Use Poinsettias for Holiday Party Décor with These Ideas

You know the Holidays have arrived when you begin to see poinsettias popping up everywhere. These beautiful, easy care plants come in a variety of bold colors, sizes and textures and lend themselves perfectly for Holiday party décor. While the bright red bracts and green leaves of poinsettias put on a colorful show without any embellishments, consider these ideas to dress up poinsettias for Holiday parties.

Place Pots in Containers

Poinsettias are typically sold in plain plastic pots wrapped in colorful foil and tied with a bow. Dress the poinsettias up for a party by removing the outer foil and placing the pots in decorative containers. Set the pots in baskets, colorful buckets, glazed flowerpots, wooden crates or a child's red wagon. Place plastic saucers inside the containers of choice to protect furniture from moisture, then drop in the potted poinsettias for instant Holiday party décor.

Add Greenery

If you make a large Holiday display by grouping several poinsettias together, add greenery for a WOW factor. Greenery found in your own backyard, like small branches snipped from hollies, pines, cedars or magnolias can be tucked into the poinsettia display for added drama. Greenery can be purchased from a local florist if needed.

Cut Poinsettia Arrangement

The single train of poinsettia décor thought involves poinsettias in pots, but they also make excellent cut flowers if you know this one trick - sear the cut ends with a flame.

Poinsettias secrete a milky white sap when the leaves or stems are cut, the flow of sap has to be stopped to prevent the leaves from falling off, searing the cut stem end stops the sap flow. Snip off the poinsettia stem and hold the cut end over a candle flame to sear. Work with one cut stem at a time and sear the end immediately after cutting. The sap will boil and bubble while being seared, and you will know if you've done it correctly within the hour. If the leaves of the poinsettia stem remain upright, you've seared it correctly, if they droop, cut another stem and start over.

Place the seared poinsettia stems in tepid water which contains florist's preservative immediately after searing. When done correctly, the cut stems will last 10 days (change water every other day). Arrange cut poinsettia stems in white milk glass bowls or in a Styrofoam column shaped like a Christmas tree (stems will not last 10 days outside of water).