How To Make A Christmas Centrepiece
Make A Christmas Centrepiece. Florist, Trish Haunton demonstrates how to create a Christmas centrepiece using blue pine, red roses and berried ivy.
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Step 1:
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You will need
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Step 2:
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Oasis
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Place the brick of oasis beside the saucer. Strap the oasis brick to the saucer using the oasis tape. Leave room for the candle by taping diagonally over the corners and around the bottom of the saucer. Remember the oasis tape sticks when wet. Place the candle in the middle of the oasis and pushing it down 4cm.
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Step 3:
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Blue Pine
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Begin decorating the oasis with 8 small branches of blue pine approximately 25cm long. Ensure the last 3cm of needles have been removed either by hand or scissors. Press the pine horizontally into the base of the oasis, parallel with the saucer. Place two branches on each side of the oasis block. Then placing the next layer of blue pine at 45 degree angle on both the sides and top of the oasis. Be careful not to place anything too close to the top of the candle. You wouldn't want it to catch fire! Use smaller sprigs of blue pine to cover the rest of the oasis.
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Step 4:
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Berried Ivy
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Place the berried ivy in between the blue pine. Ensure everything points toward a central point just beneath the candle allowing all the foliage to radiate out from the centrepiece. The larger sprigs should be at the bottom of the arrangement. Check for any gaps. Fill them in if necessary.
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Step 5:
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Wire
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Using the stub wire wrap it around the middle of the cone and feed it through the teeth. Twist the wires together leaving two prongs. Once three have been wired bunch them together and twist all the wires to form one. Snip any wires longer than 10cm. Place the bunches of cones at even intervals on the centrepiece. Working in groups works best.
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Step 6:
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Cinnamon
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With the lurex cord, tie 30cm lengths of cinnamon into bundles of three. Feed the cord in between the sticks and around a couple of times to secure the bundle. Tie with a bow.
To wire the cinnamon bundles simply feed one piece of stub wire under the cord. Ensure it is the opposite side to the bow. Twist the wire three times leaving two prongs. Cut the wire to 8 cm lengths.
Place one cinnamon bundle with each group of cones. One above, one below and the third on an angle.
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Step 7:
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Apples
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Push the stub wire right through the fruit. Pull both ends of wire together and twist together 2 or 3 times. Again leaving two prongs to feed into the oasis. Ensure half of the apples show the bottom and the rest show the top. Place the apples in groups of three around the three bunches of cones. Repeat until all 9 apples are wired and placed..
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Step 8:
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Roses
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Using scissors cut the roses on an angle and split the stem vertically to approximately 20cm. Remove all the thorns and leaves too. Place in the groups of three beside each bunch of pine cones. Cut the roses shorter if they are going into the top of the oasis. The roses should sit slightly proud of the other items in the arrangement.
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Step 9:
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Ribbon
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Make a double loop with the ribbon bunching the bottom together between thumb and forefinger. Cut the ribbon and place a piece of stub wire behind the ends. Gently pull the wire down into a loop, pick up one end and twist it around the ribbon and the other wire. Place a double bow on either side of the centrepiece underneath and a third at the base of the candle.
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Step 10:
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Display
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Place your Christmas centrepiece and ask the guest of honour to light the candle.
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Done
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Merry Christmas. To see how to make a Christmas wreath for the front door go to Videojug How To Make A Christmas Wreath.
