What you’ll need

• various fruits
• a sharp kitchen knife
• a suitable container such as a basket or bowl
• florists’ foam
• clear plastic wrap
• tissue paper
• toothpicks or skewers to hold the fruit in place
• additional decorations if wanted

Here’s what you do

• first of all choose what type of display you want and which fruits you prefer
• the best fruits are strawberries, grapes, pineapples, melons, mandarin pieces because they are small and strong enough to withstand carving
• don’t use bananas or apples as they discolour after a while
• don’t use “mushy” fruits such as raspberries as they will break up easily
• think about colour, try using all one colour for a dramatic affect or yellow and orange coloured fruits for a bright theme or even strawberries with black grapes
• prepare your fruit; small fruit such as strawberries and grapes can remain whole but large fruit such as pineapples and melons are best cut into cubes, circles, hearts etc.
• wrap the florists’ foam in plastic wrap to keep it away from the fruit or use an iceberg lettuce instead
• place the florists’ foam or lettuce in the base of your chosen container
• place tissue paper over the foam leaving some hanging over the sides of your container
• using the toothpicks and skewers spear your fruit and push into the foam
• try adding a number of fruits onto one spear for a better effect
• play around with the spears until the “bouquet” affect is achieved, you are aiming for a high centre with the fruits layers gradually getting lower to the edges
• finish it off with garnish such as herbs, leaves, ribbons, toys, chocolate, etc.
• once you are happy with it, it is ready