Thanksgiving Horn Of Plenty . . .

A cornucopia filled with fresh flowers, fruits, and wheat decorate the buffet table for Thanksgiving!!!

The Holidays are the favorite time to decorate with fresh flowers and fruits. Although this looks gorgeous, it can shorten the life of the fresh flowers. Fruits and produce create Ethylene gas, this curtails the life of fresh cut flowers. There are ways to create a beautiful arrangement with both ingredients.
First, never refrigerate flowers and fruits or produce in the same unit. Cold temperatures slow down the production of ethylene gas, it does not eliminate them. Second, do not let the fruit come into contact with the water source of the arrangement. This arrangement was created using wire and wooden picks on the fruit, then inserting the wooden picks in the floral foam.

   You Will Need:
                    Fresh Cut Fall Flowers
                    Pieces of Fruit
                    Wheat Stems
                    Plastic Plant Saucer
                    Floral Wet Foam
                    Floral Waterproof Tape
                    Wooden Picks
                    #22 Florist Wire 
                    Spanish Moss

Cornucopias are very tricky to use in arrangements. To create the illusions of spilling out of the horn, there has to be balance to prevent the arrangement from falling over! Prepare the cornucopia by cutting a piece of floral foam to fit the plastic plant saucer that fits the bottom of the opening to the cornucopia. The floral foam could rise about 3-4” above the top of the saucer. Totally saturate the floral foam and secure to the saucer with the waterproof floral tape. Place the saucer in the bottom of the cornucopia and secure to the cornucopia with waterproof floral tape. 

I then prepared the fruit. Place a wooden wired pick to the end of stem of grapes. Wrap the wire tightly around the wood pick. Set aside. Take a piece of #22 florist wire and insert through the center of the fruit. Pull the ends of the wire to one side of the fruit and tighten the ends close to the side of the fruit. Place a wooden pick against the ends of the wire and the end of the wooden pick close to the edge of the fruit. In this arrangement, I used an apple and an orange. Set aside. 

I place Spanish Moss around the saucer and spill out onto the table. I use this as a bed for the grapes to rest in to protect against bruising. Place the wooden pick wired to the grapes in the floral foam, resting on the edge of the plant saucer. I then place a heavy stem of flowers, in this arrangement a rose, at the back of the floral foam leaning toward the back of the cornucopia. This will balance the arrangement. This arrangement fills one side with the cornucopia and one side with the arrangement. I added height with the flowers. Others may choose to make the arrangement even with the top of the cornucopia and extend out longer with the flowers. After completing the arrangement, add the pieces of fruit by inserting the wood pick into the floral foam. Complete the arrangement by accenting with pieces of wheat. Enjoy!!