Blog: No experience, talent or special skills needed!
Even if you’re a novice florist like me, it’s possible to make an impressive festive decoration out of your garden’s evergreens and dried flowers – here’s how to make a Christmas star.
Despite doing zero flower arranging during the rest of the year, I do enjoy making Yuletide decorations out of what I can find in the garden in December. I’m fascinated by folklore and the pre-Christian traditions of these islands. Many of the plants I’ve used here have a long association with our past, and I’ll direct you to my other posts on the subjects as we go.
Firstly, if you’ve never done this before, don’t worry, you don’t need any special skills or equipment. The only thing I bought was the willow star base, £9.99 from TK Maxx. They also stock it in hearts and traditional wreath shapes. All of them are nice enough to be hung up plain, but they make an ideal base for arrangements.
Willow stems
You’ll find suitable bases at florists, garden centres and DIY stores, or make your own if you have access to willow stems, which can be easily twisted into rings. I also used some battery-operated lights, which I had at home.
My choice of plants:
- Holly (Golden King and lawsoniana x altaclerensis)
- Ivy (with berries) and a smaller-leaved variegated variety
- Eucalyptus gunnii
- Fatsia japonica variegata
- Sedum dried flower heads
Firstly, tie the lights (if you’re using them) onto the edges of the frame. Sandwich bag ties are very good for this. Hide the battery pack in the back of the display in a place that is still easy to operate.
Make a Christmas star – versatile eucalyptus
Cut the small, pliable stems from the large branches of the eucalyptus. I use the larger branches separately in a vase. Weave them into the points of the star and keep others to fill in any gaps.
Several Fatsia leaves fill the centre of the arrangement. Make sure you place them with the leaf stems facing down so they don’t fall out. Fill the outer areas with the holly and ivy branches, adding the dried Sedum flowerheads around the Fatsia leaves. Finally, add trailing ivy stems to soften the bottom of the star – and that’s it. Do bear in mind that the leaves will dry out, so make sure they are secure.
