COLUMN: Gail Mayhugh

DEAR GAIL: I love flower arrangements and greenery, but find them too expensive in the stores.

I'm working on a limited budget and would like to make them myself. Any pointers on how to make my creations look professional? -- Jacque P.

DEAR JACQUE: Silk flowers and greenery brighten every room with their color and touch of nature, but, as you said, custom arrangements can be pricey.

The most important tip I can give is to buy quality flowers. That doesn't mean each stem needs to cost $8, but there is a large difference from dime-store flowers to even a $4 stem. Purchase the best quality you can afford, or compromise by spending more on the focal flowers and less on the fillers. Even better, wait for a sale.

Borrow ideas from professional floral designers and use different items in your arrangements.

For a dining room arrangement, add a couple of nice pieces of fruit. You can find attractive grapes, and, depending upon your décor, there are nice glitter-covered ones. Twigs and branches are a must in almost every arrangement. I'm also partial to grasses and greenery that drape over the side of the container.

To make it easier when selecting flowers, limit yourself to three types and colors. Just like in your décor, you have main, secondary and accent colors. Use a 60-to-30-to-10 proportion for the flowers and then add special accents and greenery.

No matter the type of container, a general rule of thumb is that the arrangement should not be taller than 1 1/2 times more than the height of the container and no wider than 1 1/2 times its width. For example, the finished height for your arrangement, including a 12-inch tall container, would be no more than 30 inches high and 18 inches wide.

This is just a general rule to follow. Trust your eyes for proportion in relation to your container, flowers and style of the arrangement.

When shopping around for a container, remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money.

Be creative in your selection. You might even look around your house for urns, pitchers, champagne buckets or vases that are not being used. You could also shop at thrift stores for something inexpensive and unique. Terra cotta pots work wonderfully.

It is amazing how a little paint and ribbon can transform a $3 container into something special.

Before shopping for flowers, know where you are going to place your arrangement. Take along your container, fabric and color swatches.

Easy arrangements to make are topiaries and greenery balls. Both of these are extremely popular and sell for top dollar in stores and catalogs. You can purchase topiary forms that you just add green moss to for a natural look or cover in your favorite flowers.

Or, you can make a quick topiary with flower stems. Take seven to nine individual stems, but all of the same type. Push any leaves up to the base of the flowers. Gather them tightly at the base, wrap with floral wire and cover with a decorative ribbon and bow. Place foam in a container, add green moss, push the bundled stems in and you're done. This arrangement can also be made by cutting flowers from a bush, which is cheaper than buying individual stems.

To make a greenery ball, purchase a foam ball that sits on top of your container. It should be a little bigger than the container so that it does not fall into the opening.

Next, spray the ball with adhesive and cover it with a generous layer of green moss. It should cost around $5, but would sell for $25 to $45 in stores and catalogs.

For a fun look, use different sized terra cotta containers grouped together.

Don't be afraid to try it yourself. To gain confidence, consider taking a floral class at a craft store or through the community college's continuing education program.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 8170 S. Eastern Ave., Box 4-275, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.

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