My shift from traditional foam to chicken wire for large arrangements

For over a decade, I built every big arrangement, like wedding centerpieces, using floral foam. I thought it was the only way to get the shape right. About two years ago, I took a class in Seattle where the instructor used chicken wire instead. I was sure it would be messy and unstable. I tried it on a $500 arch piece, and it held better in the heat and used less water. Now I use wire for anything over 18 inches tall. Has anyone else made this switch and found a good source for the wire?

3 comments

3 Comments

taraross1mo ago

Foam is still way faster for big jobs.

the_piper1mo ago

But have you ever timed the whole process? Foam might spray out fast, but then you're stuck waiting ages for it to cure before you can trim it. That's dead time where you can't do anything else. With loose fill, you can blow it in and move on to the next task right away. For a whole attic, that total job time often ends up being shorter. Speed isn't just about the machine running.

cameronp471mo ago

Watch the clock on a real job site sometime. That foam might look quick coming out of the hose, but then the whole crew is just standing around waiting for it to get hard. You can't touch it for hours. With loose fill, you're done and gone, onto the next house by lunch. Calling foam faster ignores all that dead time where nothing happens.