Houston floral expert shares how to create a DIY fall centerpiece and make your flowers last longer

50 shades of autumn

HOUSTON – The autumn color palette is wider than just orange, red and yellow, and using those other shades can help you create beautiful fall centerpieces for your home.

Elaine Ousley-Nevarez, with Elaine's Florist & Gift Baskets in Meyerland, shares how easy it is to incorporate more colors into your arrangement and gives recommendations on how to take care of a DIY floral centerpiece.

"Heat is a big killer of flowers. So, when you get an arrangement, you don't want to put it on a kitchen table where there's a low light over it. If you want to use it as a centerpiece, put it on your table and then remove it afterwards. But the biggest killer of flowers is bacteria. So, when you receive a floral arrangement, take the flowers out, re-cut the bottoms of the stems about one inch, I would say about every three days, pour the water out of your vase and put fresh water into your vase. That will help continue the life of the flowers," said Ousley-Nevarez, who shared the easy steps for a centerpiece that will help you bring fall into your home.

DIY FALL CENTERPIECE

Materials
•    Contemporary ceramic vase
•    Chicken wire
•    1 pink mink protea
•    4 dahlias
•    3 mini calla lilies
•    1 orchid
•    5 carnations
•    2 stems of chrysanthemums.

Accent produce:
•    Leaves
•    Berries
•    Eucalyptus
•    Safari protea
•    Ivanhoe foliage

Directions  

1. Place bunched up chicken wire inside container.


2. Insert eucalyptus, Ivanhoe foliage and fall leaves into wire.


3. Start inserting flowers into the wire, starting from the center and working your way to the other edge.


4. After all flowers are inserted, start adding your accent product.

Instructions provided by Elaine Ousley-Nevarez.