I’m so excited to share this super-creative FLORAL DIY with you today because it’s from our newest HWTM team member – Amber Lay! Floral design is one of Amber’s specialities, and we love VISUALS here at HWTM, so we shot lots of step-by-step photos to walk you through the entire process. (There are 19 images in the gallery above, so make sure to click through to page 2 of the thumbnails for images 11-19).

You can use different types of flowers & colors to tailor this project to your own party or home decor, and Amber gives great, detailed instructions below. She also includes a list of Material Resources and some wonderful “Helpful Hints” that apply not only to this project, but to floral design in general. (Good stuff!)

CROCHETED FLOWERS SEA GRASS & FLOWERS IN SOUP CANS

by Amber Lay

Materials Needed:

• Soup Cans (in various sizes)
• Adhesive Remover (optional; for removing soup can labels)
• Sea Grass (available at Cane & Basket Supply & other online retailers)
• Wooden Skewers
• Moss
• Flowers
• Glue Gun with Glue Sticks
• Wet Floral Foam
• Flower Shears
• Floral Knife (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Wrap seagrass around each soup can several times securing the loose ends with a dab of hot glue. Trim off any excess seagrass.

2. Take a 5’ piece of seagrass and about 6” in from one end make a loop. Twist that loop 2 times holding at the twist.

3. Now there are 2 ends (a long one and a short one). Take the short end and pull it through the loop BUT DO NOT pull it all the way through. Only pull it through so that it makes a 1’ loop. Tighten the knot by pulling on this new loop and the long end.

4. Take the long end and pull it through the loop BUT again NOT all the way. Only pull it through so that it makes a 1’ loop.

5. Repeat this process of pulling the long end through the newest made loop.  As long as you pull through the newest loop you can also pull through existing loops to keep it in an abstract circle form versus one long line of loops.

6. Once you are satisfied with the size of your crocheted flower take that long end and pull it ALL THE WAY THROUGH the last loop you made. This will complete the knot and secure all the loops.

7. Trim the long end if needed leaving at least 3” and weave it back into the flower.

8. With a dab of glue from your hot glue gun secure the crocheted flower to the end of a skewer.

9. With your floral knife cut a piece of the wet floral foam that will fit inside your soup can. Trim the corners of the foam and place inside soup can so that it fits snug. Wedge in trimmings to create a tighter fit to ensure no movement and a secure foundation for your arrangement.

10. Trim skewers with crocheted flowers to desired lengths and insert into foam until they hit the bottom of the soup can. Make sure to leave enough space between for the fresh flowers as well as visual interest.

11. Prep your flowers by removing any foliage from the bottom ¾ of the stem and by giving them a fresh cut with either your shears or floral knife at a deep angle so ensure they can soak up the most water. Hold the stem in front of the soup can to eyeball where you want to make your cut.

12. Insert the fresh flower stems into the floral foam until you feel them hit the bottom of the soup can. Try to make only 1 insertion per stem in order to keep the integrity of the foam and to avoid breaking the floral stems. Plan out the length of each stem and where you want it before hand to make this easier.

13. Dampen your moss under a running faucet or by misting it from a spray bottle, and use it to cover up the floral foam.

14. Arrange soup cans in clusters for a great centerpiece display or give them away as favors to guests or even as gifts to friends and family.

15. Add a little water daily to get the maximum lifespan out of your arrangement. If the stems were cut and inserted properly – along with a daily watering – your arrangement should last about 7 days.

• When washing out the soup cans be careful of any sharp edges from where the lid was cut off, especially is little ones are helping with this project.
• Soak the cans in hot water and use adhesive remover to get rid of the labels.
• As an alternative to the sea grass, try using hemp or colored yarn stiffened with starch to match your party colors.
• The size of the loops you make while you are “crocheting” will determine the space within each flower and how organic and abstract it looks. I suggest practicing this technique with different mediums and/or experimenting with the size of the loops until you find what you like best.
• I chose to go with a monochromatic color scheme in the example above, but added dimension with different hues, tints, shades, and tones. (I used 1 bundle of Sweet Alyssum and 1 bundle of Stalk between the 3 arrangements.)
 Choose flowers that match your own decor or party theme. In addition to color-coordinating the flowers, make sure to also look at the shape, height, and texture of the flowers to ensure that you have a variety that works well together versus competing with one another.
• Use a large big baking dish (or similar vessel) to soak your floral foam. This should ideally be done several hours before you plan to make the arrangements to ensure the foam soaks up the maximum amount of water.
 The foam should absorb the water naturally; there is no need to push it under the water. Just let it float until is soaks up enough water to sink on its own – otherwise you will increase the chance of air pockets forming within the foam.
• Make sure to give your flowers a fresh cut as soon as you bring them home and place them in fresh room temperate water.

MATERIAL SOURCES:

• Various Sized Soup Cans: local grocery stores
• Adhesive Remover: local craft or home improvement stores
• Sea Grass: Cane & Basket Supply
• Wooden Skewers: grocery stores or kitchen section at Target ($2/pack of 100)
• Moss: local craft or floral supply store
• Fresh Cut Flowers: local grocery stores, floral supply stores, & florists
• Glue Gun / Glue Sticks: Michaels
• Wet Floral Foam: local craft or floral supply stores
• Flower Shears: Lowe’s
• Floral Knife: floral supply stores

About the Stylist:
AMBER LAY graduated from San Diego State with a Bachelors in Art and Design. In addition to assisting with Editorial and Styling at HWTM, she runs Amber Lay Events and coordinates events in both Northern and Southern California. She gained much of her experience interning and working for top event coordinators in the industry, as well as talented floral designers. For more info on Amber, please visit her website and client testimonials.