- 1). Select the glass container for the centerpiece based on table size and the type of orchid you will use. A large orchid like a cattleya needs a deeper and wider bowl or cylinder. Several phalaenopsis blooms will fill a shallow, medium-wide bowl. A stem of dendrobium takes a tall cylinder. A centerpiece for a buffet table can be any height but a dining table will require a lower container so people can see each other and converse.
- 2). Buy live flowers from a wholesale florist to get the freshest blooms and the best selection at the best prices. This may not be a consideration if you are making just one centerpiece, but a wholesaler is more likely to have unusual colors. And check a craft store if you are planning to use realistic polyurethane flowers in a centerpiece.
- 3). Place the glass container on a work counter and fill the bottom with colored glass marbles, sea glass or polished river stones. Keep the depth of the filler to no more than one-fourth of the height of the cylinder or bowl.
- 4). Anchor a stem of dendrobium in the glass pebbles or stones so the flowers are vertical in a cylinder. Fill the cylinder with water to completely cover the flowers. Or clip larger orchids like cattleyas or phalaenopsis on the stem and stack them loosely in a cylinder, three to a column. Fill the cylinder with enough water so the two lower flowers are submerged and the top flower barely floats.
- 5). Clip orchids at the stem for a shallow, floating bowl. Fill the bowl halfway with water and set the blossoms on the surface of the water. Use one of these designs for a single table or for uniform decor in an event room. Mix several heights and styles of floating orchids for a large, formal event or in the center of a full size dining or buffet table.
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