click here to download the instructions (adobe pdf) Create a dramatic centerpiece by nestling a pair of potted orchids into a square glass vase filled with tangerines and kumquats (other hardy fruits work well too). Tropical leaves add color and texture while helping to conceal the orchids’ containers.Materials: 10" square glass vase, two bamboo sticks, eight or nine dozen kumquats, one dozen tangerines, raffia, scissors, three to five tropical leaves, and two potted Phalaenopsis orchids. Step 1: The long stems of store-bought orchids are often held up by a wooden stick. For a more decorative look, remove the stick and replace with a piece of bamboo (available at floral shops). Tie in two places with raffia. Step 2: Place one orchid at center of the vase. Stack tangerines into the large spaces at the corners, then fill kumquats into the smaller spaces between the pot and sides of vase, piling them in until most of the pot is concealed. Step 3. Fit second pot down into one corner of the vase, resting it on the side of the first pot. Step 4: To conceal the rim of the second pot, insert the stem of one tropical leaf into the potting soil, then tuck the other end of the leaf into the space between pot and vase. Step 5: Smaller tropical leaves can simply be tucked into pots to conceal any visible plastic and add textural appeal.Step 6Fill fruit into any remaining spaces in the vase so that pots are well-concealed.
