Does anyone know how to decorate a church?

[TheProvincialLady]

Last year I organised a group of about 15 people to decorate our local (huge, Victorian) church for Christmas. We had a huge real tree so I bought lots of tree decorations and it looked beautiful. We also used about a ton of real ivy, laurel, holly and other greenery from the countryside and people’s gardens, supplemented by fake wire-on holly berries and some fake flowers that have been languishing in a cupboard for many years.These were laid on window ledges and round the font. We also made some clove studded oranges. It looked lovely but very amateurish as not one of us has any talent previous experience.

This year I want to up our game a bit by using trays and oasis to enable us to make slightly more sturdy and longer lasting decorations but I have never done it before (nor has anyone else). We are likely to have lots more help this year including lots of young people and children so I want to make the occasion accessible and fun but also to look lovely. We are also hoping to start the Christmas Eve 6pm service with just candlelight so it would be good to use lots of candles in the displays.

Has anyone any good ideas to share? At the moment I am overwhelmed just by buying the oasis and trays - where so I get these from?! We have 17 window ledges 80cm x 16cm and two 240cm x 11.5cm ledges to decorate as well as the pulpit and the font. No pillars. The tree is sorted - 10ft real tree arriving on the 20th.

All ideas very welcome! We have a budget of about £300 for trays etc but could stretch to more and also have lots of ancient mid-matching vases. People will donate towards a few real flowers.

Help!

Could you ask a local floristry group for help or advice? Otherwise maybe watch a few youtube vids for ideas?

Oh I didn’t know there were such things as floristry groups - thanks @HoundHound I will look up any local groups. YouTube is also a good idea thanks. Do you know of any good ones?

Ebay probably good for oasis. If you're putting anything live in oasis, remember to soak the oasis beforehand in a bucket.

Thanks @Glendaruel how long does the oasis need to soak for?

I don’t know if any local Guiding groups will be helping but you could always approach them? We are usually pretty good at making pretty and low cost Christmassy decorations

Get some big wire rings and make wreaths?

Would your budget stretch to candles? Our church has windows and they decorate with a candle in each one - it’s on an old plate, with a circle of oasis around it, and ivy, for sprigs, ribbon, holly etc encircling it. They are lit on the first Mass of Christmas in the evening, and then on the day too. It looks so special.

Use electric candles, second the floristry clubs, also utilise the church clubs and children, you could give each group a window / tree to decorate. I went to an open church a couple of years ago where windows/ trees had been decorated in a theme relevant to the group, eg the bell ringers put bells and music themed items in their section

You could see if there’s a fruit/flower market & if they can do you a deal on oasis/wire/knives. You’ll need to get up early!
how about oranges? You could get a big box & the kids could make christingles (fake candles!!!) which could be arranged somehow.

My mum was a florist so have seen loads of these made

Order from a florist or go to the flower marker wholesalers - look up to see if you have a local one - they open really early in the morning!

work from the outside bottom up with trailing plants
Then work up to the middle section and then top

Google and find a flower wholesaler. Go and chat them up as sometimes they will only sell to trade but can often be persuaded if it's a large order. They will often have oasis and stuff as well as flowers, much cheaper than elsewhere.

Loads of videos on you tube for making simple flower arrangements. It's not shed at all (I've just done a course).

Oasis takes about 4 minutes to soak. Just float it in a full sink or bucket and leave it tho, don't push it down as it gets too much air in that way.

You soak them overnight until they are wet through. They can also be carved to shape.

Also get florist's wire and remember a cutter for length.

If you have kids helping don't expect everything to be perfect. Perhaps they could start collecting dropped pine cones, honesty etc now - so they can be dried out and if you like sprayed with gold. And ask people to bring in evergreen hedge clippings or ivy at least 6 inches long and any stalked berries providing they don't leave a tree or hedge bare. .

I would also despite my green convictions go for battery candles (Ebay? but order soon). Or real candles if the church allows and they are all checked not to set the foliage ablaze!

Set up a trestle table and chairs for the kids with the stuff you want them to do. Run some Christmas music if you can.

I think it would help if there were an overall plan of what you want it to look like and what colours you want to use and who does what.

Deffo talk to a local florist for advice on flowers. Are you doing a crib?

Could you get a proper flowe arranger in to give lessons as you all work together. They could begin by giving you a list f what to purchase and then have an event where everyone learns and makes together. My friend just made a fabulous wreath at a class and l could imagine how everyone learning properly would make fabulous decorations. Could become a nice event for the church folk

If you have lots of vases, use chicken wire to fill them and hold up the flowers in place. oasis is horrid stuff ( it’s been banned from competition by the RHS) and it doesn’t actually keep flowers or greenery it anything like as good condition as proper water.

you can get the chicken wire from a diy shop. A little goes a long way. You will also need some proper wire cutters, though, or you won’t be able to cut it easily. They are not very expensive, the wire and the cutters will probably come out as less than the oasis etc. You can use other containers once you have the wire, as you can wrap them in paper or foil.
I have Magnusson 7.5 cutters, they are terrific.

I do the flowers in our cathedral once a year (not all by myself!). I order oasis and other bits from this florist wholesale supplier www.whittingtons.biz, and flowers I get from the flower market near us, then bump up with greenery from friends and family.

In brief, you need to soak the oasis overnight, then use tape to stick it to your container to make a really secure base. If you are using vases/jugs, use the florist tape to make a cross-cross over the top, so the stems stay where you want them.

Start your arrangements by building the shape - pyramid, ball, whatever - with greenery, then use flowers to add colour.

Check with the church for any rules on colours.

This time of year, you can get hurricane lamps with candles cheaply from places like B&M/Aldi/Home Bargains, which look great with a bit of foliage around them.

Thank you so much everyone. I typed a long reply and then lost it so sorry for the slow reply.

We don’t have any church groups at the moment as the congregation had dwindled to about 10 until 2 years ago. Now we are over 100 most Sundays but it takes time for groups to get started.

I think there is a flower market nearby so thanks for the tip - I will get down there early this week to look for supplies.

We will definitely be using real candles - hurricane lamps is a good suggestion thank you. I would like to us some biggish candles too - is IKEA a good place to get them?

Thank you so much everyone for the practical tips. I’m going to buy supplies and try something at home from YouTube that we can hopefully replicate. I knew you would be a good bunch to ask 😊

You can often get odds and ends like bits of chicken wire free or very cheap off gumtree Facebook etc.

Thanks - I will check.

Have a look on Pinterest for ideas the print off some images so that people know what you're aiming to achieve.

Facebook marketplace is full of Christmas decorations at the moment. I got a small artificial tree and baubles the other day for £5!

Also, there are probably local people who know a bit about floristry/decorations that would benefit from helping and using the work towards their social media or marketing so put a message on the village/town Facebook page asking for support.

IKEA is good for candles but do be VERY careful with real candles. An overhanging dried out branch + a flame can make a big and dangerous fire very quickly.

I would have electric candles in all the flower arrangements and then real candles only in a separate arrangement that is far from the floral displays.

If you are going to Ikea for candles, check out their clear vases, similar to hurricane vases in style. From what I remember they are not expensive. These filled with greenery and placed on a window ledge would only need a few sprays of flowers to look effective and would be very easy to do.

Yes or some of those hanging lantern style things you get around Christmas but pop in some battery fairy lights and then some foliage around the handle

Please please double check that your insurance covers you for using real candles and make sure you have done a risk assessment on where they are put.

Our insurer (Ecclesiastical) had some horrible stories of people's hair/coats being set alight by candles along pews. People trying to claim for wax spilling on their clothing or bags. Candles setting fire to the (dry) arrangements and then curtains

We have battery operated tea lights in the main body of the church now and only have candles at the top under the vicar's control

On a totally unrelated note OP, how on earth did you increase your congregation from 10 to 100 in two years??? Genuine question - that's seriously good going.