Achievements such as graduations, recitals, musicals and milestone anniversaries are all worthy of celebration. Family and friends gather to offer their congratulations to the achiever by bringing gifts, homemade foods and warm wishes. To set your gift apart from all others at a congratulatory party, bring a handmade presentation bouquet. Filled with colorful flowers and rich greenery, a presentation bouquet reflects your heartfelt pride and appreciation for the achiever’s success.

Cut at least a dozen long-stemmed flowers from your garden, or purchase single stems from a local greenhouse or flower shop. Use flowers with sturdy stems such as roses, carnations, lilies and gladiolus.

Pull or cut off thorns and leaves from the stems so that only a bare stem remains for each flower.

Place each stem on a cutting board and cut the bottom at an angle using a sharp knife. Cut at least two stems at one length followed by at least two more at shorter or longer lengths in order to create a layered effect when assembling the bouquet. Cut all stems likewise.

Fill plastic water tubes with water. Slide one plastic water tube on each stem to keep the flowers as fresh as possible before presentation.

Assemble the cut flowers by laying down the longest-stemmed flowers on your workspace first. Arrange the shorter-stemmed flowers around the longest-stemmed flowers.

Add greenery and baby’s breath in between the flowers. Add any other flowers you want in order to fill out the bouquet.

Gather the stems together in one hand and hold the bouquet several inches below the lowest flower. Wind floral tape around the entire bundle to secure all of the stems.

Tie a bow on top of the floral tape. Finger through all of the flowers and greenery to make sure every piece is in place.

Store the entire bouquet in a cool area or in your refrigerator until the celebration.