DIY: How to make a Tulip and Dogwood Flower Arrangement

How to make a tulip and dogwood flower arrangement. Material List: Vase 1 mixed tulip bush or 12 tulips stems ivy garland or ivy bush 5 dogwoods or  forsythias 1 bunch of curly willow styrofoam or dry floral foam clear packaging tape wired wood picks Spanish moss    Other Supplies Wire Cutter Glue Gun and Glue Sticks Floral Tape Floral Knife

Instructions: Take a piece of clear packaging tape, and tape the inside of the neck of the vase. (this will help the glue stick inside the vase) Cut a 3" by 3" piece of dry floral foam. Round off the corners so that the piece will fit snug inside the neck of the vase. The foam should rise above the rim of the vase by 1/2". Glue the foam to the packaging tape that is inside the neck of the vase. Cover the floral foam with Spanish moss. Cut the tulip bush apart at the thickest part of the stem using wire cutters. Do the same with the Ivy bush . Lay out your dogwood (or forsythia) stems. Start with the longest tulip stem, attach a wired wood pick to the bottom and wrap with floral tape. Place this tulip straight in the middle of the arrangement. Do the same with a dogwood (or forsythia)  stem. Cut the ivy garland into 4-5 sections approximately 2-1/2' -3' each( you will want your ivy sections to reach to the bottom of your vase-so take a look at your vase to determine how long to cut each section). Attach a wire wooden pick to each ivy section  and wrap with floral tape. Take one ivy section and insert it into the foam so that it hangs down in front of the vase. Take another ivy section and insert it on the right side of the arrangement so it hangs down. Take the last ivy piece and insert it into the back of the arrangement so that it also hangs down. Using the picture as a guide, insert the remaining tulips into the arrangement in the same pattern. The tulips that are upright in the arrangement have straight stems, and the tulips in the lower part of the arrangement should be gently curved downward. You should try to create a triangular shape with the tulips. (Notice the tulips in front are quite short.) If you have to cut the stems to get this look be sure to wrap in floral tape and attach to a wire wood pick. Once the tulips are in place, fill in between with the dogwood (or forsythia)  stems. Leave some stems long and cut some stems short. Once the dogwood  is in place, insert the ivy sections you have left,  to fill in between the tulips and the dogwood (or forsythia). Take a wire-wooden pick and attach it to some of the loose tulip leaves that you have left over. Fill in the empty spaces in the arrangement with these. You will probably use 8 or 9 leaves. Curve the leaves where needed. Cut some curly willow about 2 times the height of the vase and place them in the center of the arrangement. Add a few pieces of curly willow at different lengths around the arrangement. Look at your arrangement from all sides to make sure you have filled in all the empty spaces.

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