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R E A D O N L I N E 13 1. Start with a strong foundation— OASIS ® Mache Products. OASIS ® Mache Products, made with OASIS ® Floral Foam Maxlife and Mache backings, provide the basis for strong and secure foundations and ensure satisfaction for both designers and consumers. 2. Prepare the form for placement on an easel. Before you soak a form, place it foam side down and Mache side up. Place an easel atop the Mache side, making sure the easel is centered on the form. Mark the placement of both permanent easel legs on the Mache backing with a permanent marker. Using an electric drill and a ¼-inch drill bit, drill two sets of two holes through the Mache backing and the fl oral foam—one pair of holes on each side of an easel leg, using your easel marks as a guide. (A design knife also works, but it is more diffi cult to use.) Before soaking the form, insert a plastic drinking straw through each of the four holes, cutting each straw slightly above the Mache backing. The straws will help you easily thread a zip tie through each pair of holes. 3. Soak correctly. Float-soak the form in a sink, tub or bowl that is large enough to accommodate the entire form—foam side down, Mache side up. If you do not have a reservoir large enough to soak an entire form, soak the fl oral foam in stages, allowing each section of foam to become completely saturated. Al- ternatively, place the form foam side down, with the plastic wrapper intact, on a fl at surface, and cut a small hole in the backside of the wrapper. Pour water into the wrapper through the hole, and let the foam hydrate slowly. REMEMBER: It takes no more than 2 minutes to soak OASIS ® Mache forms, and never leave a form in water for more than 20 minutes. 4. Attach the easel. Place the hydrated Mache form on a work surface, Mache side up, and insert a zip tie through the straws in each pair of holes—down through one hole and back up through the adjacent hole. Place the form onto an easel, and tighten each zip tie around an easel leg. For additional security, place a wood pick under each zip tie, on the fl oral-foam side of the form. 5. Create the design. Lay the Mache-backed form on the work surface, with the easel folded behind it. This will not only keep the mechanics intact but also contain much of the displaced water as you design. When complete, open the easel and set it on the fl oor over a bucket, to catch the displaced water from the design; dripping will stop in a short while. Check the fi nished design to make sure the fl owers and foliage have the visual im- pact you want when it is viewed upright on the easel. 4. Attach the easel. Place the hydrated Mache form on a work surface, Mache side up, and insert a zip tie through the straws in each pair of holes—down through one hole and back up through the adjacent hole. Place the form onto an Things You Need to Know About Mache Backed Forms 5

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