TECHNIQUE
flower craft
SKILL LEVEL
Moderate
Create in a day
YOU WILL NEED

  • A clean storm lantern
  • A cream coloured pillar candle that will fit inside
  • Pressed flowers (shown here are Ballerina Roses, Marjorie Fair Roses) approximately 20 of each
  • Freeze-dried roses (shown here are blush, hot pink) approximately 75 of each type. Mix them together to compliment the colours of the pressed flowers.
  • Double-sided sticky tape
  • Oasis fix (from a florist)
  • Spray mount/li>

Designed By Tracy Rist

 
1 Ensure that the storm lantern is clean and dry. Start by sticking the pressed flowers onto the candle using spray mount. Use a piece of card to place the flower and spray, then transfer it to the candle. Don’t spray the candle otherwise everything ends up very sticky! Place the flowers in a pattern around the top of the candle – remember the freeze-dried rose petals will hide the base. Space the pressed flowers out as evenly as you can – the spray mount helps with this process as the pressed flowers can then be very gently re-positioned if need be.
 
2 Place some of the smaller freeze-dried rose petals in the base of the storm lantern leaving a space for the candle. Add some oasis fix to the base of the candle and place the candle inside the storm lantern. The oasis fix will ensure that the candle doesn’t fall over. Add more of the freeze-dried rose petals around the lower part of the candle until it is about half covered in them.
 
3 Carefully put a length of the double-sided tape around the top of the storm lantern. Then begin to add the pressed flowers to this tape – clever positioning of the rose petals will ensure that the double-sided tape is completely covered.
 
4 Scatter any of the spare freeze-dried rose petals directly onto the table. You don’t need to worry about the petals staining your best table cloth as the process of freeze-drying renders the fresh petals non-staining. It also retains the petal’s original size, the subtlety of colour and the softness. The petals will keep for a couple of months before starting to biodegrade. So now you can light the candle and enjoy your romantic candlelit dinner for two! PC
 

OTHER IDEAS
Why not use any spare pressed flowers on name placecards or floating in a glass bowl along with the rose petals? Try other colours/varieties of pressed flowers such as a red rose teamed with red rose buds in the storm lantern or pressed lilac delphiniums teamed with lavender grains.
 
 
SUPPLIERS
Pressed flowers and freeze dried rose petals available from Trulymadlydeeply.
Tel: 0116 2590092
or visit: www.trulymadlydeeply.biz