April Arrangement: Live Wire
Ikebana techniques in this month's arrangement:
In this month’s arrangement we use wire to shape and support our materials.
Horsetail is a fun material to use because it can be bent into different shapes. It can be bent as is, however using wire will help the horsetail hold its shape. First, hold the wire next to the horsetail to measure where you should insert it. Insert the wire through the inside of the horsetail, leaving a 1/2’’ poking out to hold the wire in place. Now bend the horsetail into your desired shape!
Wire can also be used as a support to straighten hollow-stemmed flowers, like spider daisies. Starting at the bottom, insert a wire through the stem, pushing the wire all the way to the base of the blossom. Try not to poke holes in the stem as you do this. You may need to straighten the stem as you push the wire through. Just below the blossom the stem is not hollow, so support the neck while you gently push the wire through to the base of the blossom. Lastly, cut off the extra wire.
Pro tip:
Keeping your wire straight will make it easier to push it through the horsetail and spider daisies.
Care tip:
Recut your spider daisies every few days if the bottoms begin to feel spongy.
Variation:
Simply arrange your horsetail vertically to create this variation.
