US20050199523A1 - Methods of making and using a corsage bag - Google Patents

Abstract

A bag capable of displaying and protecting an item during shipping, transportation, handling and/or display. The bag is fabricated from at least one sheet of material which is formed into a tubular sheath having a heat-sealable bonding material disposed solely on portions of the tubular sheath of material so as to bondingly hold the tubular sheath of material in a bag-like configuration. The portions of the tubular sheath having the heat-sealable bonding material thereon may be configured as either lap or fin seals or combinations thereof. There is also provided methods for producing such a bag and methods for its use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/660,045, filed Sep. 10, 2003, entitled “METHODS OF MAKING AND USING A CORSAGE BAG”, which is a continuation of copending U.S. Ser. No. 10/098,671, filed Mar. 13, 2002, entitled “METHODS OF MAKING AND USING A CORSAGE BAG,” which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/548,164, filed Apr. 13, 2000, entitled “ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME;” which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/455,275, filed Dec. 6, 1999, entitled “ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME,” now abandoned.
• This application is also a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. Ser. No. 10/375,883, filed Feb. 27, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,695, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,471, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,962, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,912, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,695, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,233, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,048, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,939, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,605.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates generally to a bag and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a bag that is capable of encompassing an item such as a corsage. The present invention also relates to methods of making such a bag as well as methods for its use.
• 2. Brief Summary of the Related Art
• Bags and processes for producing bags are well known in the art. In the past, such bags required numerous seals, folds, and adhesive material covering the blank of material from which the bag was formed. The materials involved in such a process and article can be quite costly and cause the bag to be economically unfeasible for use. Therefore, new and improved bags and methods for producing such bags requiring less material and adhesive are being sought.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a pictorial plan view of a sheet of material employed to form a bag in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of an articulated form of a bag of the present invention formed from the sheet of material ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a pictorial plan view of another sheet of material employed to form a bag in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a pictorial representation of an articulated form of a bag of the present invention formed from the sheet of material ofFIG. 3.
• FIG. 5 is a pictorial plan view of another sheet of material employed to form a bag in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of an articulated form of a bag of the present invention formed from the sheet of material ofFIG. 5.
• FIG. 7 is a pictorial plan view of yet another sheet of material employed to form a bag in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 8 is a pictorial representation of an articulated form of a bag of the present invention formed from the sheet of material ofFIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• According to the present invention, a bag is provided for encasing an item, such as a corsage. Broadly, the bag is constructed from a sheet of material having a bonding material disposed on isolated and individualized sections of the sheet of material. Once the bonding material is on the sheet of material, it is articulated into a bag having fin and/or lap seams at the point of sealing. In one embodiment, the bonding material may be a heat sealable lacquer which is applied to isolated and individualized sections of the sheet of material.
• Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly toFIG. 1, shown therein and designated byreference numeral5 is a sheet of material. The sheet ofmaterial5 is articulated into abag10 as shown inFIG. 2.
• The term “sheet of material” when used herein means at least one flexible sheet of material. The thickness of the sheet of material may vary, but generally the sheet of material will have a thickness in a range from about 0.0002 mil to about 30 mil, and more desirably from about 0.01 mil to about 20 mil. The sheet of material may be any material capable of being articulated into a bag configuration, such as polymeric film, foil, paper, tissue, laminations and combinations thereof. The sheet of material may have a substantially textured surface. The term “paper” as used herein, means treated or untreated paper, corrugated paper or cardboard or any other form of paper material. The term “polymeric film” means a synthetic polymer such as polypropylene or a naturally occurring polymer such as cellophane. A polymeric film is relatively strong and not as subject to tearing as might be the case with paper or foil.
• When the sheet of material is a polymeric film, a flexible sheet of liquified thermoplastic film can be extruded from an extruder in a conventional and well known manner. The flexible sheet of liquified thermoplastic film can be passed through a cooler which cools the liquified thermoplastic film into a sheet of solidified thermoplastic film, i.e. the sheet of material. The sheet of material may also be formed of two or more sheets of material which have been laminated or adhesively connected to one another.
• The sheet of material may also vary in color. Further, the sheet of material may be provided with designs or decorative patterns which are printed, etched, and/or embossed therein using inks or other printing materials. When printed and embossed, the design or decorative patterns may be in register, may be out of register, or may be partially in register and partially out of register. An example of an ink which may be applied to the surface of the sheet of material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,706 entitled “Water Based Ink on Foil and/or Synthetic Organic Polymer” issued to Kingman on Sep. 15, 1992 and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, the sheet of material may have various colorings, flocking and/or metallic finishes, or other decorative surface ornamentation applied separately or simultaneously or may be characterized totally or partially by pearlescent, translucent, transparent, iridescent or the like qualities. Each of the above named characteristics may occur alone or in combination. The sheet of material may also be opaque, translucent, partially clear, and/or tinted yet having some transparency.
• As shown inFIG. 1, the sheet ofmaterial5 has afirst surface30, thefirst surface30 having afirst edge portion40, asecond edge portion50, and athird edge portion55. Abonding material58 is disposed on a portion of thefirst surface30 such that thebonding material58 extends along thefirst edge portion40, thesecond edge portion50, and thethird edge portion55 substantially as shown inFIG. 1. Thus, the first, second, andthird edge portions40,50, and55 of thefirst surface30 define areas ofadhesion57. The remaining portion of the sheet ofmaterial5, which is free of adhesive, defines a substantiallyopen area59 which does not have thebonding material58 thereon.
• Thebonding material58 may be disposed in a continuous manner across the entirety of thefirst edge portion40, thesecond edge portion50, and thethird edge portion55 of thefirst surface30. In an alternative embodiment, thebonding material58 may be selectively applied in such a manner as to not completely cover thefirst edge portion40, thesecond edge portion50, and thethird edge portion55. In this embodiment, thebonding material58 may be applied as a plurality of dots, strips, or dabs of thebonding material58 which are applied to alternating areas of thefirst edge portion40, thesecond edge portion50, and thethird edge portion55. Furthermore, thebonding material58 can be applied in any geometric form and in any pattern. In any event, it is to be appreciated that thebonding material58 is not applied to the entirety of the sheet ofmaterial5, but rather to selective parts of the sheet ofmaterial5 to leave theopen area59 on thefirst surface30 of the sheet ofmaterial5.
• Thebonding material58 may be applied to the sheet ofmaterial5 in any manner which allows for the timely and economical placement of thebonding material58 onto the sheet ofmaterial5. For example, thebonding material58 may be printed onto the sheet ofmaterial5 by brushes, rollers, wires, sponges, and/or other mechanical and/or automated processes. Furthermore, thebonding material58 may be printed onto the sheet ofmaterial5 with a jet printer, such as an ink jet printing apparatus. In any event, any mechanical or automated process which allows for the correct placement of thebonding material58 onto the sheet ofmaterial5 is contemplated for use.
• The term “bonding material” may be any material capable of bondingly holding at least two surfaces in a substantially adjacent position. The bonding material may be a hot stamped adhesive, a pressure adhesive, a hot melt adhesive, a water-proof adhesive, a cohesive, a heat sealable lacquer and combinations thereof. The term “heat sealable lacquer” as used herein means a coating substance consisting of resinous materials, such as cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, shellac, gum, alkyd resins and the like, which are dissolved in a solvent that evaporates rapidly on application such as ethyl alcohol, thereby leaving a tough, adherent film. Lacquers which are useful in the present invention maybe mixtures, such as lacquers produced by mixing styrene-acrylic emulsions, such as Lucidene 603 and Lucidene 395 (Morton International, Inc., 100 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Ill. 60606) with a non-ionic surfactant, such as Sufynol 465 (Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., 751 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown, Pa. 18195-1501) and ammonia (G.S. Robbins and Company, 126 Chateau Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. 63102). The lacquer produced as described above may also contain a wax emulsion in water, such as Liquitron 440 (Carrol Scientific, Inc., 5401 S. Dansher Road, Countryside, Ill. 60525).
• As stated above, thebonding material58 may be an adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, or a cohesive. Where thebonding material58 is a cohesive, a similar cohesive material must be placed on both surfaces which are to be bonded together. As stated above, thebonding material58 may be heat sealable and in this instance, the adjacent portions of the materials must be brought into contact and then heat must be applied to affect the seal. The lacquers described above are but one type of thebonding material58 which is heat sealable. Thebonding material58 may also be a material which is sonic sealable and vibratory sealable. In the case of one type of heat sealable lacquer, the heat sealable lacquer may be applied to a sheet ofmaterial5 and then heat, sound waves, or vibrations are then applied to effect the sealing.
• The term “bonding material” also includes any heat or chemically shrinkable material, static, electrical or other electrical, magnetic, mechanical or barb-type fastening or clamps, curl-type characteristics of the film and the materials in a sheet of material which cause the sheet of material to take on certain shapes, and any type of welding method which may weld the sheet of material into an articulated bag.
• The sheet ofmaterial5 may further include at least one scent, thebonding material58 may also include a scent, or both the sheet ofmaterial5 and thebonding material58 may include a scent. The scent may be incorporated into the structure of the sheet ofmaterial5 during the fabrication of the sheet ofmaterial5 or may be applied to the sheet ofmaterial5 after it has been manufactured and before the sheet ofmaterial5 is articulated into the bag of the present invention, such as bag10 (FIG. 2). The scent may also be applied to thebag10 of the present invention after it has been articulated from the sheet ofmaterial5. Examples of scents utilized herein include floral scents (flower blossoms or other portions of plants), food scents (chocolate, sugar, fruits), herb or spice scents (cinnamon), and the like. Additional examples of scents include flowers (i.e. roses, daisies, lilacs), plants (i.e. fruits, vegetables, grasses, and trees), foods (i.e. candies, cookies, cake), food condiments (i.e. honey, sugar, salt), herbs, spices, woods, roots, and the like, or any combinations of the foregoing. Such scents are known in the art and commercially available.
• The scent may be applied to the sheet ofmaterial5 by spraying the scent thereon, painting the scent thereon, brushing the scent thereon, lacquering the scent thereon, immersing sheet of material the5 in a scent-containing liquid, exposing the sheet ofmaterial5 to the scent containing gas or any combination thereof. The scent may also be incorporated onto the sheet ofmaterial5 during the manufacture, extrusion, and/or lamination of the sheet ofmaterial5.
• When articulated, the sheet ofmaterial5 forms a generally tubular sheath, indicated byreference numeral60 shown inFIG. 2. Thetubular sheath60 is provided with aninterior surface70, anexterior surface80, aend top90, and abottom end100. Thetubular sheath60 is articulated from the sheet ofmaterial5 by folding the sheet ofmaterial5 over and onto itself such that thefirst edge portion40 of the sheet ofmaterial5 is substantially adjacent thesecond edge portion50 thereof. As shown inFIG. 2, where thefirst edge portion40 is adjacent thesecond edge portion50, a first area ofengagement120 is defined. When the sheet ofmaterial5 is folded over and onto itself, thethird edge portion55 folds over and onto itself as well, thereby defining a second area ofengagement130. The first area ofengagement120 is exaggerated in size inFIG. 2 for purpose of description and it should be appreciated that the first area ofengagement120, in practice, may be substantially smaller and less noticeable. The first area ofengagement120 is generally shaped and sized as a fin seal—i.e., thefirst edge portion40 is directly adjacent and in alignment with thesecond edge portion50. The first area ofengagement120 also has an amount of thebonding material58 disposed between thefirst edge portion40 and thesecond edge portion50 of the sheet ofmaterial5 for affecting a seal therebetween. When sealed in this manner, the sheet ofmaterial5 is articulated into thetubular sheath60 having a fin seal seam, defined generally by the first area ofengagement120.
• As stated above, the second area ofengagement130 is created by thethird edge portion55 being folded over onto itself. Through the creation of the second area ofengagement130, thebottom end100 of thetubular sheath60 is generally flattened. An amount of thebonding material58, which is disposed on thethird edge portion55, is thus operably interspersed in the second area ofengagement130 such that thebottom end100 is substantially closed. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, thebottom end100 is sealed in a fin seal manner generally along the second area ofengagement130.
• Thus, as shown inFIG. 2, when the first and second areas ofengagement120,130 have been articulated and bondingly sealed, thebag10 is formed. Thebag10 defines aninterior retaining space140 which is suitable for holding and retaining an item, such as a floral grouping or acorsage141. Thus, thetop end90 of thebag10 is in a substantially open and unobstructed configuration prior to an item being placed in theinterior retaining space140 of thebag10 and thetop end90 coordinates with theinterior retaining space140 to provide egress to theinterior retaining space140. After an item is placed in theinterior retaining space140, thetop end90 may be crimped, folded, stapled, glued and/or mechanically closed in any manner whatsoever which allows for the retention of the item within theinterior retaining space140 of thebag10.
• In an alternative embodiment of the invention, shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, abag10A (FIG. 4) is formed from a sheet ofmaterial5A (FIG. 3) having afirst surface30A and asecond surface150. Thefirst surface30A includes afirst edge portion40A and asecond edge portion50A. Thesecond surface150 includes athird edge portion55A. Thethird edge portion55A does not extend the entire length of anoutside edge160 located on thesecond surface150 of the sheet ofmaterial5A: rather, thethird edge portion55A extends generally to amidpoint165 of the sheet ofmaterial5A, with themidpoint165 being indicated generally by a dashed line shown inFIG. 3. Abonding material58A is disposed on at least a portion of the first, second, andthird edge portions40A,50A, and55A, respectively. Thus, the first, second, andthird edge portions40A,50A, and55A, respectively, define areas of adhesion57A. The remaining portion of the sheet ofmaterial5A which is free of adhesive defines a substantially open area59A which does not have thebonding material58A thereon.
• Still referring toFIG. 4, when articulated, the sheet of material5A forms a generallytubular sheath60A, having aninterior surface70A, anexterior surface80A, atop end90A, and abottom end100A. Thetubular sheath60A is articulated from the sheet ofmaterial5A by folding the sheet ofmaterial5A over and onto itself such that thefirst edge portion40A is substantially adjacent thesecond edge portion50A. The sheet ofmaterial5A is folded generally along themidpoint165 when forming thetubular sheath60A.
• As shown inFIG. 4, when thebag10A is articulated, i.e. where thefirst edge portion40A is adjacent thesecond edge portion50A, a first area ofengagement120A is generally defined. Also, when thebag10A is articulated, thethird edge portion55A is folded up toward thetop end90A such that thethird edge portion55A bondingly engages theexterior surface80A of thetubular sheath60A, and thereby defines a second area ofengagement130A. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the first area ofengagement120A is generally sized and shaped as a fin seal—i.e. thefirst edge portion40A is adjacent thesecond edge portion50A. Thebonding material58A is located between thefirst edge portion40A and thesecond edge portion50A of the sheet ofmaterial5A such that first andsecond edge portions40A and50A are bondingly connected to one another so as to form the fin seal where the fin seal is generally defined by the first area ofengagement120A.
• The second area ofengagement130A is generally characterized as being defined by a lap seal, i.e., thethird edge portion55A is folded up toward thetop end90A such that thethird edge portion55A bondingly engages theexterior surface80A of thetubular sheath60A. By creating this lap seal at the second area ofengagement130A, thebottom end100A is substantially flattened and closed, thereby providing thetubular sheath60A having two sealed areas ofengagement120A,130A, respectively, and the substantially opentop end90A.
• Thus, as shown inFIG. 4, when the first and second areas ofengagement120A,130A have been articulated and bondingly sealed thebag10A is formed. Thebag10A has aninterior retaining space140A which is suitable for holding and retaining an item, such as a floral grouping or a corsage141A. Thetop end90A is in a substantially open and unobstructed configuration prior to an item being placed within theinterior retaining space140A. After an item, is placed in theinterior retaining space140A, thetop end90A may be crimped, folded, stapled, and/or mechanically closed in any manner whatsoever which allows for the retention of the item in theinterior retaining space140A.
• In another embodiment of the present invention, shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, abag10B (FIG. 6) is formed from a sheet ofmaterial5B. The sheet ofmaterial5B has afirst surface30B and asecond surface150B. Thefirst surface30B includes afirst edge portion40B and asecond edge portion50B. Thesecond surface150B includes athird edge portion55B. Abonding material58B is disposed on at least a portion of thefirst edge portion40B, thesecond edge portion50B, as well as on thethird edge portion55B. Thus, the first, second andthird edge portions40B,50B,55B, respectively, define areas ofadhesion57B. The remaining portion of the sheet ofmaterial5B which is free of adhesive defines a substantiallyopen area59B which does not have thebonding material58B thereon.
• When articulated, the sheet ofmaterial5B forms a generallytubular sheath60B. Thetubular sheath60B further includes aninterior surface70B, anexterior surface80B, atop end90B, and abottom end100B.
• Thetubular sheath60B is articulated from the sheet ofmaterial5B by folding the sheet ofmaterial5B over and onto itself such that thesecond edge portion50B overlaps and is substantially adjacent thethird edge portion55B. As shown inFIG. 6, where thesecond edge portion50B overlaps thethird edge portion55B, a first area ofengagement120B is defined. When the sheet ofmaterial5B is folded, thefirst edge portion40B is folded onto itself and defines a second area ofengagement130B.
• The first area ofengagement120B is generally sized and shaped as a lap seal, i.e., thethird edge portion55B is adjacent thesecond edge portion50B. The first area ofengagement120B also has an amount of thebonding material58B disposed between thethird edge portion55B and thesecond edge portion50B. Thebonding material58B holds and seals thesecond edge portion50B adjacent thethird edge portion55B. When folded and sealed in this manner, the sheet ofmaterial5B is articulated into thetubular sheath60B having a lap-seal seam. This lap seal is defined generally by the first area ofengagement120B.
• As stated above, the second area ofengagement130B is created by thefirst edge portion40B being folded over and onto itself. Through the articulation of the second area ofengagement130B, thebottom end100B of thetubular sheath60B is generally flattened. Thebonding material58B, which is disposed on thefirst edge portion40B, is thus operably interspersed within the second area ofengagement130B such that the flattenedbottom end100B of thetubular sheath60B is held and sealed by thebonding material58B. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, thebottom end100B of thetubular sheath60B is sealed in a fin seal manner generally along the second area ofengagement130B.
• Thus, as shown inFIG. 6, when the first and second areas ofengagement120B and130B have been articulated and bondingly sealed, thebag10B is formed. Thebag10B has aninterior retaining space140B which is suitable for holding and retaining an item, such as a floral grouping or a corsage141B. Thetop end90B is in a substantially open and unobstructed configuration prior to an item being placed in theinterior retaining space140B. After an item is placed in theinterior retaining space140B, thetop end90B may be crimped, folded, stapled, curved, and/or mechanically closed in any manner whatsoever which allows for the retention of the item within theinterior retaining space140B.
• In an additional embodiment of the present invention, shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, abag10C is formed from a sheet ofmaterial5C. The sheet ofmaterial5C has afirst surface30C and asecond surface150C. Thefirst surface30C includes afirst edge portion40C. Thesecond surface150C includes asecond edge portion50C and athird edge portion55C. Thethird edge portion55C does not extend along the entire length of anoutside edge160C of thesecond surface150C; rather, thethird edge portion55C extends generally to amidpoint165C of the sheet ofmaterial5C, with themidpoint165C being indicated generally by a dashed line inFIG. 7.
• Abonding material58C is applied to at least a portion of the first, second, andthird edge portions40C,50C, and55C, respectively. Thus, the first, second andthird edge portions40C,50C, and55C, respectively, define areas ofadhesion57C. The remaining portion of the sheet ofmaterial5C which is free of adhesive defines a substantiallyopen area59C which does not have thebonding material58C thereon.
• When articulated, the sheet ofmaterial5C forms a generallytubular sheath60C, having aninterior surface70C, anexterior surface80C, atop end90C, and abottom end100C.
• Thetubular sheath60C is articulated from the sheet ofmaterial5C by folding the sheet ofmaterial5C over and onto itself such that thefirst edge portion40C overlaps and is substantially adjacent to thesecond edge portion50C. As shown inFIG. 8, where thefirst edge portion40C overlaps thesecond edge portion50C, a first area ofengagement120C is defined. During folding, thethird edge portion55C is folded over and onto itself defining a second area ofengagement130C.
• The first area ofengagement120C is generally sized and shaped as a lap seal, i.e., thefirst edge portion40C is adjacent thesecond edge portion50C. The first area ofengagement120C also has an amount of thebonding material58C disposed between thefirst edge portion40C and thesecond edge portion50C. Thebonding material58C holds and seals thefirst edge portion40C adjacent thesecond edge portion50C. When folded and sealed in this manner, the sheet ofmaterial5C is articulated into thetubular sheath60C having a lap seal seam. This lap seal seam is defined generally by the first area ofengagement120C.
• The second area ofengagement130C is generally formed into a lap seal, i.e., thethird edge portion55C is folded up and bonded to thetop end90C of thetubular sheath60C such that thethird edge portion55C bondingly engages theexterior surface80C of thetubular sheath60C. By creating this lap seal at the second area ofengagement130C, thebottom end100C of thetubular sheath60C is substantially flattened, closed, and sealed by thebonding material58C disposed on thethird edge portion55C. Thetubular sheath60C is thereby provided having the two sealed first and second areas ofengagement120C,130C and the substantially opentop end90C.
• Thus, as shown inFIG. 8, when the first and second areas ofengagement120C,130C have been articulated and bonded, thebag10C is formed. Thebag10C has aninterior retaining space140C which is suitable for holding and retaining an item, such as a floral grouping or a corsage141C. Thetop end90C is in a substantially open and unobstructed configuration prior to an item being placed in theinterior retaining space140C. After an item is placed in theinterior retaining space140C, thetop end90C may be crimped, folded, stapled, and/or mechanically closed in any manner whatsoever which allows for the retention of the item in theinterior retaining space140C.
• Thus it should be apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention a bag that fully satisfies the objectives and advantages set forth above. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. A bag having a floral grouping disposed therein, comprising:

a sheet of material folded to form a tubular sheath with a first portion engaging a second portion to define a first area of engagement, the tubular sheath having an interior surface, an exterior surface, an end top and a bottom end, the interior surface defining an interior retaining space, the bottom end of the tubular sheath being closed to define a second area of engagement;

a bonding material for sealing the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement wherein the bonding material for sealing the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement is disposed solely on the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement; and

a floral grouping held and retained in the interior retaining space.

2. The bag ofclaim 1, wherein the sheet of material has a thickness in a range of from 0.1 mil to about 30 mil.

3. The bag ofclaim 1, wherein the sheet of material is selected from the group consisting of treated or untreated paper, cellophane, metal foil, polymer film, non-polymer film, cardboard, fiber, cloth, burlap, laminations and combinations thereof.

4. A method for forming a bag having a floral grouping disposed therein, comprising the steps of:

providing a sheet of material, folded to form a tubular sheath with a first portion engaging a second portion to define a first area of engagement, the tubular sheath having an interior surface, an exterior surface, an end top and a bottom end, the interior surface defining an interior retaining space, the bottom end of the tubular sheath being closed to define a second area of engagement;

disposing a bonding material for sealing the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement wherein the binding material for sealing the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement is disposed solely on the first area of engagement and the second area of engagement; and

disposing a floral grouping in the inner retaining space.

5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein in the step of providing the sheet of material, the sheet of material has a thickness in a range of from 0.1 mil to about 30 mil.

6. The method ofclaim 4 wherein in the step of providing the sheet of material, the sheet of material is selected from the group consisting of treated or untreated paper, cellophane, metal foil, polymer film, non-polymer film, cardboard, fiber, cloth, burlap, laminations and combinations thereof.

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