Flower arrangements are probably the best way to spruce up a table setting. But why do they have to be so expensive? Is it really too much to ask for an arrangement that is elegant and chic, but that won’t break the bank? I set off to find out recently after inviting some friends over for a dinner party. My table cried out for a bit of flare, but I didn’t want an arrangement that was too large. No matter how pretty the flowers, hearing my friends’ voices from the other side of a floral wall isn’t my notion of an ideal intimate gathering. Luckily, at a local garage sale I found 2 pots for $2 each. Similar pots sold online for close to $50, so I knew I had found a real treasure. Next, it was off to my local flower shop to buy a handful of green hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower, and green hydrangeas will last longer than any other kind. I also made sure to pick up some greens as a filler, and pink statice to add a splash of color. My arms filled with flowers, I headed home and got ready to work some floral magic.
My tools:
1. Your flowers
2. A large vase
3. 2 pots (about 10” in height)
4. Scotch Tape
5. Scissors
Steps to create the perfect dinner table arrangement:
Step 1. Cut 3” inches off the bottom of your hydrangeas. Be sure to cut on a bias.
Step 2. Place your freshly cut hydrangeas in the large vase filled with warm water so that the flowers open. This should take about an hour.
Step 3. While your hydrangeas are opening, fill your pots with fresh water. Make a grid across the tops of each pot with strips scotch tape placed 2 inches apart. (It should look like a checker board when you’re finished.)
Step 4 – 5. Once the hydrangeas have opened, remove them from the large vase and stand them up next to your pot. You’ll be able to see how much you need to cut off to make the flowers fit in your pots.
Step 6. Take a number of hydrangeas and place them around the edge of the grid so that the pot is mostly filled.
Step 7. Next, take your greens and cut them to fit the pots as well. Separate the greens and put them sporadically in your grid to fill any gaps.
Step 8. Finally, take your pink statice and, after cutting them to fit your pots, distribute them equally throughout your arrangement to add a bit of color.
That’s it! Apart from the time waiting for your hydrangeas to open, the whole display should take you about a half hour.
My guests loved the arrangements as well as the 2 tea candles and holders I found for $1 each. Talk about entertaining on a budget! What I love about this project is that you don’t have to be a florist or an entertaining expert to make something delightful. It’s something absolutely anyone can do.
