Make this floral arrangement the
eye-catcher for a party.

• 8-inch-tall heart-shaped papier-mache box
• FolkArt Cherry Royale #758 acrylic paint
• Sponge brush
• "Roses" decoupage paper from Plaid Enterprises or rose-pattern gift wrap
• Royal Coat decoupage medium
• Floral foam for silk flowers
• Hotmelt adhesive
• Spanish moss
• 9 stems of green eucalyptus, cut into 4-inch to 12-inch lengths
• Bush of silk roses with open roses and buds (or purchase 4 open roses and 6 rosebuds as individual stems)
• 2 sprays of red artificial berries
• 1 spray of blue artificial berries
• 8-inch-diameter ecru doily
• Floral pins (U-pins or greening pins)
• German statice
• Old-fashioned postcard and florist's card holder

1. Apply two coats of Cherry Royale paint to the heart-shape box and lid, letting the paint dry between coats. Let the second coat dry overnight.

2. Cut out prints from the decoupage paper. Following the manufacturer's instructions, use decoupage medium to adhere the prints to the top of the box lid. Apply three coats of decoupage medium to both the box and lid according to the manufacturer's instructions, and let the medium dry.

3. Cut the floral foam to fit the box, keeping the top of the foam even with the rim of the box. Glue the foam into the box with hotmelt adhesive. Apply hotmelt adhesive to the bottom right edge of the box lid, and press the lid onto the right side of the floral foam. Hold the lid in place until the adhesive sets. Cover the floral foam with Spanish moss.

4. Insert the longest pieces of eucalyptus to the left of the box lid to establish the height of the arrangement. Position two short stems in front of the lid so they point to the right. Insert the remaining stems in the left rear of the arrangement, staggering their heights so the stems step down from the tallest stem to the box. Tuck a few stems into the back of the design so it won't appear flat when viewed from the side.

5. Cut the stems of the open roses to 9, 6, 5, and 4 inches. Cut the six bud stems to 10, 4, and 3 inches. Cut the berry sprays in half. Referring to the photo, insert three open roses so they form a diagonal line stepping down from the top left of the arrangement to the bottom right. Tuck the fourth rose into the left rear of the arrangement, just above the edge of the box. Insert the tallest bud stems beside the lid, and tuck the remaining buds on each side of the center rose. Add the berry sprays at the back, sides, and front of the design.

6. Fold the doily in half, and gather it at the center. Secure it to the floral foam with a floral pin, positioning it to drape over the left side of the box. Fill open spaces with German statice. Place the postcard in the florist's card holder, and push the card holder into the floral foam behind the center rose.