By Marc Waters of Bunches
In addition to perennial requests for wreaths, centerpieces and holiday plants, we are often asked for seasonal decorating ideas that people can make on the fly for impromptu entertaining or that have child appeal and can be made together and shared as a family. Here are a few that we have recommended so far this year.
Winterberry submerged in water with floating candles is an easy concept that anyone can create. Simply purchase the berried branches from your local florist, and remember to regularly refresh the water and it will make for a long-lasting festive centerpiece or holiday focal point anywhere in the house.
Anyone can have or give a Christmas tree with this miniature cedar cypress. They emit a lovely fragrance, and presented in a reclaimed barn wood box (as shown), are a guilt-free, no waste gift idea for the eco-conscious consumer.
If fragrance is your passion, this Victorian-inspired melange of potpourri components is a great construct for the entire family. Kids love to poke clementines or oranges with cloves. They can create a pattern or do something more random. It all smells wonderful for the entire winter. We have created a few, combined them with pinecones, garden roses, cinnamon sticks and dried antique hydrangea for a slightly more sophisticated take on the basic concept.
If collecting Christmas villages is too cumbersome, why not conjure a winter wonderland using candles, evergreens, pinecones, assorted branches, and mosses. You can use novelty candles, but tapers and pillars are great too. It will last all winter and come spring, the box can be re-purposed to grow bulb plants such as tulips, hyacinths and/or daffodils.
Elegant and fun, this sugared fruit centerpiece will call upon childhood memories for many. It’s a quick and easy kid-friendly project. Our example shown, in the moss-lined French wire basket, is a more modern, organic take on a classic. We embraced the holiday cheer by placing the sugared fruit on a bed of evergreens.
These are all fun ideas to create on your own, but, of course, Bunches (a flower shop) is always ready and willing to do it for you. Happy holidays to all from the very merry team at Bunches.
