Simple projects: The look of love

A handful of jewels

Assemble this bold bouquet in your hands, then tie with twine or raffia.

MATERIALS

Assorted flowers in jewel tones: red gerbera daisies, red roses, blue delphiniums, burgundy snapdragons, purple irises, purple lisianthus

Foliage: salal stems

Rubber band

Twine or raffia

DIRECTIONS

1. Buy enough flowers to create the effect you want. Form the bouquet in your hands, starting with some stems of foliage. Then evenly space flowers. Set large ones, such as gerbera daisies and roses, inside the bouquet. Allow taller flowers (delphiniums, snapdragons, irises) to stick out. Lisianthus can bridge the gaps. Add more foliage as you go. Finish with an odd number of each type of flower.

2. Wrap a rubber band around the middle of the stems, then trim the bottoms so they're even in length.

3. Wrap several strands of twine or raffia over the rubber band and knot it at the end.