How to make a stylish table decoration

A five-step guide to putting together a floral centrepiece, created by the Yas Hotel's flower designer.

2. Cut the stems from the roses to their bud so the flower can sit flat. Massage the flowers gently to plump up the blooms. Delores Johnson / The National
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Tamara's table decoration is both easy and cheap to make. The cost of the flowers was just Dh35. You can use any colour of flowers - just match the food colouring and beads to one of them.

What you will need:

2 plates of different shapes, ideally one glass and one china (any sort will do)
3 well-bloomed roses
1 or 2 stems of purple orchids
A jug of approx 250ml water
Scissors
Purple food colouring
Purple beads or coloured stones to decorate

1 Mix a few drops of food colouring with the water in a pitcher and pour into a clear glass dish

2 Cut the stems from the roses to their bud so the flower can sit flat. Massage the flowers gently to plump up the blooms

3 Sit the roses in the dish of water, adding more water if needed

4 Snip the individual orchid flowers from their main stem, placing two in each corner of a china plate underneath

5 Drop a few beads into the water and scatter a few more on the plate with the orchids