Who doesn’t love fresh cut flowers?  There is something about having them in your home that makes every day just a little bit better.  I simply love to have some fresh-cuts by my bed to make waking up a little bit easier and having a bunch of blooms on my table to greet guests.  Fresh flowers will brighten your home and heart and between Trader Joe’s and your local farmers market, they are more affordable than ever.  But what do you do when you bring them home?

Throwing them in a vase and calling it quits is just dandy, and quick for sure, but taking the time to select the right vase to showcase your blooms and then taking the time to arrange them can be truly therapeutic and one of my favorite creative outlets.

Today I am giving you three easy ways to showcase your fresh-cuts.  Whether they are a bunch of single blooms from your local grocery store, a visit to a florist for a monochromatic bouquet of beauties, or a special order of extravagance for a hostess gift, I’ve got you covered!

Single bloom bouquets:

This time of year I am obsessed with tulips.  Nothing says, “Hello Spring!” Like a bright bunch of tulips.  I picked up this $6 bunch when I grabbed my weekly groceries.

These beauties combined with my affinity for vintage bottles make an easy, stunning arrangement that will make you smile just looking at them!  Just snip each tulip under water at a sharp angle and place in a mini-vase for simple arrangement that is sure to wow.

Monochromatic bouquet:

I visited my local florist Eufloria Flowers to create this beautiful bundle of blooms.

They were so helpful and kind, if you live in the Ashland, OR area I highly recommend this florist!  I chose 2-4 stems of anything and everything she had in this color; spending around $25.  Once I brought them home, I removed all the leaves; this keeps the water fresher and makes the flowers last longer.  Then, adding one flower at a time, I built a round bouquet in my hand.

Once I had created the arrangement, I snipped them to the length I wanted, just skimming the top of the square vase which I had lined with a large leaf (also purchased at the florist).  The result a stunning eye-popping statement for any dinner party or living room decor.

The Show Stopper:

Whenever I am a guest at someone’s home, whether friend or family, a hostess gift is the most important thing on my mind.  This year when I went home for a family gathering I stopped at the local farmers market to purchase some flowers for a show stopping center piece that would last long after my visit.

I choose blooms that hung low and had a richness to them in order to create the overflowing opulence of this arrangement.  For the vase I chose a low bowl and placed some floral foam in the bottom to hold the stems in place.  Then, one flower at a time, starting from the middle, I worked my way out to create a center-piece that was the center of attention.

Here’s to being creative and having fun with flowers!  There is always an opportunity to turn something simple into something extraordinary.   Happy arranging!

– Marcella Rose