Friday 2 December 2016

Dried Flower Christmas Ideas: Natural and Stylish Decoration Ideas



Christmas is just around the corner and everyone is busy making preparations. Unique gifting and decoration ideas are something everyone is looking for.  Using dry flowers and dried plant parts is a good way to add elegance and beauty to your decorations and gifts. If you want ideas on how to use dried flowers and dried flower products for the purpose of decoration and gift-wrapping in a unique style before the 25th of December, read on.

Decorations

Christmas Doors Decoration

Green mistletoe wreaths are quite common with almost everyone choosing them to decorate their doors. Instead of these you can opt for exotic wreaths made of dried plant parts. Dried pinecones, dried lotus pods, bell berries, cedar, wheat, stone moss, casuarinas fruits, canella, etc are used in exotic wreaths. You can also add cinnamon sticks in the wreaths which will add a natural fragrance.


Christmas Tree Decorations

Dried flowers, fruits, spices and plant parts will make for fantastic Christmas tree decorations. If you want your decorations to be unique, then skip the normal decorations in favour of elegant and stylish pieces made from dried plant parts. An expert from Intercon Impex suggests, “A transparent Christmas ball filled with dried flower petals, seeds or small dehydrated fruits and berries will be an attractive decoration. They can be hung on the Christmas tree using natural ribbons.” Dried orange and bell slices look simple yet beautiful, when they hang down from Christmas tree branches.  

Chinese lantern fruits or cape berries can be used along with thistle, rosehips, moss, casuarinas, pine, seeds, dehydrated berries etc. to make an exotic bunch or small bouquets. These exotic bunches or small bouquets can be hung on the tree like ornaments. They add a natural and earthy look. You can also add spices like cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise etc to this bouquet or bunch. This will help add natural aroma to your living room.  Silk cotton or Old man’s Beard can be used to add not only the snow effect but also a fairy-tale appearance.

Christmas balls made of spices, orange slices, bell slices or pine will make your Christmas tree look like it has come straight out of a fantasy land. Berries, seeds, fruits, etc. can be dried up and then put together to make heart-shaped pieces. Hang this heart on your tree and fill the atmosphere with love. Similarly, you can also make a star using old man’s beard or other dried plant parts.


Gifting

When it comes to packing Christmas gifts, all that comes to mind are the usual papers, gift wraps, etc. But nothing is unique about it. Why not use some dried plant products and add your personalised touch to the Christmas gifts you are sending to your friends and family. It’s the simplest way to express your love and care this holiday season. Plus your gift will be the centre of attraction. You can simply add exotic dried flowers and plant parts to the gift. And the effect it creates is immense.

Apart from Christmas trees, doors and gifts; dried flowers and dried plant parts can be used to decorate other parts of the house. Potpourri made from spices, dried flowers and dry plants placed in a decorative bowl can be placed on centre tables and dinner tables to create a spectacular look. You can also decorate your vases with dried flowers and plant parts like wheat, pods, sticks, etc. Coloured or glittered dehydrated flowers and plant parts are a perfect choice for all Christmas decorations. Let your imagination run loose this Christmas and create some magic.

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Ways to Make a Potpourri Exciting


There are innumerable ways to spice up the interiors of a home and make it appear fresh and new to visitors. There are a whole lot of things to do here: You can spray some perfume around the nook and corners of your house or you can simply dip a piece of paper in sandalwood or lemongrass oil and leave it lying in one quiet corner. You can try painting the walls or change the wallpaper, or just shift a few furniture about here and there. You can buy new decoration pieces to fill the shelves of the glass cupboards in the drawing room. You can even think about changing the covers of the cushions on the sofas and chairs. Well, there’s really no end to the list of things that one could do to ensure that the insides of the home wears a fresh, revamped look. But nothing can really replicate the effects of a potpourri.


Now, while many people would have heard of the term “potpourri”, there would be a lot among the masses who might not have come across this term in their lifetime. To define potpourri in an easy manner, it consists of dried flower petals and other plants parts, arranged in a visually pleasing manner within a bowl or jar, with a few drops of essential oils or spices sprinkled over them. Dry flowers in Kolkata are not hard to find, if you know where to look. You visit a store, get some of the choicest dried flowers (or petals/buds), and some accessories such as sandalwood sticks, orris root or ground cinnamon power. The mixture is then poured into a bowl, box, glass jar or any similar container. There are a few more ways available to enhance the already stunning aesthetic appeal that the idea of a potpourri brings to the table. These are as follows:

  • Sprinkle a few shells and pebbles here and there to fill up any gaps that might be existing between the ingredients. Or, still better, one can make a bed of pebbles (white or multi-coloured) on which the ingredients can be made to rest in an organised manner. Adding a smallish conch shell to the mix would put the cherry on top of the luscious-looking cake.
  • Dried petals from various different flowers can be taken together and tied up together to form a beautiful ‘flower’. Many such combinations of floral delights could be arranged on a tray following a pattern. A wax coating could also be added for the ‘immortally new’ effect.
  • Add a lot of spices such as cloves, cumin and cinnamon. They can lend a slightly different and pungent aroma to the all-too-common sweetness that potpourri preparations usually exude. Black pepper from crushers-like containers could also be sprinkled all over in a light manner to add some fun. 
  • Dry fruits and nuts can be used to ramp up the look and give it the feel of a specialty decor store. Pine cones, dried apricots, acorns, hazelnuts and cherries can be added liberally. Just make sure that they don’t hijack the potpourri, because it’s supposed to be primarily about dried flowers.  
Enjoy making a fantastic potpourri in your home.
 

Thursday 27 October 2016

4 Ways to Use Dried Lotus Flower and Pods



Dried lotus flowers and pods can be used for various different purposes. Lotus plant reflects beauty and purity through every part, from flower to pod. The brilliance of the attractive lotus plant is preserved by drying it, using the right method.  After they have been dried, lotus flower, pods and seeds can be used to create visually appealing crafts. Here are a few ways dried lotus flowers and pods can be used.

Wedding centrepiece

A centrepiece is one of the most important items of display when it comes to wedding. Today, everyone wants a customised idea for wedding centrepieces. If you are into do-it-yourself wedding decorations, then dried lotus flowers and pods are all you need. Dried lotus flowers with leaves and other plant parts can be used to create beautiful centrepieces that will leave an impression on the minds of your guests. You can even add succulents or peacock and quail feathers to give the centrepiece an exotic look. Lotus pods with sticks can be combined with foxtail, cattails, wheat pods and other dried plant parts to create an eye catching centrepiece.

Bride bouquets
If you are a bride who is bored of regular bouquets, then why not give your bridal bouquet a new look with lotus pods? Lotus pods are eye pleasing gifts of nature that can be extremely attractive when used in bouquet of brides. The bouquet with lotus pods will surely be the point of discussion among the guests.  A bouquet with pods of lotus and other dried plant parts will add a touch of uniqueness to your wedding photo shoot.
Potpourris

Potpourri is a mix of dried plant parts and flowers to which herbs, oils and spices are added for fragrance. Lotus seeds and flowers can be used along with other ingredients to make potpourri. You can place this potpourri in drawers, closets and wardrobes after adding essential oils and herbs. If you add spice into this, it will act as an insect repellent.
If you have some fake plants or flowers, you can mix some lotus pods with other pods and seeds to create a base. You can place your fake plants or flowers in this potpourri base. This base helps in accentuating the visual appeal of the fake plants and flowers.
Another idea is to use the lotus pods, seeds, and petals in a bowl with other dry plant parts. Place it on the table as a decoration. You can add a few drops of essential oil or add a bunch of dehydrated herbs and the soothing aroma will help in creating a charming atmosphere.

Decorating doors

Have you ever been worried about the door decoration? It is really difficult to get new idea to decorate doors, especially during Christmas. If you want to decorate your doors in an attractive way and you want it to be different from others, you can use dried lotus pod wreaths to decorate the door. Lotus pods with pine cones and dried bunch of fruits and seeds will look elegant and appealing to your guests.
Dry lotus flowers and pods are so exquisite and artistic that they are used in various crafts apart from those mentioned above. If you want to add a unique personal touch to your decorations, just add the magic of dried lotus.