DIY Holiday Flower Crown

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Been living under a rock and haven't hopped on the flower crown train just yet? Well, the holidays are the perfect excuse to get a little crafty and these holiday flower crowns could not be more simple to put together. Added bonus? Jo-Ann's is offering 60 percent off their holiday florals in-store this weekend. I spent less than $15 on flowers, wire and floral tape and had enough supplies to make two crowns. Here's the how-to:

Supplies

Floral Wire - 22 gauge worked well

Floral Tape

Assorted stems of silk holiday flowers (I purchased two bunches of berries and four bunches of flowers in red and white, with multiple flowers in each bunch)

Step 1 - Measure wire around your head (or whoever's head the crown is to adorn). Cut more than you need and then twist the wire together where the two ends intersected around your head. It helps to leave the wire a touch loose, but not too loose - just enough so your thumbs could fit between the crown and your head.

Step 2 - Cut the blooms from their long stems, leaving no more than 1-inch of stem on each bloom.

Step 3 - Begin attaching flowers to the wire. Place the stem on the wire and wrap with floral tape. For the larger (weightier) stems, it is helpful to first attach the stems with something more substantial like duct or painters tape and then use the floral tape to cover. Make sure the flowers are all facing outwards and group them closely together for a full look. When you've made it all the way around the crown, make sure you haven't left any gaps. If you have, just fill in with more blooms, berries or greenery.

If this is your first time making a crown, it may feel awkward positioning the flowers. Just remember that there is no wrong way to do it and you can always go back and add more stems at the end.

 

Blue Plate Special

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There’s something delightful about a perfectly coherent, completely unmatched table setting.

When I registered for our wedding china, I skipped the soup dishes and salad plates in hopes that I would find unique pieces to create just such a look.

I found the perfect soup bowl about six months after our wedding while flipping through House Beautiful. I was drawn to Alex Hitz's recipe for oyster stew, but I could not stop staring at that bowl.

I searched high and low (at least two google image searches), but could not find the pattern anywhere. A friend reached out to Alex on my behalf and we discovered that the china was made by Royal Crown Derby in 1880 and was discontinued. Even if I could locate a plate here or there, the 130-year-old china would be well out of my price range.

This surprised exactly no one in my life. I have a penchant for falling in love with the most expensive, least attainable items before I realize just how out of reach they are.

While the hunt for soup bowls continues, I recently found the perfect salad plate to add a touch of whimsy to our settings.

These 'From the Deep' octopus plates (pictured above) are not only super attainable (find them online or in-store at any Anthropologie), but they’ll also set you back only $14 a plate.

Now, if I could just get Royal Crown Derby to bring back that pattern...

P.S. Be sure to make Alex's stew. Served in fancy china or not, it is absolutely delicious.