STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

need help arranging flowers...

bumblebee · Dooney & Bourke

do you have any thick gloves, like gardening gloves?

a trick my dad taught me is to just grab the stem right where you want to start removing the leaves and thorns, then run your hand quickly down the stem (wearing the gloves of course) and you will strip all the leaves and thorns off down to the base.

50 roses! so awesome!

mikacat · Coach

pull off the greenery and leaves that will be immersed in the water --you can just pull them off or us scissors. Otherwise, they will die and get the water grimmy and stinky. Recut the roses at a slight angel at the bottom. Roses like really cold water and if you want them to last longer, you can put them in the fridge at night.

If you want to remove some of the outer petals, you can. I don't think this will make them last longer but might make some of the roses look better if the petals are old or dingy or something.

As far as the arranging goes, I don't cut all the flowers the same length but have taller ones in the middle and others around them that are a little shorter.

You could put some nice greenery in the arrangement as well.

I'll see if I can find a few pictures for you.

-- Edited by mikacat at 18:01, 2005-05-19

-- Edited by mikacat at 18:04, 2005-05-19

-- Edited by mikacat at 18:04, 2005-05-19

bumblebee · Dooney & Bourke

one more thing i just remembered: put a few drops of plain old bleach in the water before putting the roses in. it will keep the stems from getting mushy and moldy underneath the water.

rosie_the_riveter · Gucci

like Mikacat said, keep the longer stems in the middle and the shorter ones around those to make a circular arrangement. This is just leatherleaf and baby's breath. Available at the grocery store

-- Edited by rosie_the_riveter at 18:15, 2005-05-19

Elle · Hermes

I personally prefer tighter rose bouquets, and with 50 roses you'd have plenty, maybe even for 2 arrangements:

New! Lavender & Pale PinkbrRose Bouquet - 12 stems Red Rosesbr - 12 stems Yellow Roses br- 12 stems

New! Turmeric Rose brBouquet -25 stems Peach Roses BR - 25 stems / New! Cool Water Roses - 12 stems

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

where should i get vases you guys? target maybe? how big do you think? the stems are loong, maybe i should cut them?

oh and i'd like to make two arrangements, one bouquet is a soft pink that gets deeper at the tops of the petals and the other bouquet is more magenta colored. so pretty!

Elle · Hermes

quote:
Originally posted by: esquiress
"where should i get vases you guys? target maybe? how big do you think? the stems are loong, maybe i should cut them? oh and i'd like to make two arrangements, one bouquet is a soft pink that gets deeper at the tops of the petals and the other bouquet is more magenta colored. so pretty! "

Vases: Target has some good ones, or if you have an Ikea near you, they have some modern & inexpensive ones. Also Ross/TJ Maxx kind of places usually have a pretty good selection.

As for size, it's up to you depending on what kind of arrangement you want to create. You'll almost positively have to cut the stems down a bit though, even if you get a very tall vase.

mikacat · Coach

Lmonet--

those are beautiful--love the yellow one!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

You can also use asprin in the water, or a squirt of lemon juice. I've even used Sprite in a pinch, and it seems to have enough acid in it to preserve the cut stems.

-gd

ps- If you have a few roses left over, cut them really short (3-4")and add them to a short drinking glass. If you really fill it upwith several blooms, it makes such a cute little arrangement. I like these bedside.