How to Make a Gift Bouquet

This past weekend, my girls had their dance and tumbling recital and I wanted to give them the traditional flower bouquet for such an occasion.  They worked so hard throughout the year and I wanted to congratulate them on a job well done. 

If you have been reading Cultivate Create for any length of time, you might have gathered that I love to DIY!  My philosophy is why pay a lot of money for something that I can do myself for a fraction of the cost.  In this instance, I adhered to that very philosophy.  

I started by making a trip Winn-Dixie to pick up some fresh flowers.  They were three bundles for $12.  Since I was making two bouquets, I grabbed six bundles.  (They did have ready-made gift bouquets, but they were $18.99 each, and they were very small.....probably a fourth as big as the ones I made. And buying a gift bouquet from a florist would've been even more money!) 

I made sure I got greens, filler flowers, and showcase flowers. I wanted pinks, greens, and whites only. 

Once I got all of the plastic off of the flowers, I spread them out in my sink so I could easily get to them.  I kept some of the clear plastic from a couple of the bundles to use around my flowers. 

Making one of these bouquets isn't like a normal flower arrangement where you try to get a uniform look all around the container.  You want to try to layer with a definite "back" and "front" of the arrangement. That means starting with a green base.   

Once your green base is in place, layer your filler. I used Baby's Breath. 

Then, I layered the small green flowers and the largest flowers on top. 

Then, I layered in my "feature" flower, the hot pink carnations.  Once I got those in place, I filled in with a little more Baby's Breath to finish it out. 

Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, I wrapped the bouquet with the clear plastic and secured with a rubber band.  

Then, I wrapped the entire bouquet with some thick wrapping paper I already had from Home Goods, tied with ribbon and adorned the front with flower that can later be used in their hair if they want. (It has a bobby pin on the back.)

I was really pleased with how they turned out! For a fraction of the cost of what I would have spent at a Florist, I had large, beautiful bouquets to give my girls. 

I think they may have liked them, too! 

It really wasn't that hard or time consuming.  It is the first time I have ever made a gift bouquet like this, but it won't be my last. Not only for recitals, but maybe for hostess gifts or for birthdays.  

Guest Post: Simmering Holiday Scents from HollyDays

This morning, I'd like to welcome Holly from HollyDays!  She has a wonderful idea for a sweet neighbor gift. Take it away, Holly!

I love the scents of the holidays; a turkey and casseroles baking in the oven, fresh apple cider on the stove and a fire in the fireplace. There is just something magical about walking into a warm cozy home surrounded by holiday scents. Last year, we were new to our neighborhood and I wanted a way to give a small Thanksgiving gift because many of our sweet neighbors had welcomed us into the neighborhood with small gifts the week we moved in our house. I decided to make up some simmering scents to cook on the stove and I loved how they turned out. Here’s the tutorial.

Simmering Holiday Scents

What you will need:

Apples

Oranges (I used tangerines – so small and cute)

Cinnamon Sticks

Ground Cinnamon (you could just use cinnamon sticks, but I like how the powder mixes up with the other ingredients)

Whole Cloves

Nutmeg

Whole Allspice

Bags for packaging

Ribbon/Twine

Tag

1| Thinly slice apples and put them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake in 150-170 degree oven for about 4 hours. I flipped mine once every 30 minutes – 1 hour.

2| Time to combine ingredients: You don’t have to use these exact measurements, but this is a guide for what to use. (This is per bag, so if you need to make 10 bags, I’d multiply x10 so you don’t have to do them individually.) I used 1 TBSP Whole Cloves, 1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon, Approx. 1 TBSP Whole Allspice, ½ TBSP Nutmeg. Stir together.

3| Pour seasoning mixture in bag. Layer cinnamon sticks (about 2 per bag), slices of apples (as many as you like - I used 2-3). Then top with a whole orange. I like the color it brings to the bag.

4| Tie with a tag. We have these cute tags that come with twine available on our website.

5| Make sure you give the recipients of your bags directions on how to use the scents: Slice or cut orange, pour all contents in small saucepan, add 2 cups water and simmer to bring the scents of the holidays into your home. Replenish water as needed.

Hope you enjoy the scents as much as I do! Happy Holidays or as we like to say, Happy HollyDays!

- Holly

Thanks, Holly!  Isn't that such a thoughtful gift?  It would be a great teacher gift as well!  Head on over to HollyDays and get your customized gift tags and while you are at it, take a look at all of the beautiful Christmas cards, enclosure cards, address labels, party supplies, and personalized gift items.  Enter code CULTIVATECREATE for free shipping on the entire site until 11/23.  

Holly is the founder and designer at HollyDays, which was officially opened in 2006.  She is the mom to Karidyn, wife to Jonathon and loves spending time with family, drawing and designing, planning a good party, and decorating her home. 

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