If each home in Colorado Springs needed a flower vase, I think I’d have enough on hand to supply them…I have a thing for vases. I have vases I’ve collected through the years, vases we’ve been given as gifts, and vases I buy at thrift stores, garage sales and at the Dollar Tree. But even with all the vases I own, I still like to use other containers as vases to sometimes match a theme, color or just a certain feeling I’m trying to create at a gathering. Anything that can hold water, can hold flowers. Whether you’re having a cocktail party, picnic, bridal or baby shower, etc., you can find items from your kitchen to your pantry to your recycling bin to use as fun and inexpensive ways to hold your bouquets.
Now I could have made all these “vases” look even better if I had bought a ton of different flowers but because I’m on a budget, I pretty much use just a few I bought at the store along with grasses, branches and herbs I pulled from my garden to keep costs down. So if you don’t own a single vase, and you can’t afford a bunch of flowers, even these ideas can fit your budget. And hey, if you have a ton of flowers growing, which I did before the baby deer chomped them down, or you can afford to go to the store and buy lots of flowers, yours will look even better. I personally like to divide my flowers into smaller groupings and make “statements” with a lot of arrangements versus one big one.
From the recycling bin I pulled all these drink containers. These arrangements would be fun for a casual barbecue. For fantasy football draft parties my husband has, I’ve used all beer bottles to make cute buy “manly” arrangements. Different soda cans would be cute for a teen party. Think about what you’re serving and the type of party you’re throwing and have fun. And these vases won’t cost you a dime. You can leave the labels on or soak them off. I’ve used a beer bottle, Capri Sun container, a Sprite bottle, sparkling cider container, soda can and water bottle.
Empty food containers make great vase alternatives too. You can always jazz these up with ribbons, paint or permanent markers if you want. I threw a wedding shower where we spray painted tin cans with a glittery silver paint for fabulous, matching vases. These are an empty coffee can, spice jars, a glass salsa jar and a tin can.
A couple of fun ideas for themed events…plastic Irish hats (from the Dollar Tree,) baby bottles for a baby shower, the plastic cups with the white roses are cups I used for a wedding shower that you could continue in your decorating, plastic Christmas glasses or even empty bubbles containers. Again, anything that will hold liquid, will hold flowers and water.
Any type of drinking glass would of course make a perfect vase. Mix the heights and shapes for interesting and fun combinations. If you’re having friends over for cocktails, use wine or shot glasses as your vases. Small arrangements in pretty tea cups would be perfect for a ladies luncheon or tea. Your glasses don’t have to match to make an impact.
I also have enough candle holders (and candles) to provide light for the city in case of a blackout. All of these were either bought at holiday clearance sales or at Discover Goodwill for next to nothing. This is one of my favorite ways to display flowers.
These kitchen items like ramekins, creamers, olive dishes, toothpick holders or dressing bottles would be fun for a kitchen themed bridal shower. And they would also make great take home gift items for the bride to be or for guests. For a ladies luncheon or tea, use different sugar and cream sets. Salt and pepper shakers would be cute too.
Loaf pans, Tupperware containers, measuring cups, canisters or even a butter warmer…
Of course if you want to use vases you can! But instead of spending a lot of money on them, go to your local thrift store and pick them up for super cheap. All of these were bought at Discover Goodwill for 49 cents to 99 cents. At these prices, these would serve perfectly for your decor and then double as little take home gifts your guests can take home.
