Patent ID: 8122691

Claim:
A method of shipping a floral easel, comprising the steps of: providing a floral easel for holding a floral object, the floral easel comprising: at least three legs having a first end and a second end, the at least three legs intersected with one another to define a vertex, at least one of the at least three legs having an extended portion extending a distance beyond the vertex, each of the at least three legs moveable with respect to one another about the vertex 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, at least a portion of each of the at least three legs disposed substantially adjacent one another in the opened position and wherein a greater portion of each of the at least three legs are disposed substantially adjacent one another in the collapsed position than in the opened position, in the opened position at least a portion of each of the at least three legs spaced a distance from each other; a bracing assembly capable of holding the at least three legs in the opened position; a reinforcing member capable of holding at least two of the at least three legs in the opened position; and wherein the extended portion of at least one of the at least three legs is capable of holding the floral grouping on the floral easel; moving the at least three legs of the floral easel into the collapsed position; retaining the at least three legs in the collapsed position by engaging the legs with a retaining member capable of holding the at least three legs in the collapsed position, wherein the retaining member is attached to at least one of the reinforcing member, at least one of the at least three legs, and the bracing assembly; placing the floral easel into a shipping container; and shipping the container containing the floral easel to a predetermined location.