How To Make A Centerpiece Like a Floral Designer

When it comes to holiday decor, I'm more of a minimalist. I love having fresh garland on the mantel, a variety of candles to set the mood and pretty florals to make everything look more festive. One of my favorite things to do is make a visit to a local flower shop for a show-stopping holiday centerpiece, but right before a big event or holiday I tend to get overwhelmed. For instance, I'll end up buying a few bunches of flowers and put them in vases around the house, rarely mixing them or creating any type of bouquet.

Making a beautiful arrangement takes work, which is why I asked Dartmouth, MA-based floral extraordinaire, David Gregory, to come over and show me and my friend Kayla, who also happens to be an amazing local photographer, on how to make one that you can use for the holidays, New Year's Eve and any special occasion this winter. David has an amazing eye and creates floral designs that are so unique and beautiful. He has a lovely flower shop in South Dartmouth, MA and does installations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that have a hint of the unexpected and an artistic flair. I knew he would be able to show Kayla and I how to create some floral magic and it exceeded our expectations. He stepped away from traditional holiday colors and chose a moody palette of deep reds, berry hues, blush tones, orange and poppy reds in a variety of textures.

So, if you are looking into how to make a unique moody centerpiece or to get some floral inspiration for the holidays, New Year's Eve or a special winter gathering, this one is for you.

Organizing the florals for the centerpieces

Supplies you'll need:

-- A pair of sharp garden shears

-- A vessel of your choice. We used a smaller vessel in a dark hue with a wide opening, which helped make the moody florals pop and also allowed us to add lots of blooms.

--Chicken wire to help hold the shape ( available at your local hardware store or garden shop).

--A variety of flowers in different sizes and colors. For a moody vibe go with deep burgundy, mauve, bright poppy red and wine hues.

For this holiday centerpiece, we first added chicken wire in the vessel and filled it up with water. We added Piers greens to help set the shape (remember to take off leaves on bottom so they do not sit in the water). After that, we added Privet and Ligustrum berry, which added this lovely texture. If you live in the northeast, you may be able to find some of these right in your own backyard. After that, we added red Spray Roses, which added dimension and color. The roses were applied from front to back and helped define the look we were going for. After the roses, we added blush-colored Lisianthus and a few pieces of a gorgeous rusty reddish-orange Ranunculus. An unexpected showstopper to this piece was this delicate Nerine, which are small red amaryllis. They added a pretty pop of color! Lastly, we added a few pieces of stunning Cymbidium Orchids in a lovely berry-pink hue to a few spots around the piece. The final piece came out absolutely amazing—the nicest arrangement I've ever made or seen for holiday time.

Tips:

David says that height and scale are more important than the type of flowers you use. And, don't fill an empty space to just fill it. Sometimes less is more. Refill with fresh water daily to keep the blooms fresh.