How to Make a Casket Cover

There are two kinds of casket covers. The most often used cover is a blanket or spray of flowers. This is usually provided by the children or other close family members of the deceased. The spouse or closest person to the deceased would place a floral pillow in honor of their loved one at the head of the casket. The old traditional floral blanket or cover for a casket was a full blanket of flowers worked into a material such as burlap. It completely covered the center to the bottom of the open casket or the entire closed casket. In today's economy, it is simply too expensive to have this piece. The floral casket cover of today is made on a protective base called the casket saddle. The unit protects the casket surface from moisture. The very large floral piece is an arranged mound or spray of flowers.The second casket cover is an elegant blanket. It is a sedate yet beautiful cloth covering that drapes over the entire casket. This article will cover the floral casket cover.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh or silk flowers
• 2 to 3 bunches leather leaf asparagus fern, palmetto or cedar
• Casket saddle
• 2 blocks florist Oasis foam or dry foam for silks
• Water-resistant florist tape
• 4-inch wide ribbon bow and 2 15-inch lengths for ribbon cascades
• Wired sticks
• Glitter paint pen

Instructions

Making a casket cover

1. Choose flowers that are the favorite of the deceased. Buy two to three dozen in complimentary colors. You can also choose 6 to 10 gladiolus or stock stems, 24 carnations, 3 to 6 stems of lilies or iris and any number of roses for main flowers. Chrysanthemum poms and daisies are nice filler flowers. You will need 6 to 12 stems of filler flowers.

2. Place Oasis in a bucket of water and let soak for a few hours if using real flowers. If using silk there is an open casket saddle to use with dry foam.

3. Place casket saddle on work surface. Place foam into the saddle and tape in place. You must use the heavy-duty floral stick tape used for wet arrangements.

4. Insert greenery into the bottom of the foam and let it hang out on to the work surface. This greenery rests on the casket. Insert greenery here and there into the top and sides of the foam.

5. Place four to six long-stem flowers such as glads, roses or carnations into the bottom sides of the foam on top of greenery. Cut more floral stems shorter by 2 or 3 inches and insert them into the top sides of the foam. The top flowers can be 2 to 3 feet high from the surface of the casket . A floral blanket can be 3 to 4 feet long for an open casket and 4 to 6 feet long if desired for a closed casket. Double the flowers for the closed casket.

6. Add in smaller flowers. Stand at least 3 feet away and look at the arrangement. Are there bare spots? Fill them in with flowers or greenery until you are satisfied with the arrangement.

7. Insert ribbon bow that is on a wired stick into the front middle or on one side of the arrangement. Wire each 15-inch piece of matching ribbon to sticks. Insert one deep into the bottom of the casket cover. It will spread across the flowers and greenery and lay on top of the casket surface. Take glitter glue and write Mother, Father or the endearment you wish to have on the second ribbon. Let dry thoroughly before placing into the flowers with the tail flowing down on to the casket top.

Budget friendly and beautiful

1. Buy one dozen long-stem flowers such as roses or carnations. Gladiolas will be beautiful too, if they are well-blossomed out.

2. Choose a 3-inch wide solid-color ribbon that blends nicely with the flowers you have chosen.

3. Cut a 20-inch piece of ribbon and tie a knot in the center. Set aside. Make a 6- to 8-loop bow with the ribbon. Place the long piece of ribbon over the center of the bow in your hand and tie it with the knot in front.

4. Lay greenery on the work surface. Place the flowers on top of the greenery. Tie the spray of flowers and leaves together about halfway up the stems with a piece of ribbon.

5. Tie the bow on to the stems just below the bottom blossoms. This will be placed on the casket.

Tips & Warnings

• For a smaller casket cover or blanket, use one block of Oasis foam and cut the quantity of fresh flowers by half from Step 1.

• If the deceased is a military, firefighter or law officer with the United States flag displayed or draped on the casket, it is against funeral etiquette to place flowers on the casket. Flowers may not be placed where they touch or overshadow the flag. Nothing should ever be placed on the flag. The casket blanket must be placed on a pedestal in front of the casket or hung on an easel at the foot.