How to Make an Evergreen Grave Blanket
Grave blankets are a floral tribute, and were originally meant to cover fresh graves until grass or other landscaping could take root. Evergreens are plants that do not lose their leaves all at once. Many plants classified as evergreens, such as the silver, fern-like Artemisia Powis Castle, are not green at all in winter. Instead, they are red, maroon, purple-black and silver. These plants create dramatic impact when used in your evergreen grave blanket.
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Things You'll Need
- 5-foot by 4-foot piece of chicken wire
- 2-foot by 4-foot by 6-inch piece of Styrofoam
- Large and small red and white silk poinsettia picks
- Bead strings
- Trailing ribbon
- Holly
- Aretemisia Powis Castle
- Spruce boughs
- Large bows
- 2-inch by 2-inch Styrofoam blocks
- 2-inch diameter Styrofoam balls
- Metallic spray paint
- Green floral wire
- Needle-nose pliers
- Wire cutters
- Hot melt glue gun
- Clear glue sticks
- Metal or plastic floral picks
- Drop cloth
- Painters' mask
Instructions
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1
Don a painters' mask. Lay drop cloth in a well-ventilated area, preferably near an open set of doors. Using one color of metallic spray paint at a time, shake the can until you hear it clacking, then continue shaking for three minutes. This ensures that your spray paint is completely mixed.
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2
Use small, slow strokes about 6 inches away from the Styrofoam cubes and balls to cover them with a light coat of silver, gold or any other favorite color. Cover one half of each ball or cube at a time and allow it to dry before painting the other half.
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3
Attach your painted Styrofoam shapes to floral picks. Combine holly and Artemisia to surround each Styrofoam shape without fully concealing it. Bind with floral wire. Attach all bows to picks as well.
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4
Wrap the 2-foot by 4-foot by 6-inch piece of Styrofoam in chicken wire. Secure with floral wire. Cut spruce boughs 18, 12, 8 and 6 inches long. Attach the 8- and 6-inch spruce to floral picks.
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Begin with the wire-covered foam facing you lengthwise. Insert the longest spruce boughs along the bottom edge of the side facing you, spaced 4 inches apart, all the way around. Repeat a second time, between the previous boughs. Follow with 12-inch and 8-inch boughs. Fill in the remainder of the base with 6-inch spruce picks.
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Lay your bows and painted picks on the grave blanket without attaching them. Move items around until you find a look that pleases your eye. Insert the largest picks first, draping any greenery, ribbons or bead strings, as desired. Secure bead strings and ribbons using a hot melt glue gun and clear glue sticks. Fill in any spaces that seem bare, but remember, less is more. Keep bows and decorations to a minimum. Rely on color contrasts for impact and eye appeal instead.
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Tips & Warnings
According to Brynn Jackson at FlowerShopNetwork.com, it is important to check with the cemetery before making or sending a grave blanket. Some cemeteries have strict rules about size, colors, materials, and how long seasonal motifs can be displayed before the blanket must be removed.
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