Straight from the Heart
Set the mood this Valentine’s Day with a cheerful heart-shaped wreath or place setting.

To make the Heart Wreath:
Follow the soaking directions on a 12-inch pre-formed floral-foam heart. Hang the heart in the sink and let the excess water drain out for about an hour. Depending on how open the blooms are, you’ll need about 2 bunches of red mini-carnations, 3 dozen magenta carnations and a dozen red (“Harvard”) carnations. Cut all stems to 1 1/2 inches. Beginning on the inside of heart, push stems at an angle (stems pushed straight in may fall out) into the foam, clustering colors according to taste. Attach ribbon ends to form with thumbtacks, tie bow and hang.

To Make the Heart Place Setting
Soak floral foam according to package directions. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut through an inch and a half of floral foam. Using a knife, bevel the edges of the heart. Cut the stems of a half a bunch of miniature carnations to one inch. Push stems into the heart foam at an angle. Display one heart on each place setting on a 9-inch plate.