Stretch your flower decorating dollar without looking like you skimped

I believe that flowers add such a beautiful element to party decor.  They smell wonderful, they add a spark of color, and they can really pull all the decorations together.  They can also be a very expensive addition to a party.  And, today with the cost of so many things continuously increasing, it is essential to be smart about how we spend our hard-earned dollar.  So, before you rule out flowers as a decor element for your next party, follow this advice and you'll be able to incorporate flowers inexpensively without looking like you skimped.

Here's what you do.  Purchase a fairly large bunch of flowers and possibly buy some inexpensive greenery that you can use to make the arrangements look more full.  The total cost of the three bouquets that you see here were a mere $15.00 (or $5.00 each).  I divided the flower bunch (that I purchased at Costco) it into three great arrangements.  I used vases that I had on hand and divided the greenery and flowers almost equally in the vases.  I kept the big flowers, in this case, the sunflowers and bird of paradise, in the tall vase because I wanted that bouquet to have the biggest impact.  Before I even started arranging, however, I put a 1/8 of a teaspoon of bleach in the bottom of each vase.  I filled the vases a little over half full with very cold water.  I then took Sprite (club soda works great as well) and filled the vases to three quarters full.  I then mixed the ingredients and began placing my flowers.  This is a concotion I have used forever and my flowers last a week to a week and half.  Be careful not to use too much bleach or your flowers will prematurely die.

So, as you can see, you can include flowers and have some very pretty arrangements to use on your table(s), near your entrance or even in your bathroom.  Happy arranging!

Cheers,

Meghann Kopecky

Urbanity   

Comments

[Sarah]

Great tips on keeping flowers fresh, and those arrangements cost at least a tenth of what you would pay by going to a full-service florist!

[Tori]

Great tips! I have to say I am a flower snob-- I think no decor is complete without fresh flowers. This is a nice way to inspire people to use flowers and not be scared of the bill!

[Jacqueline]

I agree that flowers make any party or gathering more elegant and enjoyable. A great flower that makes a big impact with only a few stems is hydrangea. It comes in a range of colors, blooms long into fall and is pretty inexpensive. I blog about living well with flowers at www.teleflora.com/flowerblog.
Best,
Jacqueline

[Kim]

I am hosting an event this weekend, and this info is just so timely. Thanks, for I do truly appreciate it.