Winding Calla Centerpiece

Callas are such elegant and long lasting flowers -- the perfect choice for centerpieces of any kind -- but they can be difficult to bend to your will. In this Flower School How-To Video Leanne shares the tip that makes curving and winding their stems an easy task. Designed in a clear footed bowl and accented with flax, it's a stunning and simple arrangement. Enjoy!

Video Transcription 


Callas are such a long lasting, sophisticated flower. They're fabulous for centerpieces. Today, we'll share how to wind them so you can get this nice tight, luxurious design, easily. 


The vessel, a footed compote. So it elevates, it makes it appear more luxurious. Filled with fresh water pre-mixed with flower food. So it's ready to add the callas. The trick the callas have been sitting out on the table for 24 hours. Yes, they're very, very dehydrated. The purpose is that way I can wind them and twist them easily because they're so wimpy. We like wimpy when it comes time to winding. Then to accent using a bit of flax, the white will pick up the white of the calla and the green of the stem.


 As you add the callas, you want to mold them a bit manipulate, make sure that the stem is soft, then give it a cut so that when you add it into the water, it'll start drinking, rehydrating, become turgent again. So it lasts well, but each time give the stem a little bit of manipulation, making sure it's nice and soft and giving it a cut. Adding it in. And I wind them all the same direction. Makes it look a little more organized and never forgetting to give them a cut so that they do drink. You want them to last and last. Some can go inside the bowl. Others come up above. Just winding the stems, placing them in. And overlapping, till you get that full luxurious look. 


The flax is too stiff. You don't want it to bend. So strip it down, tear it and repeat. So you get smaller pieces without that main vein, the backbone. That way you've got nice malleable pieces that you can just then wind in and even thread it underneath the callas, fitting it down in between, and then wrapping, lining it up, feeding it through almost like you're threading it into place. Then repeat that with additional pieces and you can pick different colors so that you get the green and the white, clipping off the end, which a little bit brown, don't want that. Feeding it in and winding it, and then repeating, always removing any damaged ends. So that doesn't destroy the beauty and just winding gently until you get the color where you want it. 


The recipe, it's easy, 10 Callas and one stem of flax that I strip down and you can see, it looks great from all angles.


 At Floral Design Institute, we often get phone calls, "How do I bend my callas? They break, they bend?" Now you know, dehydrate them and you can wind them oh so tightly. They make a fabulous centerpiece. You can always add a candle in the center if you want a little bit more romance. For more creative inspiration, check out the website, Flower School .com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there, but now it's your turn. Find some callas, let them dehydrate, then recut them, wind them and enjoy. Now when you do so, be sure and take a picture. I want to see. Post it on social media and hashtag Flower Design Institute. That way I'll see and all your tulips will see what you do, as you do something you love.

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