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Kirstie's Handmade Britain
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How To Make Kirstie's Imposed Flower Arrangement
Inspired by the imposed flower arrangement Kirstie made in Kirstie's Handmade Britain? Here's how to create it.
By Kirstie Allsopp, with the help of Tan Strong.
Two dishes
Two blocks of floral foam
Two pairs of scissors
Two knives
Wooden kebab sticks
Large bowl of water
German pins
Decorative wire
Two limes
Eight stems of green hypericum berries
Eight to 10 roses
Eight large ivy leaves
Small amounts of moss
Eight small sprigs of hebe
Begonia Leaves
Skill
A beginner could tackle this craft easily.
Budget
Depending on how much foliage you can grow at home yourself, the arrangement shouldn’t cost more than £10 to create.
Time
Beginners should give themselves up to a couple of hours to create the display. Those more experienced could create this in under an hour, not including planning time.
Step One: Prepare The Foam
Cut a piece of foam to fit the container. Only experience will help you here – if it's too small it may crumble when all the stems go into it, and if it's too big it may take a lot of material to conceal it – making the arrangement too heavy. Drop the piece of foam onto a bowl of water and let it soak up the water. Do not push it down. The degree of saturation will be obvious – it turns a darker green and should only take a minute or less.
Step Two: Fit The Foam
Fit the foam into the container and make sure it’s secure – it might be necessary to fasten it neatly with some narrow floral 'pot tape'.
Step Three: Create The Basic Line Design
Draw out the design, ensuring all your items are included. Then begin by placing the different foliages next to each other to accentuate their differences and create a dramatic effect.
Step Four: Add Flowers
Place the rose bud in the centre. Follow it with a slightly larger flower with the stem cut shorter. Repeat this until you have a central line of colour, with the largest bloom at the base.
Step Five: Add Interest
Add in cut lime or rolled leaves for interest. Thread hypericum berries onto decorative wire. Trim off any untidy leaves.
Step Six: Finish Off
Add any accessories or items that have been requested by the judges.
Step Seven: Check The Rules
The rules of the imposed arrangement include the size of the arrangement and time taken. Kirstie was given a restricted space of 91cm by 61cm (height unrestricted) against a cream backdrop and had two hours to complete her creation.
- Soak the floral foam correctly – it should be placed on the surface of a sink of water and it will sink as it absorbs the water (takes about 30 seconds). Don’t push it under the water, which will cause bubbles or pockets of foam which are not wet and plant materials placed in that area will die.
- Place the foliage before the flowers and arrange the design from the angle it will be viewed from.
- Plan your design shape before you start arranging and don’t overstuff the design.
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