Flower Power

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and maybe that means a sickening amount of expensive chocolates, ugly heart jewelry, and overpriced flowers for most people–but it doesn’t have to mean that for you! I’ve been scouring the web for some simple and inexpensive ideas for the craft challenged.  I came up with a few things that I think are relatively painless.

Giving flowers or receiving flowers feels so luxurious, but sometimes they involve a lot of hassle.  If you order flowers from a local shop or even online they can be quite pricey, but with just a little effort you can cut the cost and have something gorgeous!

Buy flowers at the supermarket, farmers market, or even Costco.  Apartment Therapy provides great advice on how to pick the best of the inexpensive bunch.  I love flowers that have great staying power like roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums. Don’t go overboard with complicated floral arrangements.  Less is more.  Try picking one type of flower in one color, or one type of flower in complementary colors.

Once you’ve got your flowers, don’t stop there.  It’s all about the presentation, baby!  This short video from Domino Magazine demonstrates how to arrange a French spiral bouquet.  If you prefer a simpler arrangement, the video is still great at showing how to cut the flowers down to size and the importance of removing excess greenery and thorns.  Other options besides more traditional vases are repurposing water glasses, jars, and pitchers.  I also like this idea of decorating a tin can–it’s simple and a much greener solution than going out and buying something new.

Remember, flowers are always appreciated, but not when it takes the person you’re giving them to half the night to arrange them!