Floral Christmas mantle arrangement with oasis

[Touchitmoveit]

Help! I have done an arrangement in my mantelpiece for Xmas using two oasis blocks. I soaked the oasis as described and put them in their trays. I secured the trays to the mantelpiece but did not secure the oasis to the blocks apart from the gaps which pre-existed.

I’ve now spent ages doing an elaborate arrangement and the oasis is starting to lean and fall out of the tray. In fact one half of it has fallen out entirely. I’ve put it back I’m the tray but don’t have a way to secure the oasis without removing everything and the lights I’ve put on. The oasis is totally crumbling and water is everywhere....

Is there any way to rescue this without having to remove everything and buy a new oasis? How long will it take the oasis to dry? Not sure what to do but keep imagining I’ll wake up to a collapsed arrangement!

Have you got any electrical or gaffer tape (cut into thin strips) you could secure the oasis with? Take it all the way round the container and the oasis in a couple of places. If the oasis has crumbled I'd start again but shape and tape the oasis into the container before you start arranging. Don't take the tape over the middle, go to one side so it doesn't interfere with focal point flowers, etc.

@wowfudge I think I might have to take it all out and then tape it. What a nightmare! I should have taped it when I put it in the tray but this was my first one and it felt so sturdy. But the oasis is crumbling a bit so not sure it will last!

Hi - alternatively you can use thin wire to fasten them to the trays and then blue-tack under the trays to the mantel.

@colette100 I’ve stuck the trays to the mantle with double sided sticky tape as they were leaning earlier. Now they finally stuck, the oasis was then wobbling! I think I’ve managed to stick the oasis to the tray but it’s crumbled badly so I’ll have to see how it survives the night!

Oh what a shame! Could you maybe hide some dead batteries on top off the oasis at the back, amongst the foliage? Just something with some heft, to counterbalance all your work at rhe front?

Good Luck over night!