Instructions for Making Floral Arrangements With Carnations

Overview

Carnations come in a wide variety of colors, including white, red, yellow, purple, pink and orange. Some varieties are multicolored. The sizes vary from standard, which are about 3 inches across, to minicarnations, which are about an inch across. The plants grow up to 24 inches in height. Standard carnations produce one main flower on each stem, while minicarnations produce a number of blossoms on each stem.

Carnation Posy

Step 1

Prepare the flowers. Cut carnations first thing in the morning before it gets hot. Place them in a bucket of ice water as you go. Strip off any leaves that will be below the water's surface when placed in a vase and return to the iced water for at least an hour.

Step 2

Choose a globe-shaped vase that has a rather narrow opening at the top. The vase can be clear or colored. Fill with iced water.

Step 3

Place one large carnation in your nondominant hand. Around that flower arrange three more carnations. Around those flowers place five more carnations. Finally, surround the bouquet in your hand with the remaining carnations until it's a nice plump circle.

Step 4

Surround the round bouquet with a row of flat leaves.

Step 5

Cut the stems about an inch longer than the vase is tall while still holding onto the bouquet.

Step 6

Place a rubber band around the flowers just under the blossoms. This will keep the flowers together in the vase. The rubber band won't be visible.

Step 7

Place the flowers in the vase.

Ice Cream Soda

Step 1

Fill the ice cream soda glass halfway with glass marbles. The marbles are the "soda" in the glass. Add water.

Step 2

Select carnations that come in ice cream colors. Use one color for each glass. The color of the carnations can either match or contrast with the glass marbles. Push four stems of the carnations down through the marbles in the glass. Place one more carnation on top of the four, so the five carnations resemble scoops of ice cream. The marbles will hide the stems and hold them in place.

Step 3

Slide a drinking straw into the glass on one side of the top carnation.