JOURNAL

Christmas is the perfect time to let your creative spirit run wild!

Creating floral arrangements, wreaths, and table centrepieces is a wonderful activity to get you in the festive spirit and it doesn’t need to be complicated. The wonder of such arrangements comes from bringing the outdoors in.

As we approach the day itself, we’ve turned our focus towards the final touches, and with this in mind we’re sharing our guide to creating the ultimate Christmas arrangement to decorate your home. Repurposing planters, bottles, unusual vases and coolers you can make a unique statement, and one that will last the duration of the Christmas holidays.

From seasonally inspired floral stylist, Joolz of Posy Flowers.

• As a rule, make your arrangement about one and a half times taller than its container. You should also aim to balance the width and the height.
• Trim the stems at an angle using gardening shears.
• Place a loose ball of chicken wire inside your vessel to hold your stems in position and give you a base to work with.
• Arrange the bushier greenery first and include more than you think you should, so it becomes the foundation to hold the other stems in place.
• Remove any thorns or leaves from the stems you are using; this will reduce bacteria entering the water and enhance the lifespan of the arrangement.
• Use a mixture of seasonal colours, mixing shades and a variety of textures. The beauty of clearing your garden at this time of year brings wonderful colours and stems to choose from so experiment with what you have available.
• Once you have your greenery structure, start adding the largest stems first, working in a circle and turning the vessel as you go to make it pleasing from all angles. Or organise accordingly to how you see the arrangement being displayed.
• Add drama by not going for a uniform look, it makes it easier to create a wild and asymmetrical arrangement.
• As flowers start to expire take them out to keep the other stems alive longer/ Usually the greenery will last a couple of weeks more than the flowers. Keep any flowers away from sunlight and direct heating.
• When displaying the arrangement add candles to your display to add colour and height.

• As a rule, make your arrangement about one and a half times taller than its container. You should also aim to balance the width and the height.
• Trim the stems at an angle using gardening shears.
• Place a loose ball of chicken wire inside your vessel to hold your stems in position and give you a base to work with.
• Arrange the bushier greenery first and include more than you think you should, so it becomes the foundation to hold the other stems in place.
• Remove any thorns or leaves from the stems you are using; this will reduce bacteria entering the water and enhance the lifespan of the arrangement.
• Use a mixture of seasonal colours, mixing shades and a variety of textures. The beauty of clearing your garden at this time of year brings wonderful colours and stems to choose from so experiment with what you have available.
• Once you have your greenery structure, start adding the largest stems first, working in a circle and turning the vessel as you go to make it pleasing from all angles. Or organise accordingly to how you see the arrangement being displayed.
• Add drama by not going for a uniform look, it makes it easier to create a wild and asymmetrical arrangement.
• As flowers start to expire take them out to keep the other stems alive longer/ Usually the greenery will last a couple of weeks more than the flowers. Keep any flowers away from sunlight and direct heating.
• When displaying the arrangement add candles to your display to add colour and height.