Need help and ideas for a funeral piece

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kimber K

New Member
Nov 14, 2006
342
97
0
55
Toledo
www.toledofloristandgifts.com
State / Prov
OR
Hey all you wonderful brains out there!! I need help and FAST!
I just had the local Historical Railroad Society order a piece for Saturday MORNING for one of their long time members who just passed.

They brought me a board and a a Train engine and tracks and would like for me to build a tunnel and make it look as if the train is coming out of the tunnel. I have some ideas.... but don't know exactly how to make this work.
The budget is only $100. and will mostly consist of greens and just a few flowers for accent. They're not really interested in flowers, just this "tunnel". It doesn't have to be very long, maybe 18" or a little less.

Soooo here's what I was thinking. What if I cut a small wreath in half and used that for my arch and base, then covered with chicken wire and covered that with moss. (I'm a little concerned about stability in the center) I could then use the wreath form to insert greens and keep them long to continue over the moss so I wouldn't have to put much weight in the center.
How would you suggest attaching the wreath form to the board? Drill holes and wire it on? I'm kinda freaking out here... Love the challenge, but don't have much time to think it through!
HELP!

Kim
 
Can you not get any cardboard tubes that are wide enough to cut in half and then glue gun the moss onto the top?? Does that make sense? Place this on the oasis board then and press the sides in.
 
That's a great idea!! I just don't know where I would get a hold of a cardboard tube that size on such short notice.
The train is pretty small... just your average train set size, but it's an antique and solid and heavy. They left me the tracks and they are 2 1/2 inches wide and about 9" long per length. I would guess the train to be about 3 1/2 inches tall. I found a 14" styrofoam wreath and cut about the bottom 1/3rd off of it to make an arch. This looks about perfect to me. I have 2 of them so maybe I could just use them and cover them with heavy tagboard and cover that with moss..... but then how to incorporate other greens without making it heavy and giving them a bit of a water source... ??
 
I dont know what the moss is called, maybe someone could chip in, we get it in bags over here and its more dried but its really green and doesnt need a water source.

This is going to sound a bit mad now but can you not get some kind of food packaging in a cylinder, you know like multi carton of crisp (i think you call them chips)or something like that from a supermarket?? I think that would sit really easy on a design board and then around it you could put more moss for grass and then have little sprays of flowers popping up, you could even use snake grass to form a little fence?? Just trying to keep cost down, wreaths and the time involved with chicken wire might take a while.
 
Hardware store? Tube for pouring cement holes into the ground?
 
Does it have to be an easel?

I'd do a table piece and set it up on a casket saddle, off to one side or the other. Then I could use myrtle and such to look like trees, and flowers/greens around the base...up along side of the tunnel....moss cover the Oasis first, then pin the track down with greening pins...
 
I was also suggesting a flat piece, everything tends to be like that overhere rather than easels.
 
Idea!

I did this very design for a flower show about 3 years ago. Depending on how interpretive your clients are this could work, and wow!
Use a long low rectangle ceramic container. fill with Oasis blocks flat.
Make the tunnel with curly willow stems as if you were putting a crochet set arched butt up to eachother to create the tunnel. Then use steelgrass or straight wire to create the "tracks" in the tunnel, last add some low pave style flowers to the base for a very simple architectural design. Keep it simple! If you over design it or make it too flowery, it will be a bust. I wish I had a picture of the one I did, but the lighting was aweful in the venue. Good luck!
chris
 
Great ideas!!
My helper just told me that she thinks she has one of those cardboard tubes for pouring concrete in at home and she will bring it tomorrow.

Boss... I'm not sure I follow you on the casket saddle idea.
It is a table top and not an easle, but I'm not sure I can't picture what you're saying about the casket saddle. Can you elaborate a little more for me?
I don't think it would be a big enough surface to work on to use just one.

Keep the ideas coming, please :)
You guys have such great ideas!!!
 
Chris, Sounds great!
I might incorporate parts of that, especially the curly willow, but they are putting the actual train and tracks down inside the tunnel so no pave flowers :)
AND... most importantly, the total budget is only $100 so I have to remember not to get to crazy with this even though it sounds soooooo fun :)
 
Why does the tunnel have to be so long? If I read that right, they only gave you an engine. Why not use myrtle, etc. to give height and a back to the bouquet and then use your moss-covered styro half-wreath (no need for wet moss here), maybe with a few small river rocks glued to strategic places if the terrain happens to be slightly rocky. The opening of the tunnel would be facing the viewer only skewed slightly so it's not just head-on. The engine would be half-in/half out of the tunnel and you could use the rest of the design space for lush foliage that maybe trails down over the parimeter as well as some strategically-placed flowers to enhance the focal point. The base for the design would be oasis-covered styro. Do they make something like that that you could cut to size? If not, just use sheet styro and pan glue a somewhat thin layer of oasis to it before you soak it. Wish I could sketch it for you! Hope that makes sense!

I also like the BOSS's idea of a casket saddle--simple & you've probably already got one! (I would imagine you would probably need to use a double saddle.) Construct your tunnel to fit over the oasis and just pick it in through the sides for stability. The remainer of the oasis gets covered in moss & the railroad tracks with greens trailing all around much like you would a casket spray. Again, hope that makes sense! Good luck & take pictures!
 
If I was given this challenge this is what I'd do....
We have a historic train in Durango as well, so It very well could happen...

with my $100 budget I'd get a sheet of styrofoam and cut it about 2-3 feet long and about 12 inches wide.

I'd cover the bottom of the foam with something like hot glue river rocks to the bottom to give it weight and cover my mechanics.

I'd spray paint the center diagonal from top left to bottom right brown, there is soil under the tracks....

Then I'd use dixon pins to attach the track to the "dirt". If the track was not that long, it would be more to the bottom right. If I could hot glue it I would.

Then I'd make my tunnel out of curly willow, hot gluing the ends into the foam, creating my arch.

Then I'd also cover the arch somewhat with plumosa fern. It will be fine, don't worry about a water source.

Next I'd cover any exposed foam with sheet moss using greening pins.

And I think I'd want to decorate a "landscape". So I'd add Trees and shrubs made of oregonia and hearty foliages that would last without a water source.

It's more labor than anything, but could be done easily with a $100 budget.
 
Thanks, everyone for all your great ideas. I think I'll be combining the mechanics ideas and see what I can come up with.
I'm excited :)
I'll take pictures and gulp down my fear and show you guys what I came up with.
If anybody else comes up with something, Please post your idea. I'll keep checking throughout the day!!

Thanks again!!!

Kim
 
Ok...
I am going to post this picture. PLEASE BE GENTLE!!!!

First off, it is NOT done. And yes, it is slightly crooked, but that's because the customer came in and INSISTED that it be turned slightly. I don't like it like that, but that's what they wanted.
They have the train engine that we will be placing in the opening when I when I deliver to the church.
I haven't put any flowers in yet and that is where I'm asking for advice.
I've never done anything like this before and I'm wondering what you guys would use for flower placement. I'm a little stuck. In my brain, placing flowers is going to make everything look out of proportion.
HELP!
I have ONE HOUR before I have to deliver this thing!!!

HOW DO I UPLOAD THE PICTURE????
 
Kimber K said:
HOW DO I UPLOAD THE PICTURE????
Click to expand...
Have it saved to your PC, start a new post, then scroll down, Click where it says Manage Attachments, a new window will open, click Browse, find the image on your pC, click it and then open, it will upload to FC, click submit
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back