About the only time I have people sit down for a full dinner at a dining table at my house is Christmas and I need a knock-out centerpiece. It must have a low silhouette so people can converse across it and also have a small footprint so it doesn’t take up a lot of room. Long and narrow are my requirements, as well as lots of color and texture. For how-to on my Thanksgiving arrangement, go to my post here.

This arrangement used fresh cut poinsettias, apples, dried oranges, gold hydrangea, and hypericum berries

Step By Step

I used 2 blocks of floral bricks (this is AgraWool) laid into a tray and fasten the fruit in first with bamboo skewers

Green up the oasis or AgraWool with cut greens, like boxwood, white pine, and cryptomeria

For this centerpiece, I used Ranunculus, Cinnamon sticks, and Veronica

Fresh cut poinsettias are excellent accents for arrangements. In fact, I usually buy a poinsettia just to pull it apart and use the flowers in arrangements. Flaming the ends with a torch or match takes care of the white sap that runs out of the cut ends. The poinsettias can last for almost 2 weeks like this!

Starting with a base of greens, you can go in any direction that you choose. I have used this same base centerpiece for Thanksgiving using small pumpkins and gourds, instead of apples and oranges for Christmas. You could even make a spring arrangement using pears and lemons and different greens, such as ferns.

My starting supplies- new AgraWool floral bricks, small gourds and pumpkins, wheat, and moss

Agra-Wool Instead of Oasis

I tried a new alternative to regular floral oasis for the base of my arrangement – Agra-Wool. Agra wool is a sustainable substitute for the traditional oasis that doesn’t decompose readily. Agra-Wool is reusable and biodegradable, and this new eco-friendly floral design product is non-toxic and made from 97% basalt mineral rock fibers. Powdered basalt rock is spun into fibers and bound with a patented, sugar-based binding agent. Agra-Wool is very versatile and can be used for fresh, dry, and silk flowers.

Thanksgiving centerpiece with Ranunculus, mums, veronica, and wheat

You can reuse Agra-Wool and I have reused it several times over the past 6 months.

Dried Oranges

Dried oranges are simple to make with a dehydrator. I simply slice the oranges 1/4 Inch thick and stack them in trays to dry and 24 hours later they are dry. You can also use lemons, limes, and grapefruit for a change of color and size. alternatively, you can dry them on racks in your oven at the lowest setting (around 180 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 24 hours.

Other Ideas for Centerpieces