Our Monthly Tip: Create a Large, Signature Decorative Flower Heart for a Celebration of Life

Welcome friends and family with an oversized decoration that speaks to the depth of your love

Flowers have a remarkable way of expressing what words often cannot. They celebrate life, honor memories and offer comfort during times of loss. A handcrafted flower heart is a beautiful tribute that would create a meaningful focal point for a celebration of life. Hung on a front door, porch, or entryway, it would welcome family and friends with warmth, beauty and a heartfelt reminder of the life being honored.

How-to Suggestions: Show Your Love, Big and Loud

When crafting a flower heart for a celebration of life, the bigger the better. You can opt for a more formal feel by using only one type of flower, or you can use a wider variety of blooms and foliage to give it more depth and texture. 

When choosing flowers, it’s a good idea to select sturdier varieties so they can withstand the manipulation and time on display. The heart could also be made ahead of time with dried flowers and/or grasses, or even high-quality faux flowers. 

Supplies Needed:

• Large chunks/blocks of Oasis floral foam
• Pencil
• Paper – Used to trace the shape of the heart as a template for carving the floral foam. 
• Scissors
• Crafting knife
• Florist wire
• Flowers – any color, size, and variety
• Optional: Masonite board for a sturdy backing

Instructions:

1. Place the bricks of Oasis (can be purchased online, at craft stores or floral supply stores) into a grid, roughly the size you’d like the completed heart to be.
2. Lay paper on top to fit the grid. If you don’t have one sheet that is large enough, tape together several sheets until they cover the foam.
3. Picking up the paper, fold it vertically in half. Using the pencil, draw a half of a heart shape, with the crease running vertically where the center of the heart would be. 

4. Cut out the half-heart shape with scissors. When unfolded, you should have a symmetrical heart. 
5. Lay your paper heart stencil back onto the floral foam. Using a sharp knife, cut the oasis into a heart shape.
6. Use the florist wire to wrap the Oasis, keeping it together. 
7. Create at least 4 holes in the Oasis through which you can thread the wire through as hanging supports. 
8. Optional: If you want the heart to be extra sturdy, cut a masonite board into the same heart shape. Then, drill holes to thread the hanging wires through, and lash the Oasis to the board.
9. Just before adding the live flowers, soak the floral foam in water. You can use a kiddy pool, or run a hose over it until saturated. (If using dried/preserved/faux flowers, you can skip this step.)
10. Tip: Freshly cut the flower stems with sharp, clean scissors under water. This will preserve the flower for longer, up to several days. Leave the stems long enough to be pushed into the Oasis. 
11. If made ahead of the service, keep the floral heart cool, in a basement or cool garage concrete floor.

Celebrate By Crafting Together

Making a large, decorative floral heart will show the depth of your love for the person being celebrated — and can be a soothing endeavor to focus on. However, it doesn’t need to be done alone. You can construct the floral foam heart ahead of time and then enlist friends and family to install the flowers as part of the celebration. A team effort will not only make light work of a big project, but it will also offer the opportunity for loved ones to bond over its creation.

May We Suggest:

Random Acts of Flowers: Delivering Hope to Those Who Need It Most (Interview)

An interview with Steffani Zavala of Random Acts of Flowers explores the power of flowers

Our Monthly Tip: Create a Wall of Flowers as a Stunning Backdrop for a Memorial Service

Fresh flowers make a gorgeous backdrop for a eulogy or memorial celebration

“Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers” (Interview)

An interview with author and illustrator Jessica Roux about how flowers help us heal