1. Purchase two, four-foot-tall cardboard tubes, one measuring 10 inches wide and the other 12 inches wide. Use a jigsaw to cut each tube into smaller tubes of varying heights (refer to the photo at left for guidance).
2. Cover the outside of each smaller tube with contact paper. Cut away any excess paper with a utility knife.
3. Arrange the tubes on the floor as you'd like them to hang. Wherever two meet, use an awl to poke a hole through both. Slide a no. 10 washer onto a 6-32 x ½" bolt, push the bolt through both tubes, slide another no. 10 washer onto the bolt, and secure with a nut. Fasten all the pieces together in this way.
4. To create load-bearing braces, slide a piece of wood that's at least an inch thick underneath one of the topmost tubes. Trace an arc along the top half of the tube's interior onto the wood. Measure down two inches and draw another arc that connects to the first, making a crescent shape. Repeat for all the tubes on the top row.
5. Use a jigsaw to cut out crescents from wood, following the shapes you drew. Drill a hole into the center of each shape.
6. With a friend's help, position the tubes on your wall. Use a pencil to lightly trace the top arc on the wall, along the interior of each topmost tube. Set the tubes aside. Place a brace so it aligns with one of the drawn-on arcs, then stick a pencil through the brace's hole to make another small mark on the wall. Drill a hole in that spot, then tap in a plastic anchor until it's flush against the wall. Repeat with remaining braces.
7. Align the hole in one brace with the corresponding anchor. Using a drill with a Phillips-head bit, screw the brace to the wall. Repeat with remaining braces. Set the tubes onto the braces.
8. At the back of each supported tube, just above the brace, make a pilot hole with an awl. Fasten the tubes to the braces using ¾-inch screws.
Floral Party Favors
Floral Favors
Fashioned with small, sweet flowers from the garden or even the supermarket, nosegays make perfect party favors (or boutonnieres at a country wedding). Tie them with homemade ribbons that are made with pinking shears from floral fabrics. To keep the flowers fresh, cut them the morning of your party. You might want to provide small vases or containers so guests can tote them home.
How to make a Country Silk Bridal Bouquet
People will pay a lot for a silk flower bridal bouquet because they are important and look very complicated to make. You will be surprised how easy they are to put together. Don't be afraid of messing up because with silk flowers all mistakes can be fixed. The main thing about any flowers is that they are beautiful no matter what you do to them. Know also that there is no silk flower law, there is no right or wrong. When you are happy with the outcome that's when you know they are done right. Follow the steps below and learn how to put a silk bridal bouquet together like a professional floral designer for a mere fraction of the cost.
Silk wedding bouquets can be an economical and beautiful alternative to fresh ones. Silk flowers are available in more colors and sizes than fresh flowers, regardless of the season. Moreover, while fresh flower bouquets are perishable and can be both difficult and costly to preserve, silk flower bouquets are durable and can last indefinitely; they are a great way to hold onto memories from one of life's most momentous occasions. Silk flower bouquets can complement the color scheme and style of any wedding. While a professional florist can provide them, making silk wedding bouquets yourself is fun and relatively easy.
Things You'll Need:
Silk flowers
Filler flowers such as baby's breath
Illusion veil material or ribbon
1 Bouquet holder
Floral tape
Floral picks
Silk fern leaves or eucalyptus leaves if desire
How To Make A Silk Flower Bridal Bouquet1
Go to the store and select your silk flowers. Here are some things to keep in mind. Most brides prefer white flowers but in photographs the flowers will be lost against the background of the white bridal gown. If you are using white then it would be a good idea to also put some leaves or pastel colored ribbon to match the colors of the bridal party. You can also choose to put some colored baby's breath in between the flowers, or stephanotis with a small pearl glued to the center, or even some colored illusion veiling material.
Put a drop of glue where the stem meets the foam in the holder. There are two kinds of bouquet holders, one has Styrofoam for the sturdier stems of silk flowers and the other uses a green florists foam. You can use either, however the florist foam will not hold the flowers well if you take them in and out for positioning because the stems will leave big holes in it. Styrofoam is more forgiving of your rearranging. Whichever you choose it may not be a bad idea to secure the stem to the foam with a drop or two of glue. Only do that once you're sure of flower placement.
Cut the stems of the flowers with wire cutters keeping in mind that the longer the stems are, the more flowers you will have to use to make the bouquet. Start with about 3 inches of stem. If you want a cascade shape you will leave the bottom flowers a few inches longer. Don't be afraid to cut them wrong. If they are too long you can always cut more, and if they are too short you can reattach the stem with the floral tape and no one will ever know the difference.
Place the silk flowers in the holder keeping in mind the shape you want to end up with. You will at this point have gaps between the flowers where you can see through to the foam. This is where your fillers come in. For baby's breath you can cut small bunches of it and wrap the wire from the floral pick around the stem parts and use the wooden pick to insert it into the foam. Add one piece of filler at a time till you achieve the effect you want. The main flowers should not be overlapping each other and the spaces in between covered with whatever fillers you are using. Pay attention to the sides all around the bouquet, unless there is filler there you will be able to see the foam from the side. Craft shops also have lace pieces that you can slip over the handle of the holder to cover those sides.
The Frank Lazzaro Company was founded by Visual Interior Store Designer Frank Lazzaro on August 1st,1979 in Floral Park, N.Y. Starting as a small "one man" florist shop and later selling home and garden products from his tiny 300 square foot emporium that grew into a three store chain within fifthteen years. When the internet was introduced to the world in 1995 Frank sold his three "brick and mortar" shops for an online home and garden retail store. We're here since 1995 with a fine selection of additional general merchandise including a fine line of men's and women's apparel from affiliated retailers that joined our website marketplace to bring customers the very best of products to homes across America. Today, the company office is based in Levittown, N.Y with our warehouses and affiliated retailers nationwide. All Lazzaro merchandise has the "add to cart" icon below its image, added with a simple paypal shopping cart. Lazzaro products are drop-shipped directly to our customer's requested destination address via UPS ground. To contact us, please click on our Customer Service department link above.
