Question
I'm making an altar floral piece and have large sunflowers as the
focus, but several larges ones droop due to weight. Is there a
technique for stiffening the stem to hold the flower head more
upright? The arrangement only needs to last for one day. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Judy,
The best remedy for keeping heavy sunflowers upright is to wire them.
This would be an 18 gauge wire, which any floral supply or craft supply might carry.
It needs to be inserted against the stem right up into the back of the flower head. Then you can wrap the wire down the rest of the stem and twist the bottom to hold it in place.The flower heads should be staggered in your arrangement, using the smallest heads for height, and gradually getting larger towards the base.  This will keep it from appearing too top heavy. If the sunflowers are really heavy and large, they may be somewhat supported by the edge of your basket or container in the front. Wiring is always worth doing for peace of mind...I've seen them droop in just a day without them!
Best of luck
Peggy