How Vases Enhance The Floral Beauty Of Flower Arrangements

People like to smile. 

Therefore, why not pair two objects you don’t expect to like each other and find some chemistry?

Here is what I did with this winter-themed vase that I keep in my kitchen from Christmas through the spring. When spring comes, I just update it with lighter brighter colors. 

Notice that the base is a CAKE stand. I bought it at T.J. Maxx. 

Lesson No. 1.  Cake stands often have interesting motifs. Collect them. The legs here made me laugh and reminded me of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.”  Always a good start. This cake stand also has perfect colors for the season. So, it is literally my base, my starting point.

Lesson No. 2 Find something that matches. I had a pretty green-and-red planter.  Putting them together creates a sculptural piece.  The cost? Each was $15. 

That was easy, now I fill it with whatever strikes my fancy. 

Here’s are some tips to save money.

● Use greens and faux flowers for the bottom to literally create a skirt around the cake stand. 

● You can use a tall glass instead of a vase to create height and dazzle with fresh flowers; a few trailing tendrils or hanging greens will disguise your economizing. 

You can also use this technique with other arrangements.  Here was some greenery planted in a plain wooden rectangle.  Then I took a bud vase and put in a few roses.

Ta ta.

Just three roses – THREE – updated the look. This is what I call accessorizing your little black dress. Greens are inexpensive and abundant. You don’t need huge bouquets to make a statement.

Here is another example of taking two items and putting them together in unexpected ways. A flower petal salad bowl I have becomes a centerpiece when I put a candy bowl in it.  I piled apples and some vines into the candy bowl.  Later I put more fruit and flowers around the rim for a fall dinner with apples as the theme.

All you need is a joie de vivre and a little spark of creativity to improve anything.

– Jill