I was walking the other day, enjoying 79-degree weather, tons of sun and a light pleasant breeze (yep, I just happened to be in Florida for a short time), I walked by one of the many beautiful ponds, and noticed a ton of Silver Buttonwood trees as well as some dwarf size palm trees with an abundance of baby coconuts hanging.
So I said to myself, “self”, why not grabbing a few branches of the tree and cut one tiny bunch of the tons of baby coconuts the palm tree has. After all, the landscapers mistreat these trees with their trimmers, so bad that is sad. So I went home, found a wreath in my craft area and then decided to make something with my natural “FREE” findings. It was such a productive day! Smile

Materials Needed
Grapevine wreath ($4.50)
Metallic wired gold ribbon 1 yd. ($1.00)
1 piece of floral wire (.15)
 
DIRECTIONS
Tuck the Silver Buttonwood tree branches into the wreath first, then tuck the baby coconuts. Seriously, anything go and you couldn't go any wrong.
Make a bow like mine, or if you don't know how, then make a couple of simple large bows and keep them together, then attach them with floral wire.
Hope that you like it, it is so Florida, smile. It does keep fresh for about a week and then it dries out, but is so fun and worth the try.

Again, just like yesterday’s post arrangement, this is another example with a different vase that changes the look of the Magnolia leaves completely.
 
Remember, it is just a matter of what do you have available at home, as far as vase/container and plant material that you can gather from your garden or your friends/neighbor gardens.
 
Just look at my slide show, and by now, you will be able to make your own.
 
Materials Needed:
1 vase
Water
3 small tree leave branches
 
Directions:
Select your vase.
Fill with water
Arrange the 3 branches.
 
DONE!

So, who said that you have to be a florist or an artist to make a quick flower/leaves arrangement for your home or to give away? Nobody, smile. It is just a matter of what do you have available in your garden and what bowl, floral vase or kitchen container you can pick as the winner to put your plant/flower material. Just look at my slide show, then go ahead and make your own.
  
Materials Needed:
1 vase
Water
3 small tree leave branches
 
Directions:
Select your vase.
Fill with water.
Arrange the 3 branches.
 
DONE!

It is very satisfying to create something out of nothing from your own home. This time it was from my garden.
 
Last week I posted "When and How to Dry Hydrangeas". Today tough, I am using the same hydrangeas that I dried from my garden, with some other elements to make a neutral wreath for Thanksgiving. If you want to make one, you will only need few materials and boom; a Thanksgiving wreath will be born for your home or to give to a friend. In December, I will transform this same wreath into a Christmas Holiday Wreath. Stay tuned.
 
MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 wooded wreath (from your craft or Dollar store ($1.00)
1 hay/straw bow from the Dollar store? Walmart, or you make it ($1.00)
7 or 8 dried hydrangeas from yours or your friends garden (0)
3 green small branches from any tree from your garden (0)
 Hot glue or regular glue to attach the flowers to the wreath (.15)


Directions
·        Get all your materials ready and lined up to start to work.
·        Glue the flowers and bow to the wooded wreath and allow to dry.
·        You do not need a hook to hang it because the wreath has opened spaces to do so.
·        DONE!