Want to instantly make your house or apartment more appealing and prettier, without spending more than, say, $10 or $20? Try decorating with fresh flowers! I know it sounds cliched and sort of old ladyish – not that there’s anything wrong with old ladies – but decorating with fresh flowers is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to give your dwelling a little, but very noticeable lift. No time to do a deep clean? Fresh flowers become a focal point. Ditto in those homes that, like mine, aren’t exactly picturesque from top to bottom.

Here are some simple tips on using flowers to prettify a house or apartment without spending a gazillion dollars:

– Don’t think you need a lot of very fancy vases. Right now, I have fresh flowers in an old wide mouth wine bottle and a tall Mason jar – the look is casual and fun, nut fussy or messy. Maybe you have an old bottle that can become a vase in a pinch? Alternately, put your flowers in something simple like a pint glass, then put the glass in something nicer but not watertight, like a basket or tin.

– Use your favorite colors, even if they don’t match your decor. Let your fresh flowers stand out, since they’re not going to last that long. Have fun with your choices and spread the love. You could, for example, have three big daises in each room of your home without breaking the bank. More small arrangements can be much more refreshing and uplifting than one big one. Why not have fresh flowers in the bathroom or on a windowsill. ed. note – if you have cats like mine, you’re better off with one large arrangement kept in a closet or at someone else’s house

– Think small and DIY. A few stems in an old perfume bottle placed right by your bed can be a lovely thing to wake up to. For this exercise, I’m definitely not suggesting that you need to have a florist make you up an arrangement. Imagine yourself picking flowers from your garden and setting them in some water, then buy some loose stems from the supermarket or farmer’s market or florist and do just that. No florist’s wire required.

Image via the talented Ngoc Minh Ngo

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 28th, 2010 at 5:36 am by Christa Terry and is filed under Decorating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.