Bromeliad Centerpiece

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.” – Standing Bear

What started as a quick trip to buy some sheet moss turned into being sucked into the Home Depot sale on annuals.  Then my partner is lured to the Bromeliads like a sailor to a siren and I knew this simple trip became a project in itself!  After the very meticulous and quite lengthy selection of just 3 Bromeliads, we finally get what we needed and headed home.

We went to work creating what we think is a unique centerpiece (above) for your table, especially if your table is outdoors.  The above photo is what happened just for stepping out the door today.  You like?  Well, we’ll show you how to make one….

Gather your tools

Scissors
Wire cutters
Aluminum wire
Glue (E6000)
Sheet moss
Raffia

Find your base

We used an 18” section of a tree branch that would have ended up in the yard waste on garbage day. Use whichever type of branch you want, that’s up to you. It can be simple and straight, or twisted and complex and depends on your personal taste and/or whatever you happen to find.

Step 1: Bromeliads

First thing to do is remove your plants from their pots and then remove the soil. You may notice the Bromeliad roots grow around the soil rather than through it. The roots grow from the plant to the bottom of the pot, then back up the sides of the pot because they are trying to reach something solid to attach themselves to. Basically, you’re pulling the roots downward (like closing and umbrella) and letting the soil fall away. Leaving a little soil is okay…

Step 2: Sheet moss

Unroll the sheet moss…

Tear off enough to wrap around plant…

Tear off a section to wrap around roots…

Wrap moss all the way around the roots…

Step 3: Aluminum wire

Using your wire cutters, cut a length of aluminum wire and secure the moss around the plant. The amount of wire depends on the size of plant. We used enough to circle the roots 2-3 times, about 10 to 12 inches of wire per plant. All you need to do is twist the ends of the wire together like a twist-tie on a loaf of bread. Make sense?

Wrap wire completely around moss from top to bottom, then twist the two ends together.

Step 4: Glue

Figure out where you would like your Bromeliad on your base. You may want to try a couple different ways to see what you think looks best then it’s time for glue.

Apply a large glob of glue to the wood base…

Firmly, but without crushing, press the moss into the glue.

Step 5: Raffia

We used raffia to tie and hold the Bromeliad against the glue so it has time to set. Once the glue has set overnight, you may remove the raffia unless you like the way it looks….then you can leave it. If it’s placed outdoors, the raffia will weather and eventually come off on it’s own….depending on your weather.

Repeat these steps for each Bromeliad and bang, you have a centerpiece for your table! Wait til the glue has set before watering and yes, you can just leave it outside to get some rain.

If we lost you on one of the steps or if you have any questions just leave us a comment and we’ll gladly answer.

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