Candlelight Fall Centerpiece

The fall season and candlelight, perfect match. In this centerpiece, bone-free, classic colors. Let me show you how it's done. The materials that I'm working with, white waterproof tape. That'll anchor in the floral netting. Then placing it with flower food water, pre-mixed. Then I'll be adding in some glycerin preserved leaves. But notice how full and lush they are when they come. They're wrinkled, they're horrible, but if you iron them, tulip Tuesday tip, check it out. Then they are beautiful. The candles, using the battery operated lights, but this time tempting it with the Design Master Copper to give me the beautiful glow that I want for this arrangement. And then when I work with it, they light up just perfectly. If you've taken basic floral design, you know I often begin with the foliage. Placing that in to get a nice central binding point. Weaving it in, breaking the line of the container and helping to cover any tape areas and flipping it around until you can see where it hides it the best. Then setting it in hydrangea. This is local, beautiful, looks almost antique. And then setting that in to finish filling, help to break the line of the container. If it's super woody like this, it's totally fine to just break it and then set it into place. Sometimes that's a little easier than using your knife. Popping it in and a bit of the green to give some movement. Placing it in, everything I do following that central binding point and helping to break the line of the container. The soft peach of the Phoenix Rose is perfect to tuck in and brighten just a bit. And they open beautifully. So as this continues to age, it's going to look great for a very long time. Tucking it in, placing another one shadow behind to add a little impact. And then Queen Anne's Lace to get a bit of texture. And then a tiny bit of Collifrina to darken the color and add lightness. Tuck them around and then as you work, turn it and add in on all sides so that you get a full round centerpiece. To place the candles, I'm going to use a candle stake that will extend them and also anchor it down into the floral netting so that it's stable. To do that, if you use a strip, you only need half a strip. So dipping my scissor, Tulip Tuesday tips, I know they're everywhere. Then taking that and using that bit of glue around the base of the candle and placing it into the stake. That's going to hold it secure and it will allow you to turn the candle on. Just leaving it in the stake so you can turn it off and on as you need. Then repeating that another one right on to the base of the candle, into the stake and then setting it in knowing that you can turn it on and then repeat. To finish, adding in a few of the tall leaves. It's so wonderful. You can just give them a cut, use a pick machine or you can wire and tape and then set it down again. It picks up that copper hue from the container, bringing it upwards for a little more continuity, unity throughout. Just tucking it and placing it and repeat. The recipe, I started with the ruscus, five stems and then the grain, five stems of sorghum. Then moving on, we use the hydrangea, five stems and then seven stems of the Phoenix Rose for that soft peach, nine of the Queen Anne's Lace and ten of the gonfrina. Then lastly, tucking in ten stems of the preserved leaves to pick up the copper from the container. Traditional colors in a classic centerpiece. You'll find more creative inspiration on our website, flowerschool.com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there. But now it's your turn. Create a way, add some candlelight. Be sure to take a picture, post it on social media and hashtag Flow Design Institute. That way we all can see what you do as you do something you love.