If you think a cross form only means one design option, it's time to rethink that assumption.

The new OASIS® DesignForms™ Cross comes in a 20" size and a 40" size. It's built with a plastic backing instead of the mache backing you may be used to. That single change opens up more design flexibility and more ways to serve a grieving family, all from one product. But this piece is about more than the form itself. It's a chance to talk about what good sympathy work really looks like - from the design bench, to the funeral home, to the family's home months later.

One Shape, Several Layouts

This form works just like you'd expect for a standing cross. If you're mounting it on an easel, use a floral knife to twist a hole at your preferred hanging point, then lock the foam in securely with waterproof tape. The plastic sits tight to the foam and is black, so it's easier to cover and hide as you create your piece. That's the design most of us already know how to do, and it’s a classic for a reason.

But the plastic backing is where this form starts to earn its keep - try laying it flat! A few practical advantages show up the moment you try it:

● It lays flat as well as it stands. The perpendicular lines create a sturdy base, making it a reliable alternative to a traditional urn surround.

● Funeral directors notice the difference. The form is easy to deliver and move, which the funeral staff appreciate on a busy, time-sensitive schedule.

● It holds water better, so the design lasts longer for the family and for you. And the plastic won't transfer moisture the way other materials can.

Design & photo by: Kelsey Thompson AIFD, PFCI

Designing With Intention

The cross shape naturally creates corners and spaces that are perfect for an urn or a photo to rest in. The key is to place your stems with purpose instead of overstuffing. Too many blooms and you’ll lose your shape. Try designing in groupings with some negative space built in. It's not just a budget move - it adds visual interest and gives the eye somewhere to travel.

Negative space isn't empty space in a sympathy piece, it's part of what makes the piece feel calm rather than crowded. A simple rule of thumb for making groupings look natural: uneven pairings. If you place one carnation in an area, give it a second one, but at a different height or depth. Sisters, not twins.

Once you get comfortable designing this way, it also speeds up production. Place all your larkspur, then all your carnations, then your roses, moving through the design by variety instead of by section. That matters a lot in sympathy work, since you're often designing under real time pressure. Add in some negative space, and you’ll have lots of design bang for your product buck, all while keeping the focus on the urn or keepsake items.

Products used: Iglu® Grande Holder and OASIS® Bindwire in Natural

Designing for the Service Type

Not every sympathy piece is serving the same kind of event, and it's worth designing with that in mind. A traditional service often calls for one formal focal piece, the kind that reads well from across a sanctuary or chapel. A celebration of life tends to ask for something different. The setting is warmer and more personal. The flowers are seen up close, meant to be walked around and lingered near rather than viewed from a pew.

This is where a flexible form earns its place in your cooler. The corners created by this cross shape can hold an urn or a photo on one side, and personal items or even a small plant on the other. For a celebration of life, place two or three of these forms end to end for a full tablescape, or turn one lengthwise for a unique guestbook table design. Place photos or candles in the spaces naturally created by corners and angles.

They also work well as a memorial table piece for weddings. (A good reminder that sympathy design skills carry over into other parts of your business more often than we give them credit for.) Thinking through the service type before you even start designing is a small shift that makes a noticeable difference. From there, the shape is yours to play with:

Want more of an L-shape? Add more visual weight to the short side. The form stays physically balanced, so you can build height on the side and back pieces without worrying about it tipping.

Design & photo by: Kelsey Thompson AIFD, PFCI

Prefer a T-shape? Keep the design more symmetrical, especially useful when a family has other mementos to display. Use taller flowers at the intersection, with trailing or lower flowers along the front (short cross) piece for an organic look.

Design & photo by: Kelsey Thompson AIFD, PFCI

Want a waterfall effect? Lay the cross with the long end facing the front, then use flowing fresh product like springeri or amaranthus for drama and drape. For a fuller look, attach a length of OASIS® Cylinder Garland to the front. The top half of the cross is heavy enough to keep your waterfall secure.

Design & photo by: Kelsey Thompson AIFD, PFCI

The Secondary Sale

Here's where this form does something most sympathy pieces can't: it's reusable.

Once the initial design has run its course, the OASIS® Floral Foam can be replaced with SAHARA® II Dry Foam, and the piece can be rebuilt using permanent botanicals. The result is a lasting keepsake, a way to hold onto a tangible reminder long after the service has ended. For some families, that piece becomes something they visit at the cemetery on birthdays or anniversaries for years to come. For others, it becomes a piece of home decor or a seasonal accent they bring out year after year to remember their loved one.

That emotional value is exactly why this option is worth introducing gently. Here are a few ways to do that without it feeling like a sales pitch:

● Mention it naturally during the consultation as simply one more option available to them, not a decision they need to make right away.

● Let families know they can pre-pay for it in advance if they'd like to book it as part of a package.

● If the moment doesn't feel right during the initial consultation, a call or note a few weeks later works just as well. Let them know you’ll be reaching out as part of your standard follow-up process, and encourage them to keep or return the form to you.

Dry foam inside OASIS® DesignForms™ Cross backing

Silk design & photo by: Kelsey Thompson AIFD, PFCI

Four Ways to Serve, Four Ways to Grow

A traditional standing cross. A flat tribute piece. A full tablescape. A keepsake sale. All from the same form.

But underneath all four of those design options is something bigger: a chance to serve families with more than just a beautiful arrangement for a single day. A chance to build a lasting relationship and trust with your clients. That's what good sympathy work has always been about, long before any particular product made it easier to do.

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