Joyce, you could use empty plastic 1/2 gal. milk jugs to take up space if your basket is really large. If you need weight, fill with sand to be sure basket won't tip over. I've used milkjugs with top cut down and filled with sand in tall baskets to hold grass stems and dried flowers. I just poke stems directly in sand...but these are sturdier stems than you might be using. josh

Joyce,
Just spotted your question. Go to a dealer that sells carpeting. See if they will give you one of the long rolls that carpet is rolled on. Now, saw the carpet roll into lengths that just end below the top of the basket. Glue these together lengthwise, tying with string around all until glue sets. The width of your glued rolls should, of course, fit into the basket tightly. I think you can figure out what to do from that point to make arrangements. For shorter baskets use paper towel rolls.

I have done a number of permanent arrangements using this method, staggering the heights of the paper rolls, spray painting the cardboard rolls when glued together and letting them just stand, filled with flowers and a big bow tied around the base. Attractive and stable. Great for very long, very large displays. You can get very creative with this method.

Hi Joyce

If I am doing a large basket, I find a an inespensive filler is to use large pine cones. These fill up the basket and can pin your top foam in place.

They have the advantage of looking natural for any gaps etc.

Joan

Wad up newspaper and then cut a sheet of florist styrofoam to fit the inside of the basket and wedge and hot glue it into place and cover with moss.

Sahara or other dried flower foams and especially wet foam (Oasis) are often too delicate for large arrangements. You want the big sheets of styrofoam that are about 12" wide by 30" long and 2" thick they come in white and green.

Stuff the newspaper wads in tightly.

IF the basket has gaps, a lining of moss will conceal the mechanics.

This technique really works. I was a florist for over 20 years and spent some time at a very large volumn silk only shop who used this technique on hundreds of large baskets and pots.