There are many times when I get bored with my usual selection of vases. If you're someone (like me) who likes to get a lot of flowers, you probably have way too many of the same boring glass ones or colors that just don't work.
This Memorial Day I wanted to create a fun and funky arrangement with a great Americana vibe. Sadly, I get the sweats whenever I see those red, white, and blue grocery store bouquets with blue dyed carnations and glitter dipped chrysanthemums.
So I took a page from one my favorite designers, Laura Dowling (@lauradowlingtheflorist), the true queen of the container. Laura is a Former Chief Floral Designer for the White House during the Obama administration. Dowling doesn't just use everyday vases and containers, she crafts her own! Everything from moss to asparagus to flowers cover the bases of Laura's designs. Who wants to look at boring stems, when you ground your flowers with a fabulous floral, fabric or paper texture!?
I went to the local craft store for some inspiration and purchased a $4 vinyl tablecloth with a fantastic tie-dyed blue pattern, perfect for creating a ruffly and waterproof cover for my container.
I started by opening the tablecloth and cutting strips of various thicknesses, anywhere from 1-2 inches. From there I cut several dozen squares from the strips, again in various sizes. Don't worry these don't have to be perfect!
I selected a silver painted ceramic vase with a fluted top that I've had lying around forever. I wanted to go all in with an interesting texture and an interesting shape, but feel free to use any vase made of any material.
I started by randomly hot gluing the squares to the container. Place a dot of glue in the center of the square so each of the four corners can ruffle loosely. Keep placing squares until all sides of the container are covered to your liking.
That's it! You've got a brand new container for just 4 bucks! Because the tablecloth is vinyl and waterproof I'll be able to use this again and mix up the look for Fourth of July.
This time around I kept the flowers super simple, just a couple of bunches of good ol' American grown chamomile matricaria. The perfect way to complete my Americana summer look on a budget.
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