Tips for Making Miniature Flower Arrangements
Always use an uneven (3,5,7,9,etc) amount of each flower for a more interesting look. Decide on a color scheme, and pick several values of each of the colors.
Pick out the type of container you want, then fill with a light blueish styrofoam (polystyrene). I use Smart Foam from Ames( a department store on the east coast of USA).
The color looks more like water than the brown foam. Cut a small piece of the foam approximating the inside shape of your container. Put a little white glue like Elmers or Tacky into the container. Push the foam into the container, and make sure that it is well inside, and that some of the lip of the container shows.
Decide if your arrangement will be seen from more than one side. If it is to go against a wall, there will be a definite front and back side. If it is to sit on the middle of a table, arrange it so it looks good from all sides.
Decide on the shape of the arrangement. Will it be a circle, a triangle, an L shape, or an S curve.
Put your taller focal point flowers in first, dipping the ends in white glue then pushing into the foam.
You can wait to put the glue on until you are satisfied that the flower is really where you want it. Just lift it back out, put glue on the end of the stem, and re-insert where it was.
Flowers can be removed after they are glued, but it might be better to just cut the stem off close to the foam, rather than trying to pull it out.
Once the focal flowers are in place, fill in around them with smaller filler leaves and flowers.
Stop frequently as you are working, step back and view your arrangement from all angles, top, front, back, and sides to make sure that it isn't heavier in certain areas.
When you are satisfied with the arrangement, and the glue is completely dry, spray the entire arrangement with matte finish acrylic spray to protect it from moisture and dust.
Sources of punches and other supplies used in making miniature flowers are:
P.J. Mieth Manufacturing Co.
Attn: Cyndi Preble
Div. of Stroud Ticket Punch Corp.
P.O. Box 205/ Stroud Road
North Branford, CT. 06471-0205
(203) 457-0557
Punches vary from $20 for ordinary shapes to a couple of hundred for special order ones.
Troll Learn and Play
4600 Pleasant Hill Rd. or 100 Corporate Dr.
Memphis, TN 38118 Mahwah, NJ 07430
1-800-942-0781
(called Corner punches.)
Bookman Enterprise
9476 North Street
La Rue, Ohio 43332
Need to send SASE, not sure about the price of their catalog
Hanke's House
215 N. Gailbraith
Blue Earth, MN 56013
Catalog price $1.00 They also have mini cake decorating stuff.
Both of these also sell the P.J. Mieth punches, but the price is marked up. You are better off to order those from Mieth directly, and only order the special shapes such as the autumn leaf, lily petal, maple leaf from the other vendors. They have paid a design fee (up to $200) to Mieth which gives them exclusive rights for their specialty punches. Mieth has 4 sizes of 5 petal flower punches, 3 sizes of tear drop leaf punches, plus a few hundred other shapes, some useful, some not.
Also check out stationery stores and craft stores, for the lower priced heart, club, diamond and oval shapes made by McGill mfg. Some specialty shapes made by Westrims are now being sold where there are scrapbook making supplies and these run in the $7-8 range.
Other sources:
Flower foam for stamens-Mini stores, railroad and hobby shops.
Foam for bases (oasis type blocks of green or brown styrofoam)- department stores, Craft Stores. Look in silk flower sections.
Wire-Craft stores-department stores- silk flower section
Links to other sites on the Web
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