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DIY: Freshen Up for the New Year With a Eucalyptus Table Garland

http://www.decor-ideas.org 12/26/2014 04:14 Decor Ideas 

With just a few plants and florist supplies, you can make a long-lasting table garland that’s fresh, simple and the perfect accent to help you ring in the new year. Samuel Go of Bud Botanical Banditry shows us how to create a stunning centerpiece for less than $50.

by Nanette Wong
The whole process should take less than an hour, depending on the length of your garland. Once you get into the groove, you’ll find a rhythm. “Don’t think too hard about it,” says Go. “Just go with your instinct, and it will come naturally.”

by Nanette Wong
Plant materials:
Seeded eucalyptus (for the base of the garland)Blue gum eucalyptus ‘Silver Bells’ eucalyptus pods Paperwhites (or, for a less fragrant alternative, cyclamen). Go says, “You would have to get a potted cyclamen from a nursery and just snip off the flowers.”Tillandsia

Tools:

Gardening shearsFloral wireFloral water tubes

by Nanette Wong
Pick large, leafy eucalyptus leaves that aren’t brown or brittle. It takes about three bunches of seeded eucalyptus to make a 4-foot-long garland.

Start with one large branch of seeded eucalyptus, then add a few smaller branches to it, fanning them out to the sides. The width you make this beginning bunch will determine the final overall width of the garland.

by Nanette Wong
Wrap each section with floral wire, much as you would tie ribbons around a maypole. Tie loosely so the leaves look natural and stay open.


by Nanette Wong
Continue to add more eucalyptus leaves below the starting point and secure them with floral wire. Add the blue gum eucalyptus and Silver Bells pods as you build the garland.

by Nanette Wong
There’s no specific pattern or way to add the accent plants. Do what feels natural to you. What makes this centerpiece shine is its organic, unfussy look.

by Nanette Wong
Stop adding material when you reach the halfway point of what you want the final length of the garland to be. For example, if you want it to be 4 feet long, stop when this first piece reaches about 2 feet long.

by Nanette Wong
Repeat the process to make the other half of the garland. By having two pieces rather than a single one, the ends will match and the piece will look more symmetrical.

by Nanette Wong
To connect the two halves, lay the two ends side by side and nestle them closely together so there are no gaps. Use the floral wire to tie them together. Then lay out the entire centerpiece and remove any excess foliage.


by Nanette Wong
Fill the floral tubes with water and place an individual flower stem in each of them.

by Nanette Wong
Gently insert the tubes along the length of the garland, using the eucalyptus leaves to hide them. Drop in the air plants last, spacing them out along the garland as well.

by Nanette Wong
Because eucalyptus is pretty hardy, the garland will last a week or possibly two. To preserve it as long as possible, keep it in a cool place out of direct sunlight. The paperwhites or cyclamen blossoms will last only a few days; just pull them out and replace them for a longer display.

by Nanette Wong
This green, silver and white garland is unexpected and, if you use paperwhites, you’ll also enjoy their fresh, natural perfume.

More:
Make a Long-Lasting Eucalyptus Holiday Wreath
Holiday Decor Goes Fresh and Rustic

URL: DIY: Freshen Up for the New Year With a Eucalyptus Table Garland http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25293.html
Category:Interior
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