Simple Decor Refresh? Just Add Flowers
Don’t you just love getting your beautiful, fresh bunch of beautiful flowers delivered? What?! This doesn’t happen to you on the regular?
Instead of waiting on that delivery, get the diy version of that feeling- easy peasy. Enjoying fresh flowers is about as easy as grabbing some of your favorite blooms and a jar… ok, maybe just a few more steps. But oh so worth it, and it almost feels therapeutic to work with these magnificent nature gems. (If you want the super simple option, though, I have an idea for you at the end.)
Step 1
Choose your stems: I generally go for 3 flower varieties when I’m trying to make a quick bouquet. There are a couple ways you could do this:
Let the blooms speak to you… does something catch your eye? You're drawn to one in particular? Go with it!
Have a theme… think of a painting, a tablescape, or the season. Have a few colors in mind and pick from that. Can’t think of one? Enter Pinterest, or Instagram. When in doubt a monochromatic combo is always gorgeous.
I try to have a balance of shapes- maybe a round and open/loose bloom (think hydrangea or peony) with a formed shape with more structure (like a rose, or even a daisy or lily), mixed with a conical, taller bloom (like stock or snapdragons).
You can definitely go with all blooms, but I love to add a beautiful green or two. Italian ruscus has that hearty classic leaf shape in a brilliant green- always gorgeous or go for a drapey silver dollar eucalyptus… bonus for the beautiful scent.
Step 2
Snip off any thorns and pull any offshoots from your stems that will be submerged in water. You don’t want leaves submerged in water as they’ll risk rotting and it’ll shorten the life of your flowers.
Give them a fresh cut (typically on an angle) with sharp scissors or a knife. Beware of crushing the stem with your cut… this is how they’ll suck up their water and keep their liveliness!
Step 3
Choose your vase. Rule of thumb is your stems will be 1.5x the height of your vase. You can always put a jar of flowers into another vessel too if it isn’t meant to hold water! This is one of my favorite tricks.
Start with your larger blooms.
Add in your next size in groups of 3 to keep it balanced.
Add in some greenery for final texture and depth.
Don’t be afraid to play around… spin your vase, see what it looks like from different angles.
Voila!
Want to stretch the life of your bouquet?
Change the water at least every 3 days and give the blooms a fresh cut. As certain flowers start to lose their luster, pull them from the bouquet. Some flowers, like tulips, will really grow a lot after they’re cut so I usually trim those every other day to keep them from getting too droopy.
Need simpler?
You know I’m a LOVER of plants, and I love a mix of cut greens too. Nothing is simpler than this…
Pick up some greens at the supermarket. My favorite go-tos are Eucalyptus, Italian Ruscus or Myrtle. A lot of times these are inexpensive and easy to find- usually used as a filler for bouquets.
I find it easiest to arrange them in my hand and adjust the stems to the lengths I like (depending on the vase or jar I’ve chosen). Then I either wrap them in a rubber band or eye the point I want to make the cut. Then, snip and into the *water! Aside from being incredibly easy, the added bonus is that these can often last for weeks. My last bunch of Italian ruscus looked good for over a month!! Just change the water every few days, give a snip here and there and you’re good.
Going with a greenery bunch also allows your vessel to shine- stick your greens in a ball jar with water and then place it inside of your gorgeous decorative ginger jar!
And there you have it! An instant mood boost and a beautiful addition to your space. ALL rooms look better with a little life added, and flowers and greenery are a wonderful way to do just that.
Enjoy! 🌸🌷🌼
