Same Flowers – 2 Different Ways

When I was in my 20s, I offered to take a work shift for my friend, Gwen allowing her to escape on a weekend mountain trip.  When Gwen returned, she presented, as a thank you, a collection of wild grasses and cattails she had gathered on her trip, wrapped in burlap with a gorgeous ribbon.

The sweet gesture made such an impression on me…so much so that I truly think about nearly each and every gift I give.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be giving flowers as a gift to a loved one, friend or co-worker. Here are two very different presentations with the same roses.

I bought the roses at Safeway.  I wanted all pink roses but they only had 2 dozen available. I wasn’t sure about mixing pink and red but I added 2 dozen red anyway.

I covered a box (I used a square box) with wrapping paper.  I initially wanted a solid color but I didn’t have anything so I used this sweet paper from The Enchanted Home. The ribbon was a scrap that I had in my drawer and it works with the colors of the paper.

I was just at Michaels and they have several different size boxes, in both solids and prints, which would work too.

I found (in my collection of vases in the basement), a round, short glass container that would fit snuggly into the box.

Gathering 8 roses in a bunch, I wrapped them in twine. I continued to do this with the balance of the roses, until the container felt full and lush.

With a craft punch (again, from Michaels) I cut a heart out of pink paper stock and tied it with baker’s twine.

Here is the finished product.  The picture below shows this arrangement with all pink roses.

Since the container for the next arrangement was a bit larger, I added the red roses to the mix.

This pink, fabric-covered basket (from Debi-Lilly) was purchased from Safeway last year for $2.00.  Our grocery store often has great discounts on their floral products, especially after a holiday. It is normally a plant holder, but the glass container fit right into it.

It’s interesting how a solid color container creates a totally different look. And I don’t mind the red and pink roses in the same arrangement.

I added a different color craft paper heart, to create some interest.

So use your imagination when presenting flowers.  It doesn’t need to be expensive or luxurious.  Being thoughtful is priceless and the recipient of your gift will appreciate it.

Is there one you like better than the other?