Children will love helping to make these autumnal arrangements, packed with ravishing blooms, russet leaves and bright, shiny berries.
Raid the garden or Waitrose Blossom & Bloom for flowers, foliage, twigs and berries to make these stunning arrangements that will bring the outdoors in. Get the children to collect their own treasures for a pretty autumn corsage to pin to a jacket.
Box Clever
This simple arrangement is a lovely way to enjoy autumn's rich colours – and the children can help with the finishing touches.
Line a plain gift box with Cellophane or thick polythene and fill with soaked florist's foam. Stick three bands of double-sided tape around the outside of the box and attach autumn leaves, overlapping them and making sure the box is fully covered. Tie with raffia or ribbon to help hold them in place.
Fill with hydrangea, roses, alstroemeria and berries from Waitrose. Their stems need to be cut short and packed closely for a cushion effect. Decorate with home-made gift tags, using a real leaf as a template.
Back to Nature
Create a 'vase' by cutting the top off a large squash or pumpkin and hollowing out the centre by removing the flesh and seeds.
Fill three-quarters full with water.
Make a loose posy of chrysanthemums (you will need only a few stems), berries, foliage and twigs. Tie the stems with twine then cut them short so that the flowers on the edge of the posy just rest on the top of the hollowed out squash.
Small apples – Cox's are ideal – add an attractive harvest-time look to the arrangement. Simply insert a fine garden cane or wire into the apple to make a stem.
Country Corsage
This informal flower brooch is a great way to use the bits and pieces children pick up from the garden or on country walks.
You will need two or three flower heads (choose flowers that will withstand being without water for a day), a sprig of berries,
a leaf, little twigs, feathers, beads or buttons plus wool to tie the stems together.
Using a strong leaf as a base, lay a feather on top, followed by the flower heads. Add the berries, twigs and other feathers. Lay another leaf over the stems to cover the binding point, then bind all the stems together with wool.
Finish the brooch by tying a decorative wooden button or bead on with the wool, then carefully pin to a jacket with a large safety pin through the back of the stems.
This article was first published on Waitrose.com in September 2006.