Beauty In Numbers

Saturday morning, and you’re shopping the super market for a dinner party you’re hosting later that night. With the food all done, the only thing left is flowers. On its own, you might be tempted to dismiss the humble carnation as little more than a cheap filler for all those pre-made arrangements you know well enough to avoid. To make matters worse, over in the refrigerator case, you even spot a bucket of them dyed impossibly blue. How tacky, you think. I don’t do carnations. Ever.   

Forget, for a second, about all those bad dye jobs and consider a carnation in its simplest, purest form. Now, multiply. Then multiply again. To me, carnations aren't tacky or lowbrow in the least; they're just misunderstood and usually a bit lonely. When they're grouped, their ruffled edges form a beautiful texture that looks lush and rich. It's almost like that old-school seven-minute frosting I love!

Here in New York, the Gift Fair is in full swing, so my friends Pam Fleischer and Ken Weiner of Creative Candles asked me to do a centerpiece showcasing their celebration candles as part of the exhibitor display. In fact, I'm a huge fan of all their candles. Check out their new testimonial page from the Gift Fair. What an honor!

For the centerpiece showing off their new celebration candles, my first thought was to do a big, beautiful wedding cake. Problem is, the show started on Sunday and goes until Thursday, so the cake would have sat out a full five days—not pretty. We all loved the idea of a tiered cake to show off the candles but would have to come up with something that lasted longer. Then it hit me!  White carnations, grouped together, could mimic a frosted cake, showcase the candles, and last the whole week! I began by stacking three jadeite cake stands from Fishs Eddy.

Then I went to Michaels and picked up Oasis floral foam in 6, 8, and 12-inch rings, topped with a 4-inch cylinder. Make sure to soak them in water beforehand, like I did here, then work on a water-safe surface.

First, cut each carnation stem with a clippers, leaving an inch above the first knuckle. Begin by working from the inside of the ring and work your way out. Think journey, folks, not destination.

Then again, the destination's pretty great too! And best of all, you don't even have to be a professional florist to do this! Doesn't it just scream celebration cake?

No? Oh, I get it. Playing the cynic, are you? What about this?

Now the centerpiece is more about those gorgeous petal pink celebration candles, just as it should be! So to illustrate my point one more time for all those naysayers out there, still unconvinced at the merits of the humble carnation, here's a candlestick I found at Jamali for eight dollars.

Top it off with an eleven-dollar Oasis floral foam sphere, soaking it for 45 minutes, then draining on a paper towel. 

You know the drill, right? Just make sure you work the carnations evenly to distribute the weight.

And voilà! The footed base makes for an important looking arrangement, doesn't it? And how great would a grouping of these carnation confections look going down a springtime wedding table, each topped with a single elegant taper in mango, watermelon and petal pink? For Valentine's Day, think the variegated kind. They're my favorite!  

So the next time you're shopping for flowers, whether at the grocery store, the flower market, or even the deli around the corner, be kind to the carnation. There's beauty in numbers.

Comments

[Kari]

I must admit to being a carnation snob, but any flower can be beautiful en masse. 'Cake' arrangement is brilliant!

[Lori]

Stunning "cake"! You amaze me with all your ideas. On the candlestick arrangement, did you need to anchor the foam sphere to the candlestick at all? Or does it just stay put?
Thanks!

[Lazy Mom Leslie]

Just gorgeous! I agree a large grouping of the same item, even the most humble of flowers is a beautiful thing!

[julie]

Eddie, you are AMAZING. thank you.

[Teresa]

LOVE THIS!!! I always feel bad for those sad, dyed carnations (particularly when they are sprayed with glitter - oy!).

[Sarah]

I love these ideas. The only flowers I used for my wedding were carnations. They really so simple and so gorgeous when grouped together. (And CHEAP too!)

[Heidi]

Wow, those are absolutely stunning. I suffered a bad experience with carnations once while working in a flower shop, but after this post I may have to give them another chance. I think a big pink arrangement would be perfect for my sister's bridal shower.

[Rhoda]

Beautiful arrangement, Eddie! And yes they do look gorgeous in groupings.

[Darci]

Love this idea...Not a fan of the old carnation but love this spin...Hmmm thinking of daughter's sweet 16 and her color palette of orange and purple (don't ask). Might have to do some dying of flowers.

[Laura]

I love grouping (naturally) coloured carnations in their own little bud vases and creating a rainbow down my dinner table. An instant and cheap winter blahs pick-me-up.

[pigtown-design]

I know a lot of people don't like the smell of carnations, but they have a wonderful old clove scent! The great thing about carnations is that they really last a long time... a week or more.

[Holly]

It would be great for a wedding when the couple don't want to serve cake, but want to have a dessert buffet or something non traditional. Just put the carnation cake on the buffet and you would still get the wedding feeling.

[Jacquelyn]

Absolutely lovely. Thank you Eddie.

[Artie]

OH MY GOSH! I did a post today using the same carnations! I found these great old miniature pharmacy apothecary jars and used them in mass as tiny vases! I'd love to know what you'd do with them. Hope you can stop by.

[Denise]

So simple and beautiful. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Pizza by the Sea]

These arrangements are gorgeous! It has always bothered me that I hate carnations solely because I think I'm supposed to. I am going out to buy some today thanks to you and attempt to create something beautiful. I love that you summed the flower up as misunderstood and lonely. Brilliant.