Elegant Dried Corn Shuck Arrangements

One of my favorite foods is corn on the cob. I often save the shucks and corn silks to use in decorating. Drying them is especially easy here in L. A. especially in summer. i lay them loosely on cardboard to dry or on cement outdoors. They dry beautifully, curling slightly in different directions and in varying tints of color from pale barely green to pale green, to yellow or of white, all perfect   for dry floral arrangements.  Once dried I arrange them in odd footed cups or vases, using seldom  or no longer used cups or glasses. Some shucks are long, some short so I match container sizes accordingly.   I use these on my dinner table, kitchen counter, even a small one on my dressing table in a tiny red vase I bought for about $1.00, at a thrift store years ago.  When I remove the shucks from my ears of corn, I take a little more time than normal so that each shuck remains intact, When dry if any are torn looking I shape them with regular scissors. Corn shucks are naturally tapered and beautifully shaped so unless torn are ready for arranging.   I have a lovely tall clear tapered footed vase that lends itself naturally to the size and shape of the arranged shucks.    Once I had saved a really large box of shucks  I started cutting the leaves (shucks) off  about 1 and 1/2 inches or so above where the shucks would normally be broken away from the end of the corn cob. The result when dried, looks like expensive dried pale green, or slightly yellow beige roses. The color will vary. I tossed these ends that look like roses, into a green, old damaged plastic bowl. The "roses" cover the damaged portion of the bowl and I have a lovely arrangement.    Then I discovered that whenever I buy corn with a few inches of the stalk still attached and cut the leaves of the husk , leaving the 1 and 1/2  to 2 inch bottoms on I have stemmed roses, I had some dried corn silks. So I placed half a handful in a clear shot glass, they looked pale green and very pretty I added 2 of my stemmed corn "roses" and they looked so delicate and very elegant.