What You Can Do With $12 Worth of Grocery Store Flowers

Hey, Everyone!  Last week I shared my Fun End of the Summer Tablescape with you.  While I was writing that post, I thought it would also be fun to share the making of the centerpiece from that tablescape.  Unfortunately for me, I came to that revelation after I had taken all of my photos and written that post.  So, I do not have a step-by-step tutorial for you but, I think I can walk you through it anyway.

The first step in all of this is to go to the grocery store and select flowers in your color scheme and ones that fit the vision you have for the centerpiece.  In my case I went to my local Shaw's grocery store where they always have three bunches of flowers for $12.  The variety is often different but, you can usually bank on three bunches for $12.  If you buy less than three, they are $4.99 per bunch.  Buying three almost always seems to be the way to go.

On this visit I chose peach carnations, yellow mums and red-ish/orange alstroemeria.  

I wanted the colors to blend with the plates I was going to use in the tablescape.

Next I needed to select a container for the flowers to go in.  This is not the same vase I used in the above centerpiece (that one still has flowers in it) but, it was one I considered using.  It would have given a similar look as the one I did use. I also added the yellow plate as a base to give the whole arrangement more pizzazz.

The next step (you will have to use your imagination on this one since I do not have a how-to photo) is to place a piece of wet foam oasis into your container.  The oasis should have been submerged in a bucket of water for a few minutes to become fully wet.  It is best to add a packet of flower food to the water to give your arrangement the best chance to last as long as possible.  Secure the oasis in place with waterproof floral tape.  Using two pieces of tape criss-cross the tape over the top of the oasis in an X shape and secure it on both sides to the lip of the vase.  If you think three pieces of tape is necessary to secure the foam better, feel free to add another piece.

I placed only alstroemeria in the center of the oasis creating the center of the arrangement.  Make sure to cut the stems at an angle before pushing them into the oasis to give the most stem surface area for water absorption.

Next, I went around the circumference of the alstroemeria filling in with the yellows mums.  When I thought the mums had filled up enough of the space around the centerpiece I started adding in the peach carnations, going up and down with my placement at the base of the mums.  I included more mums below this layer to fill in any empty spots I found.  I then went out to my garden and picked  leaves from some of my hosta plants.  They created the final base ingredient while also adding more green color to the overall look.

  Voila!  It was done!

I thought it had the look of a fiesta which went along with the colors in the tablescape and the design of the plates :).

Finally, I could place it in the middle of the table to be the last element included in the tablescape.

I was very pleased with the final look.

Here is the list of supplies you will need to create a centerpiece of your own:

Centerpiece Recipe

(3) Bunches of flowers--Mine came from a grocery store

$12 for (3) bunches

Wet foam floral oasis

Waterproof floral tape

Floral scissors

A container or vase

If desired, a plate to be used as a base for the arrangement

Miscellaneous greens/leaves from your garden, if none are available look to find them at the grocery store, as well.

I suppose it is a little disingenuous to say the centerpiece cost only $12 because other supplies are needed to complete this task.  That was the cost of the centerpiece for me since I, thankfully, already had the oasis, floral tape and floral scissors.  Those items you may not already own and will add to the cost of this project for you. However, these items should be available at most craft stores.  Aside from those things, you most likely have some kind of a container you can use as the vase and you may also own a plate or a placemat that could be used as a table base for the arrangement.

I feel that for $12 worth of flowers you can let your imagination run wild and create something really beautiful and fun!  It is a cheap way to experiment with flowers or to create a centerpiece for a party.

If you decide to do some flower experimentation on your own, I would love to hear about it!  Please leave a comment :).  Photos would be great too!

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