Patent ID: 8161717

Claim:
A method of shipping a floral easel for holding a floral object, the method comprising the steps of: providing a floral easel for holding a floral object, the floral easel comprising: at least three legs, each of the at least three legs having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the at least three legs being associated with one another at an apex, whereby the at least three legs are moveable with respect to one another about the apex such that the at least three legs are moveable from a collapsed position to an opened position and from an opened position to a collapsed position, and wherein a portion of each of the at least three legs are disposed substantially adjacent one another in the collapsed position and wherein a portion of each of the at least three legs are spaced a distance away from each other in the opened position whereby the at least three legs form a substantially upright pyramidal configuration when the at least three legs are in the opened position with the second end of each of the at least three legs engaging a substrate; a bracing assembly for releasably holding the at least three legs in the open position, wherein the bracing assembly comprises: a first arm having a first end pivotally connected to a first leg and a second end pivotally and slidably connected to a second leg; and a second arm having a first end pivotally connected to a third leg and a second end pivotally and slidably connected to the second leg, the first arm and the second arm being moveable relative to one another about the second leg; a reinforcing member having a first end pivotally connected to the first leg and a second end pivotally and slidably connected to the third leg; and a support member capable of holding the floral object adjacent the floral easel; collapsing the at least three legs of the floral easel into the collapsed position; and shipping the floral easel to a predetermined location.