flowers into your decorated vessel.

Step 7: Create a grid to keep your candle wick in place using chicken wire or tape.

Step 8: Enjoy your Candle!

Fleur Encore recycled floral candle

Fleur Encore Potpourri Recipe

Ever wondered what to do with your flower when they begin to wilt? Make Potpourri of course!

Step 1: Dry you flowers. There are few ways to dry your flowers once they begin to fade. The first is the old fashion way, simply tie they together and hang them up side down in a warm dry place. Winter is actually an ideal time for this because the air has less humidity in it and we have our heaters going.

The second option is to cut off the flower heads and place them on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minuets to 1 hour or until the petals seem dry. If you leave them in the oven too long they will burn, so be sure to set a timer!

Last if you are really in a hurry and just want the rose petals, pull them off the rose and place them on a single layer of paper towel. Next place them in the microwave with one paper towel on top. Set the microwave for 2 minuets and viola, dried rose petals!

Step 2: Add some scent. Most commercial flowers are lacking in fragrance, so you might want to add a few spritzes of essential oils to the dried blooms. If you do, just make sure that you let them dry completely before moving onto step 3.

Step 3: Sachet or Bowl. Choose a decorative sachet that is a transparent or loose weave fabric and place your completely dry flowers inside. The loose weave will allow the scent to escape and add fragrance to a drawer or closet.

Secret Tip: Moth Away. If you ever have problem with moths, you can add dried cloves and dried mint leave to your sachet, they are natural moth deterrents and will help keep them away from your wools and sweaters.

Last secret tip: Summer Jasmine. Jasmine blooms are one of the sweetest and most fragrant flowers in the world and are abundant during the summer month. If you pick a handful of these tiny blossoms, let them dry, and add they to your sachet, they will smell divine!

Last last secret tip: Variety. If you are making your potpourri to be decorative and go in a bowl, try adding some fun elements like pine cones, dried citrus slices, acorns, or any other naturally decorative element.

DIY Cranberry Topiary - Perfect for Your Last Minute Holiday Decor

Down from DC we are spending this week in sunny Sarasota, Florida. Without access to my normal flower suppliers it had me thinking about what was easy and festive to create. Having just had an opportunity to visit the White House, I was inspired by their long tradition of cranberry topiaries and thought this would be just perfect! If you didn’t have a chance to tune into Suncoast View, ABC 7 here is everything you need to DIY your own holiday topiary.

Step 1: Gather together all of your materials. You are going to need:

Styrofoam Shape

Spanish moss or Tinsel

Scissors

Spray Glue

Toothpicks

Cranberries

Step 2: Coat your shape with spray glue

Hint: It is easier to cover if you cut the moss/tinsel into smaller pieces.

Double Hint: You can make a spray booth out of an Amazon Box by just cutting one side. This helps to contain the mess and makes clean up easy!

Step 3: Re-apply one more coat and roll your shape over the moss/tinsel one more time.

Hint: If you are using Spanish Moss you might want to use Design Master Just for Flowers Spray paint to coat the moss red and create a richer texture.

Step 4: Cut your toothpicks in half

Step 5: Insert your toothpick into the bottom of your shape half way. Pop cranberry on!

Note: It is much easier to put the toothpick in first, rather then putting the toothpick on the cranberry and then trying to push it in. Trust me! Or try it for yourself:)

Step 6: Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!

Place your next toothpick half about 1/3 an inch to the left of your first cranberry.

Note: It looks best if you place the second row in-between the cranberries of the first row, this helps to keep it natural looking.

Step 7: Garnish with a few touches of peppery berry and pepper berry leaves tucked in.

If you still want more cranberry decor, check out my DIY Cranberry Candle!

White House Christmas Decorations 2018 to 2019

If you are like me, you love photos. So, if you are curious about the White House decorations this year and haven’t had the opportunity to go, please enjoy these photos from my family visit.

DIY Over The Top Wreaths! As seen on #GoodDayDC @Fox5dc

Just like yours, my holiday season has been busy! Lots of designing fresh flowers for parties and plenty of homes to decorate. So far, my December favorite has been making what I call the “Over The Top” wreath.

This is a close up of the wreath I made for @blonde_inthedistrict which started this season’s trend!

For this wreath, you glue on every holiday bauble you can find and call it a day. Keep reading if you want a little more instruction on how to do it.

Step 1: Gather materials. You will need a wreath form (can be fresh or faux), scissors, fabric scissors, wire, glue gun, extra glue sticks and lots of baubles! Note: A wreath is a great place to use any broken ornaments that you have been saving and just can’t stand to throw away!

Step 2: Glue your biggest ornaments first.

Step 3: Wind beaded garland or tinsel around your big ornaments.

Step 4: Add your fun and/or special ornaments. I always try to choose ones that match the personality of the recipient. Dani’s (@blonde_inthedistrict) wreath reflected her fun and royal personality!

Step 5: Add any “picked” decorations. Hint - Cut them into pieces so you can get a lot more out of them.

Step 6: Hang it on a door and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Here are a few more “Over The Top” wreath designs from this season.

This wreath hangs on my front door and is made from broken ornaments. I talked about it on my 12/11/19 appearance on Fox 5 - Good Day DC with @producer_stewart and @hollylivefox5

For more on that check out my Insta Stories!

Two More of my favorites! The light pink one was for Julie at @strawberrymilkevents - @Studiomilk_ holiday decor and the other for @lucysyarnpocket.

DIY Cranberries for your Holiday Table

As a floral designer, the holidays are busy, busy, busy! So it may or may not surprise you that sometimes I opt for a non floral centerpiece. If you find yourself short on time, or maybe not in the mood to spend $$$ on decor, try this easy DIY cranberry craft to decorate your mantle, table, or even power room.

All photos by SKC Photography

Step 1: Gather.

1 Candle

1 Vase or clear bowl

Cranberries

Holiday Greens

Step 2: Fill

Pour cranberries about 1/4 into your container.

Step 3: Layer

When you have a base of cranberries, place in your candle and some holiday greens. Continue to pour the cranberries all around the candle.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Light your candle and call it a day!

Place just a single vase or groupings of different sizes and quantities, The bright red berries give instant impact!

For more Hot Holiday Trends, check out #LetsTalkLive on ABC!