Use of Driftwood in Floral Arrangements

Driftwood makes a beautiful base for a floral arrangement and since no two pieces of driftwood are alike, your arrangement will be different than all others. Find driftwood along the shore or purchase it in a store. Any sized piece can be used for an arrangement of artificial, dried or fresh flowers. Driftwood can be combined with seashells, stones or even old bottles to make a floral craft for any décor.

If you have found a piece of driftwood and intend on using it to make a floral arrangement, it must be cleaned to remove an algae or organisms living in it. Soak the piece of wood in a 5-gallon bucket of water treated with a 1/2 cup bleach. Allow it soak for a few hours and then place it in boiling water. Allow the wood to dry completely. Drying in the sun is best.

Once the wood is dry, sand off any splinters. Leave the wood unfinished or paint it with a wood sealer. Change the color by staining it with a good quality wood stain or make it shiny by putting a coat or two of polyurethane on it. Once you have the wood the way you want it, start your flower arrangement.

To make a floral arrangement with driftwood you can use hot glue or glue dots and place the flowers directly on the driftwood. Or use a decorative bowl or flower pot on the driftwood and change the flower arrangement from time to time. Choose a container that fits within the driftwood. The piece of wood can hold the container or be attached to the outside of the container. Using a container gives you the option of using fresh flowers or a live flowering plant. Use floral foam with cut or artificial flowers. For fresh-cut flowers, keep the floral foam wet.

Driftwood is associated with the beach, fish and tropical places. Finish off your floral arrangement with shells, pebbles or sand. Wooden or glass painted fish, starfish or dried seaweed work well in these type of arrangements. The decorations can be attached to the driftwood, the container or worked into the flowers. If you are talented in wood burning, you can burn the image of a fish, starfish or tropical flower right into the wood. Decorated or not, driftwood can make for a very different and beautiful flower arrangement.