This Christmas I wanted a centerpiece for the dining area table that looks amazing when it's just us and that I can dress up with fresh flowers to make it even more amazing if we have guests over. But most importantly I wanted a centerpiece to last through the winter season. I came up with this idea inspired by my fall suspended garland. I created this structure with gold, silver and peacock sisal trees as the base for my everyday centerpiece and my centerpiece with flair.
To dress it up with fresh flowers I add water tubes filled with gorgeous blooms from the florist and suspend them with Oasis aluminum wire.
How To
Let me show you how I created the structure and water tube garlands.
You'll need:
- An assortment of sisal trees
- Grapevine roots
- 48" wooden dowel, determine the thickness by how heavy your root is
- Wood base (these can be pre-made from any craft store)
- Spray paint appropriate for wood in any desired color and finish
- Plastic water tubes from a floral shop
- Oasis 12 gauge wire
- Hot glue gun
- Drill with assorted size bits (don't you love when a craft project requires power tools?)
Start by determining how high you want the top of the centerpiece to be so it's completely off the table and not too high when people are seated at the table (don't forget to account for the little trees too). A good rule is 14" from the top of the table. I like mine to be as tall as possible to create a smaller foot print on the table to give me more space when guests are seated.
Next, mark the grapevine root where the base will be to suspend it. I like the posts to be 3-6" from the end of the grapevine root, so they look stable. Look for thicker part of the root so you have plenty of root to drill into. Once you've got your root marked you'll want to decide how level you want the top of the grapevine to look. Horizontal or one end higher to create a little more drama? Determine how long your dowel supports need to be and give them a cut with sturdy diagonal cutters or pruning sheers. Mark the center point of your wood bases. Select a drill bit that will create a tight hole for the dowel and drill as vertical as possible in the marked grapevine root and wood bases.
Give the wood bases and dowels a quick sanding for a smooth finish. Hot glue the dowels securely in the wood base and paint. Be sure to follow manufactures specifications to ensure it adheres properly and looks good. Now you can put your grapevine on the wood bases. I don't glue mine on so they can be taken apart for easy storage.
To add the sisal trees I lay them out to first to create the landscape look I like. Remove the bases they come with so the trees look like they're growing out of the root when glued on. Now drill holes where you'd like the trees and hot glue them into place. When you're drilling, if you can't get the right angel, don't stress about it. Remember you can just bend the tree up to the angel you want. Be sure to add tree to the extending branches, that gives it the designer flair you want.
Only you can determine how to locate the water tubes for the flower garlands. It all depends on the shape of your grapevine root and how many flowers you want to add.
With needle nose plyers I make a very tight circle (2) then wrap the length around a water tube 2 or 3 times (3). With a pencil I'll wrap the wire around it to create a spring (4). This gives it more strength when you add water and flowers so they are less likely to sag. Leave a straight section for the part that will hang on the grapevine (5). Then repeat 2-4. IT's helpful to make a few extra to have on hand in case you want to add a few more flowers.
Fill the tubes with fresh clean water and cap off. Now fill the tubes with blooms to compliment your table setting. If you're having trouble getting all the stems in, take a knife and slide it through the cap to cut it open a little wider.
This piece has a Christmas theme, but can easily transition to a winter table decoration. With or without flowers I'm thrilled how this turned out. Hope you enjoy making it and will use it all winter long.
Do it with Flair,
Tracy B