Casket Spray

$15 - $20 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes one spray

The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths and flowers for an intricate funeral scene. For this version, I decided to replicate the large casket sprays common in funeral floral arrangements and repurposed the wire frame from a Valentine’s Day wreath to achieve the typical heart-shaped motif. To unify the haunt’s theme, I also incorporated the color schemes from other props, namely blues, pinks, and yellows.

• One fourteen-inch metal wreath frame
• An assortment of artificial flowers is multiple colors and sizes (e.g. asters, dahlias, geraniums, lilies, peonies)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1. Remove any decorative elements from the wire frame. Although I elected to use a heart-shaped design, you can use the common circular form.

2. Separate the flowers and leaves from their stems. Although you could do this while you glue them to the wreath, I found that performing this step beforehand made the following process much easier. Plus, it gives you a clear idea of exactly how many of each item you have.

3. Use hot glue to adhere the leaves to the wreath. For visual interest, build up layers and vary the color patterns so that leaves with the same hues and shapes are not concentrated in one area. If the artificial flowers did not come with enough leaves to provide ample coverage, you can add bulk with leaves from garlands.

4. Repeat the method in step three with the flowers, fluctuating the color patterns so similar blooms are not clustered in one spot. You may want to play with the arrangement first before gluing it in place. Additionally, keep in mind that you still want portions of the leaves to show through the flowers, so it is best to start from the center and work outward. You may want to reserve a dozen leaves from the previous step for backup foliage in case the floral portions become too heavy in some regions.

5. If you plan to hang the item, you can create a hanging loop with wire. Since I rested it atop a coffin, I finished the floral array with long strands of lavender and wisteria which slithered along the casket's lid.