Holiday Centerpieces: Bay Leaves, Persimmons, and Camellias

For this dramatic centerpiece, I want to use bay leaves mixed with persimmons; kumquats would work well too. A pedestal vessel seems right here, allowing the persimmons to drape heavily over the sides.

Soak and prepare a circle of Oasis according to the package instructions. Place the Oasis in the pedestal vase to anchor the persimmon branches. Before putting in the Oasis, you might want to wrap the inside of the bowl with bay leaves to hide the Oasis in the finished arrangement.

Once the persimmon branches are arranged, add the thin branches of bay leaves.

Finally, I am adding camellia branches in bloom. Most camillia varieties don’t last terribly long, so it’s best to do this arrangement on the day of your party. Gardenias or even a football mum would be nice here as well, if those are available where you live.