Use What You Have Fall Arrangement

Oh so many years ago...20 in fact....one of my favorite TV shows was The Christopher Lowell Show.

 Do any of the rest of you remember this show?

It had to be one of the first home improvement, DIY, lifestyle shows.

I loved his quirky point of view and sense of style.
HMMM....sound like anyone you know?

I would have to say that many of the things that Christopher featured on his show are things that I still do.


One of those things I remember was the suggestion to copy the look of  hotel lobby floral arrangements.  These displays tend to be done on a grand scale.

This is a photo of the lobby of the hotel we stayed at in Manila...
I couldn't find the photo of the hotel lobby in Bangkok with the boat made entirely out of orchids!
That probably isn't something I could pull off....but it was gorgeous and certainly GRAND!

This week we had our family room, hallway, entryway and kitchen painted.


That meant taking every speck of "decor" down in those areas.









This photo is from the post I did about the RULES for a mantel.
I did this in April....so you know it was time for a change.

Once I took the tall dried materials out of the vases, it was time to  go into a "Use What I Have" mode.

This is the result!

I started with one of my favorite containers.



This is a Good Will find that usually has a green plant in it...

A chunk of chicken wire went into the bottom to support all of the sticks.
I love this technique because it is sturdy, cheap and almost disappears in the finished design.


Then it was just a matter of deconstructing the old mantel arrangement and going on a hunt for other things that would add to the tall dried stalks.

HMMM.....didn't I just write a post about preserving cattails?  (Yes...Mr. S.....the blood was worth it!)
Those cattails are a nice addition.
I also used the seed pods and lichens that have been plant accents for a couple of years.
The final touch is the dried green Hydrangeas tucked in to the base to completely cover the chicken wire.

My arrangement isn't quite as grand as these..... 

But I like it!
















Have A Wonderful Day!