A Garden in a Nest~ DIY Floral Arrangment

I have not been putting much thought or effort into my posts lately, but I have been enjoying life! Just this past Saturday, we were able to co~host a dance. I love gatherings~ friends and conversations, food and festivities, any sort of fellowship with others basically.

Whenever we host {or help to host in this case} an event, I like to plan food and decorations around a theme. For our first spring event I wanted a spectacular flower arrangement. After looking at many, I decided to basically copy this one from Martha Stewart: 

Original from Martha Stewart

As with anything done by Martha, the nest isn't quite as easy as she makes it seem. So I made my own version of this completely spring-time arrangement {as pictured at top of post}. Instead of weaving a nest I simply used a grapevine wreath and moss. In all I made three. Actually I did not make the two for the dance hall decorations. A helpful young lady asked what she could do, and I set her to work on them!

See what she created~

A garden in a nest.

My husband pointed out that he has never seen flowers growing out of nests, and our friend pointed out that maybe in heaven they will. Here is how to make a little bit of heaven.

Materials {to make one floral arrangement}
round plastic plate or dish
floral oasis, 1 1/2 blocks
1 grapevine wreath
Suggested flowers~
*3 Gerbera daisies
*3 roses
*2 bunches of tulips
*2 bunches of spray roses {about 4 stems each}
*3 hyacinths or lilacs
moss
plastic speckled eggs
feathers
an ornamental bird

A Garden in a Nest ~ Created for a spring brunch at my home.

Directions
1. Place larger block of oasis in the middle of the plate. Cut the 1/2 block into 2 pieces and place each on either side of the larger block, filling up the empty space on the plate. Run water over so that the oasis is soaked. Drain excess and wipe dry the bottom and sides of plate.
2. Place plate of oasis where you will have your arrangement displayed. Top with grapevine wreath.
3. Cut stems of the daisies and place in the middle of the oasis, leaving space between for roses.
4. Add roses, cutting the stems so they will be about the same height as the daisies.
5. Add a layer of tulips, using one bunch, outside of the daisies and roses. Again, leave space to be filled with other flowers.
6. Add spray roses between tulips and between roses and daisies.
7. Fill in spaces with remaining tulips and hyacinths.
8. Add moss to hide stems and oasis and finish the look of the nest.
9. Place a few eggs in the moss. Toss a few feathers around the "nest" and complete it all with a bird.

10. Add water to your arrangement daily, keeping the oasis moist.

You could easily change the look by using different flowers. This could also be made into a more permanent arrangement with silk flowers. One of the benefits of using floral oasis is the ease of which you can replace faded blooms with fresh ones while still enjoying the longer lasting flowers in the original arrangement.


Some tips on choosing flowers~
*Carnations last a very long time and come in many different colors.
*Spray roses last a bit longer than single stemmed roses and are often more fragrant and dry nicely.
*For more expensive flowers, choose a bold color and just three. They can be left at a longer length and be the focal point of the arrangement.
*Choose at least one flower that has wonderfully strong scent, such as a hyacinth or lily.