How to: Queen's Jubilee Flower Arrangement

The perfect centrepiece to any party table, this easy arrangement and container takes under 10 minutes to put together and looks simply stunning. We love using something that can be recycled from around the house as a vessel, decorating it in a style that suits the occasion. A mix of seasonal garden blooms, topped up with some shop-bought stems, allows a balance of wild and tidy.

For the container:

Empty, clean recycled tin

Twine

Craft glue

Ribbon

Starting at the bottom, squeeze glue sparingly onto the tin, just to the bottom third first to avoid sticky fingers. Place the end of the twine at the bottom on a blob of glue then start wrapping around and around the tin, pressing and smoothing as you go. Once you've done the bottom third, glue the middle, carry on wrapping the twine, and then finally the top third. Cut the twine and tuck in the end covering with a small blob of glue. Whilst the glue is still tacky, neaten up any strands of twine where you have larger or smaller gaps. Leave to dry and then tie a ribbon of your choice (we chose silver for platinum!) around the middle.

Flowers:

From the garden -

Bluebells

Forget-me-nots

White bells

From the shop  -

White tulips

Cut the end of the stems to a variety of lengths; as a general guide you want the tallest to be one and a half times the height of the container and the shortest to be just sitting over the top of the container. Strip the leaves off below the water line and discard any broken or browned leaves. Fill the container with water and flower food if you have it to make the arrangement last longer. Place flowers in one stem at a time working in a circular motion around the container, mixing up longer and shorter lengths. Take a step back and adjust to ensure even spacing. Refresh the water every couple of days.

Throwing a party? We've got everything you need from plates and paper cups to bunting and balloons in Whistlefish-style union jacks and sparkling crowns.