How to Make a Silk Headstone Saddle Arrangement

Use silk flowers to create a long-lasting headstone saddle arrangement.

Headstone saddles are U-shaped wire frames that fit over the top of a headstone. The tops of the saddles contain prongs for grasping and holding blocks of floral foam. The floral foam acts as a base for the flower and greenery stems in the arrangement. Use silk flowers and greenery when creating a headstone saddle arrangement to ensure that it will last over time. Honor the memory of the deceased individual by including her favorite flowers and colors in the arrangement.

Set the headstone saddle face up on a flat work surface. Cut a 2-inch-thick block of floral foam into a 4-by-12-inch rectangle with a knife. Place the floral foam onto the top of the saddle and press it down gently onto the prongs.

Cut three pieces of floral wire, 12 inches in length, with wire cutters. Wrap the wires around the floral foam and saddle frame, spacing them evenly across the foam's surface. Twist the two ends of each wire together to secure them in place.

Separate the individual stems of a bunch of silk greenery by cutting them with wire cutters. Trim the stems to lengths of 6 to 10 inches. Insert the stems into the floral foam around its sides and ends. Position each greenery stem so that its tip hangs over the saddle frame. Add a second layer of greenery over the first, alternating the stems.

Trim the stems of nine large silk flowers to 18 inches in length. Place three of these flowers in the center of the top of the floral foam block. Insert three more flower stems into each end of the floral foam block, positioning them so they stick out horizontally away from the center of the arrangement.

Trim the stems of four additional large silk flowers to lengths of 10-12 inches. Stick two of the flowers in the front side of the floral foam and two in the back side.

Trim the stems of smaller silk filler flowers to lengths of 10-12 inches. Stick these flowers in the spaces between the larger flowers, filling in the gaps. Add these flowers around the sides and in the top of the floral foam to give the arrangement a rounded, mounding habit.

Fill in the gaps between the flowers by sticking greenery stems into the floral foam. Add greenery to fill in the arrangement and hide the floral foam and flower stems. Walk around the finished arrangement to ensure that its silhouette is even and that there are no gaps. Fill in any holes with additional greenery and flowers.

×