Yesterday I shared the yummy and simple grilled menu for an elegant fall cookout, and today I’m sharing how to make a show-stopping floral centerpiece for the table. Yeah, it’s a crazy big arrangement, but it adds so much life and color to the table! Plus, it’s really not too hard to put together once you know some simple tips. Follow these steps for putting this fall floral centerpiece together:
1. Plan ahead and make sure your oasis is well-soaked so your flowers can stay fresh longer. Oasis makes assembling the flowers very easy and the arrangement stable.
2. Use the classic rule of thirds (1/3 for container, 2/3 for flowers) for a visually balanced arrangement.
3. When you start placing the flowers, just follow the pattern that we used in the photos below: anchor stems, large blossoms, fill-in flowers.
4. Think about creating a dome shape with your arrangement by inserting the stems in the oasis at gradually increasing angles like in the shape of a fan.
One important consideration is the vessel, of course. Here I used a gorgeous handmade piece from Fortunata, a ceramics company in Atlanta which I’ve recently fallen in love with. All of their collections are designed in direct collaboration with artisans in Italy. Margaret Proctor, the founder of Fortunata, has a passion for their work that is infectious! It’s incredible to hear how closely they are to the traditional Italian artists hand-making each piece. I am completely smitten by this artichoke footed bowl and thought it was stunning as the centerpiece of my table, with grey and white plates – but you’ll see more of the table settings tomorrow!
