I've been into arts and crafts for a really large portion of my life. Yet, I can't settle down and pick just one genre to stick with! However even though I really love everything craft related, I do have a few favorites! Randomly, I'll do a post on some of the random crafts I work/have worked on and share it with all of you. :) I hope you enjoy.
Random Crafts: Floral Arranging
WHY I MADE THIS: A new seafood restaurant opened in Honolulu not too long ago called "The Raging Crab." This was so exciting for me because I always saw pictures of friends visiting the mainland and eating at these trendy seafood restaurants but unfortunately, they were in the mainland so I would be unable to partake in the yummy-ness. So anyways, upon finding out that this new restaurant was opening, I also found out a friend of mine was the one opening it! I was so excited for her, and I wanted to make her a little something! (And by the way, her restaurant is AMAZING!) I visited local florists to find a congratulatory arrangement but nothing caught my eye. They just weren't personal enough for my taste. So I went home and started brainstorming and decided to make my own version of a congratulatory arrangement! Here's how I personalized it!
THE CRAB: I decided to spice up the arrangement a bit and add little accents to it just to give it a little personal touch and have it match her new nautical/crab themed restaurant. I crocheted a crab (I found the pattern here) with some shiny fuzzy red yarn and attached it to one of the Quince twigs in the arrangement. The actual crab from the pattern called for embroidered eyes and mouth but I decided to make mine differently. Instead, I omitted the mouth and glued on 6mm black pearl flatbacks I already had from several decoden projects in the past.
THE CONGRATULATORY RIBBON: These are usually made with wide ribbon and usually has words printed on them. Unfortunately, I didn't have that. Instead, I made this from scratch. (If you would like a tutorial, please let me know in the comments below.) I basically took a 2 in wide strip of canvas and painted it on and attached it to the Quince twigs with wire! :)
THE TREASURE CHEST: I took an unpainted wooden jewelry box (you can find this at your local craft store) and painted it brown and gold to make it look like a treasure chest. Then, I filled it with miscellaneous fake gold coins and chain scraps from the bracelets I make and glued the treasure chest to the pot/base of the arrangement. (If you would like a tutorial on this, leave me a comment below)
THE POT/BASE: I basically took a Terracotta pot (you can find this for just over $1 at Walmart) and painted the bottom white and the rim blue and glued on red ribbons all the way around the pot. Then I added a jump ring to the middle of each ribbon and swagged gold chain around the pot (attaching it to the jump ring in the middle of each bow) twice. It was really simple to make!
THE FLOWERS: The flowers were really simple to arrange. I purchased 1.5 dozen roses for $19.99 at Safeway (which also came with some Baby's Breath too!), some random white flowers (whatever they had) and some fern. The Quince twigs, I already had because my mom likes to buy Quince every time they're in season and I like to keep the branches because they're pretty! :) But you could just go outside and collect twigs that have fallen from trees! In the base, I just lined the inside with a Ziplock bag and put my wet floral foam into it (which I previously soaked with water mixed with floral food) and arranged the flowers and fern (after giving them a fresh cut) by sticking them directly into the floral foam. Random Tip: Peel the outer layers of each rose off to give it a fresher look. You could also fold back each layer of petals to give it a fuller look if you'd like as well!
I absolutely LOVE floral arranging! And even more than that, I love making gifts with more of a personal touch. Of course it's the thought that counts but that little extra makes it all the more special. Let me know if you'd like more detailed tutorials on any of the sections (or all of them) by leaving me a comment below! Until next time..
What are your favorite flowers?
