One thing I have learned as I have gotten older is what a difference fresh flowers make in our home and in my mood. I used to think of them as a total ‘waste’ of money and unnecessary until I started picking up whatever was affordable at the grocery store and noticing how much happier it made me. In general, I think live plants and flowers brighten a home and I continue to add more and more fresh elements. I know I talked about some houseplants you can keep alive in a city and am proud to say our new guy Henry (he’s a tall palm) is doing great and  thriving in his new home!

I am by no means a florist or professional but I have come to love arranging whatever I can snag at the store to make our vases look full and unique. I thought I would share a couple quick tips I have picked up along the way and please share yours!

1. Pick Your Palette:

As far as store flowers go Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are usually my favorite! Tulips and roses are always a steal at Trader Joe’s and I am a sucker for peonies and ranunculas at Whole Foods. If you don’t care about color palette I reccomend just grabbing whatever is most affordable and fresh. Blooms that are a little more closed are better so they can bloom in your home and aren’t already dying out. Make sure to grab some fun filler as well – I love the light green pieces that look like succulents almost and the long green leaves are beautiful too.

2. Choose Your Vase

Once you have chosen a few bunches decide what you want to arrange them in. I love trying to make a tall and short vase full but simple shapes and sizes are best!

3. Trim The Stems

Lay your flowers & fillers out and separate them into 3 bunches. Trim the first set to be twice the height of the vase, then the second set a 1/2 inch shorter & the 3rd set a 1/2 inch shorter than the last. This will add some good volume to the arrangement without being too drastic. Make sure to remove the leaves from the bottom of the stems leaving the ones closer to the bud. Set these extra leaves aside.

4. Layer The Colors

Depending on how many colors you have I like to start with one center shade and later another around it in a circle. You can alternate that until you have used all your pieces and then piece in the green fillers. I like to have them surround all the flowers and then stick them into the center of the arrangement where appropriate.

5. Secure Everything

Once you have your arrangement how you like it you can secure the small bunch with a rubber band and  then use the leaves set aside to cover the band. The taller arrangements will generally fan out on their own so should be okay. Place the flowers in warm water with any food you may have and leave in some sunlight!

You should have a simple but unique arrangement that is sure to cost under $15! Let me know your favorite grocery store flowers and if there are any tips I’m missing!