Coke Crates and Carnations

Ever since I glimpsed a look at the beautiful Pottery Barn Carnation Flag, I knew I wanted to make it. Nico De Swert accounts a fine way to create a centerpiece using fresh flowers, and even has a video. In the video, Nico demonstrates using four vintage soda crates, but it looks to me, and I may be wrong, but what is photographed on the stunning Summer Barbecue table scape is a single soda crate, so that is what I focused on. I was on the hunt for vintage crates and I knew right where to go. My local antique shop! I found the perfect one, worn but not abused, vintage but not flimsy, coke but not Pepsi, I'm a coca-cola girl! :) Somewhat local too, I love visiting Arkansas!

Love the patina!

Based on the papers that lined the bottom, that I took out to do this project, dates back to 1963. I did splurge a little, this set me back $10.00.

I filled it with dry foam. I did not glue or even wire, I just used some small pieces of foam to wedge on the ends.

I cut the carnations pretty short and started the stripes first, this went really fast! When doing a low arrangement like this, don't waste your moss, you won't even see it.

I had found some navy colored carnations, but could not find any more. Guess what I did? That's right, I spray painted additional cream colored carnations navy. Now this is a common practice for designers, but I didn't have Design Master spray paint (paint made for silk flowers) on hand, but I used some Krylon Global Blue and they seem to turn out ok. However. it wasn't quite blue enough and certainly didn't jive with the existing blue carnations, so I whipped out the acrylic paint, true navy, and went to town hand painting my carnations! I think it turned out great! A little time consuming, but it had to be done!