Project

Birch-Wrapped Basket with Tulips and Daffodils

This oversize nest cradles an exuberant mix of blooms from spring-flowering bulbs—the botanical counterpart to newly hatched birds. Pliable birch branches encircle an ordinary wooden basket, giving the nest its ethereal, light-as-a-cloud appearance. The flower stems are supported by floral foam set in a plastic liner.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, April 2008

materials

8- or 12-inch vine basket

Birch branches

24-gauge brown wire

Floral clippers

Floral foam

Plastic sheet cover

Scissors

steps

Start with a wooden basket that is 8 or 12 inches in diameter. Gather a bundle of birch branches. Cut off the fine tips, then cut the branches into varying lengths (6 to 12 inches).
Using 24-gauge brown wire, secure the end of a branch to the base of the basket. Bend the branch along the basket's curve, wiring every 4 or 5 inches so that loose ends stick out. Repeat with remaining branches, overlapping them to conceal the basket.
Cut a sheet of plastic to double the diameter of the basket. Place in the basket and fold over the interior to form a well. Saturate the foam with water.
Arrange flowers by inserting individual stems into the floral foam.