Even though the idea to buy fresh flowers once a month started as my little Christmas gift to Sherry, I haven’t contributed many of these budget-bloom posts — mostly because talking about flowers isn’t my strongest suit. This month’s arrangement, however, isn’t really about the blooms so much as the bottles, which suits me perfectly. Here’s August’s $2.47 bouquet that brings a pop of color to our kitchen windowsill:
The idea began with a blueberry Izze sparkling juice we bought at Whole Foods a few weeks back. We’ve always liked the graphic floral design on their bottles, and instead of tossing an empty one into recycling, we kept it on the counter because it looked cheerful. Pretty soon we realized that a group of colorful Izze bottles would make an instant set of repurposed vases. During a quick run close to a Starbucks we picked up two more bottles — each with a different colored flower on the label — and grabbed three spider mums from a local florist for $2.47. If you factor in the cost of the Izze drinks, the total comes closer to $9, but that price included several tasty fizzy beverages as well.
We liked the contrast of the all-white spider mums against the colorful label hues. The white blooms also blend nicely with the dominant crisp white of our kitchen, letting the bottles themselves become the visual focal point.
We’ve long enjoyed using cups, votive holders, and bottles as makeshift vases, and this was our first time experimenting with Izzes. You could also arrange them monochromatically — for example, several clementine-flavored bottles filled with orange or yellow gerbera daisies — or mix and match colors to suit your kitchen. There are eight Izze flavors in total, so the label palette gives you plenty of options. Classic Coke bottles would bring a retro vibe, while worn green glass from thrift stores or flea markets would add a cottagey charm.
Our monthly bouquet has been lasting surprisingly well, which we credit to buying flowers from a local florist. To keep them fresh we change the water and recut the stems about every five days. So far they’ve held up for over two weeks and are still looking good.
Now that we’ve shared our mums, we’d love to hear what you use as alternative vases. Have you repurposed any containers that worked especially well? Any flowers you’ve been loving lately? We’re also planning more projects with the Izze bottles — we like getting as much use as possible out of small, inexpensive finds — so don’t be surprised if they turn up in other DIYs soon. Stay tuned…
Curious about earlier budget-bloom posts? We started this project last January and continued through the year with monthly bouquets. If you want a stroll through past arrangements — from grocery-store finds to backyard picks and seasonal mixes — check out the earlier posts for lots of cheap (and sometimes free) bouquet ideas.