DIY Burst of Spring

tinatobias.com

Materials

Suggested purchase links are on the full project page.

Steps to Follow

Large glass vaseSmaller glass cylinder vase and florist foamDepth of florist foam

(1) First on the agenda was finding the right large glass cylinder vase - I decided on one sized 12" high by 8" wide.

(2) A smaller glass cylinder vase for the center is also needed. There should be enough room for the carrots to fit between the large vase and the smaller one. Florist foam is used in the bottom of the smaller vase to help keep the tulips above than the carrot greens (and to help in arranging them).

(3) The smaller cylinder vase should fit right down into the center of the larger vase. Add additional florist foam as you see necessary. I knew I wanted several of the tulips in the center to be taller.

Tape to help tulips remain uprightVariable sizes of artificial carrotsGiving a more natural look to the carrots

(4) I added some cross sections of tape to help with the tulips when placing in the smaller vase. This will help with keeping center ones upright and lower ones draping to the side.

(5) Up next, the carrots. I decided I was going to use artificial and I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I did order 3 different kinds so there was some variation in size, shape and color.

(6) As you can see in the previous picture the artificial ones seem very, well artificial, plastic and uniform. So, time to change that. I used whatever tools I had handy to roll grooves and indents into the carrots. I also carefully squeezed and bent them in my hands.

Carrots now mimic a more natural lookAlternating carrots around the smaller vaseEven, snug spacing to hold small cylinder firm

(7) Now there's a noticable difference. One is smooth and plastic looking and the other has ridges and imperfections to mimic a natural carrot.

(8) With the carrots looking a little more natural, I started placing them in the larger vase around the smaller one. I kept the center balanced while placing them in.

(9) If the carrot heads were placed DOWN, I removed the green tops - if they were UPRIGHT, I left them on. I circled the carrots evenly and snuggly around the center vase to hold it firm.

Green tops help camouflage the tapeArtificial greensGreenery to flow over the vase edge

(10) The green tops are helping to cover up the tape.

(11) I purchased artificial greens that looked like carrot greenery. I bent them so that they would flow over the edge of the vase when pushed in behind the carrots.

(12) I used 3 sets of the greenery spread out and bent to flow over the vase.

Greens slid in behind the carrotsGreens hanging too low are snippedYellow/orange/red tulip combination

(13) These were slid in behind the carrots, not in the tulip vase.

(14) If they are hanging too far over and blocking view of the carrots, I just pull off some of the end greens.

(15) Now come the tulips. The ones I purchased from Amazon were very nice and you can choose your colors. I chose a yellow/orange/red combination. They are latex, so very soft and bendable.

A few taller tulips in the centerFinished centerpiece

(16) As I continue to fill the smaller vase with tulips, I make sure to place a few taller ones in the center. Also several will be bent and arched a little over the side and atop the greenery.

(17) A gorgeous table decoration or centerpiece.