Pro tip: I thought wire was the only way to keep a big arrangement from falling apart

I had this wedding order last month for a huge centerpiece with heavy sunflowers and lilies. The bride wanted it loose and wild, not tight. I spent over an hour trying to build a wire cage inside the vase, but it just looked messy and the stems kept slipping. My helper, Sarah, finally said, 'My grandma just uses clear tape in a grid on top of the vase.' I was sure that was a cheap trick that wouldn't hold the weight. After my wire mess failed, I tried the tape as a last resort. It took me about 15 minutes to get the grid right, and it held everything perfectly in place. I felt so silly for wasting all that time being fancy. Has anyone else found a simple trick that saved them from overthinking a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.ivan28d ago

My old boss swore by chicken wire in the foam.

william_martin9524d ago

Chicken wire in foam is a bad idea. It can rust and cause more problems than it fixes. The rust stains bleed through and weaken the whole patch job. There are better ways to reinforce foam that won't fail in a few years. Your old boss was using a shortcut that creates long term issues.

sandrajackson28d ago

Oh wow, is it really that big a deal? @allen.ivan's chicken wire sounds like a lot of work too. Sometimes the simple fix is just fine for the job.