Anchor pins or foam prongs secure the floral foam firmly to the bottom of a vase. Affix the pin to the bottom of the vase with hot glue or waterproof clay. Then press the foam into the pins of the prong.
Floral Wires or stem wires comes in different gauge sizes, colors and styles. The higher the gauge number the more flexible and thinner the wire is. Floral wires come covered and uncovered as well as in different painted colors. Choose between spooled or pre-cut wires. Floral wires are used to lengthen and support stems. You can use them for hanging wreaths by shaping them into loops. Perfect for securing floral material to wreaths and forms.
Candle Cups are small, inexpensive containers designed to hold taper candles in floral foam. A necessity when making centerpiece arrangements that will have taper candles in it. Use floral clay to secure positioning of your candles.
Floral Foam
Before floral foam was available, arranged flowers were held in place with chicken wire, sphagnum moss, cut greens, pine needles or newspaper. Transporting arrangements was difficult with water sloshing and flowers moving. Flowers lasted a day or two at most. The advent of floral foam expanded the art of floral design.
There are many types of floral foam, and it comes in various shapes, styles, textures and sizes. The blocks can easily be cut with a serrated knife (or florist knife) to fit the size of your container.
Plastic foam or Styrofoam is coarse, non-porous foam. It is very sturdy and a good choice for working with large silk flowers or swags. It can be cut and wedged into a container or cut smaller than the container and secured to the bottom with hot glue or pan melt glue.
Desert foam of Dry Floral Foam is also coarse and non-porous, but it is easier to penetrate than plastic foam. Secure to the bottom of the container with hot glue or pan melt glue. Perfect for silk and dried floral arrangements.
Oasis foam or water holding floral foam is highly absorbent. It is best for fresh plants, because it holds water and is easy to penetrate. Leave a space between the foam and the sides of the container so water can be added to the flowers. This softer, finer foam is also preferable for standard silks and dried arrangements. It is perfect for inserting either thick or fragile stems. When using silks or dried flowers, the foam can be cut up in blocks and stuffed inside the container or shaped to fit, and wedged securely in place.
Preparing the Saturated Foam
Floral foam bricks self-saturate quickly and continue to wick water to the flowers for the life of the arrangement. Water lost by evaporation or consumed by the flowers needs to be replaced. The saturated foam is not a substitute for water. It is best to add bottled water with preservative to your arrangement daily. As little as 10% moisture loss will cause flower wilting.
• Fill a soaking container with fresh water and a proper amount of floral preservative.
• The foam should be large enough to be wedged into place and extend 1 to 2" above the rim of the vase. This allows for top and side placement of stems.
• Cut a wedge in the foam so you can add water daily. Place the cut out section at the back of the container.
• Allow foam to free float in a flat position. There should be enough water to fill the brick and allow it to float free when fully saturated. Don’t force the saturation or air pockets will form in the foam.
• When foam is fully saturated, place in vase and tape down with waterproof tape.
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