Mini Flower Arrangements

There is no doubt that large flower arrangements make a statement!

 

 

 

 

 

This lovely Mother's Day arrangement was designed by Sweetwater Floral and delivered to a deserving Mother.

I was able to fill several other containers with the leftover flowers.

Over the next week and a half these extra arrangements have brightened up my house.

Now.....alas....as the roses and lilacs faded and drooped...they were removed.

The greenery (salal and ruscus) still look great.

The carnations are doing what carnations do.....lasting for an amazing length of time.

The little white rice flowers dried up, but still look nice.

I can never throw out flowers that still look good.

I decided to make a bunch of tiny little arrangements to use the salvaged blooms.

The first step was to find some mini vases.

Then a trip outside to find a few additional flowers and filler greens.

Not much is blooming because it has been so blasted cool and rainy here.

I did some pre-emptive trimming of the bedding plants.  I know if I do this, it will encourage these flowers to branch out and set more blooms.

Now the fun begins.

These mini bouquets in mini vases don't need floral foam or frogs.  The greenery supports the stems.

 Hard to believe that all seven of these little mini vases were created with old flowers and a few garden blooms.

They are little bright spots all over the house....

Lessons for you:

You can use all the flowers from your big flower arrangements long after some of the flowers are droopy.

You can take small blossoms and greens from your garden.

Flowers make any space a little better!

Have A Great Day!

It's All About that VASE!

You need the right vase for your flowers.  

The container you choose makes a big difference when you are arranging flowers. 

The right vase compliments the flowers and the wrong one works against them.

Most people have a cupboard or shelf with a few vases.

I have to admit that I have a bit of an obsession with vases of all shapes and sizes.   I rationalize that I NEED them for the Sweetwater Floral business.....BUT....it is really because I love to have options when I arrange flowers.

 I thought I would share my favorite vases and where to find them on the "cheap"!

Basic Glass Containers

The dollar store is a fabulous place to find simple glass containers.
The cylinder, bowl and square vases are bargains.

You also may have lots of these saved from bouquets you have received over the years.

A simple bunch of carnations in a round dollar store vase can have a lot of impact for around $5.00.  

Using glass beads (also a dollar store buy) in the glass squares is a simple way to anchor your stems.

Would you believe that this is just a basic dollar store cylinder?  Yup....with a couple of bands of gold "duct" tape...they look pretty elegant.   The bands of "gold" also hide the stems.

Ceramic Vases

Ceramic containers are great to use because you don't have to worry about the stems of your flowers showing.  They are great to use with floral foam or other support structures.

Thrift stores are a great source for these.  Look for collectible brands like Haeger, Fitz and Floyd or McCoy.  They have a fun mid-century vibe.

There is really no limit to the shapes of ceramic vases.

I collect off-white and white Haeger and McCoy interspersed with some IKEA!!!

Metal Containers

Thrift stores have amazing options when it comes to metal containers.  

Some of my favorites are silverplate, copper and galvanized tin.

My all time favorite containers are these silverplate loving cups.  The urn shape makes them easy to use to arrange flowers.  They are also the perfect size for a 6 inch flowering plant.  There is something so elegant about the shape...and who doesn't love silver? I found all THREE of my silver urns at the thrift shop. 

 French garden buckets are another iconic shape.  Big or small ones make perfect containers for a hand tied bouquet or more elaborate statement arrangements. I love the plain galvanized metal, but I often see them at the thrift store in really fun colors or with rustic stencils.

Here are some great resources about how to decide what vase for what flowers.  

Fifty Flowers has advice and "recipes" for 10 vase shapes.

More recipes for arrangements for the Koch blog

Probably more than you want to know....but this is a pretty page with almost any shaped vase and gorgeous flower arrangements for Goop.

There you have it....all about the vase!
Hope you buy some flowers and arrange them today!
Trust me...it will make your day!