Zoe Richmond

For Thanksgiving this year, my mom wanted a festive centerpiece made out of fake flowers that could be stored and used for Thanksgivings in the future. It had to be large enough to take up space on the table but low enough to not interfere with conversations while we ate.

I took a floral design class at BYU last winter (can you believe that class is a general? so much fun!) so I actually felt like I knew what I was doing, an unusual feeling to have while crafting with my cute Martha Stewart mother.

Here’s what we came up with!

Here’s how we did it:

Step 1: Gather the supplies

• Container of your choice (ours was from Goodwill!)
• An assortment of fake flowers, leaves, berries, and fruit
• Floral foam
• Fake moss
• Scissors, knife, and wire cutter

Step 2:

• Cut the floral foam with a knife to fit the shape of your container. Choose a few long stems and insert them into the floral foam at opposite ends from each other. This establishes the length and creates the framework of your design.

Step 3:

• After you’ve established the length of the design, establish the height by adding stems in the center. Continue to insert more stems into the foam to bulk up the middle. To keep the design short, cut the stems and insert them at an angle into the foam.

Step 4:

• Keep filling in the design with more and more stems until you’ve created the look you want. Once you’re happy with it, add some fake moss to cover up all of the foam and add some color and texture to your centerpiece.
• Don’t worry about keeping it perfectly symmetrical, but try to keep it visually balanced.

My floral design professor would be so proud!