How To Create a Floral Arrangement on the Cheap

I love arranging flowers.  They are never perfect, but the process -- perfect relaxation on my day off.  In need of an arrangement I could use through Thanksgiving, I went about the yard looking for some greenery (free!) to mix with $7 worth of flowers I picked up at the market.  I thought you might like to learn how to make a Fall arrangement on a tight budget.

First, the materials.  I cut some evergreen branches off my weeping shrub (don't know the name), some king's gold cypress (mine's more green-gold since it gets no sun), azalea branches, pachysandra, and a bit of catmint.

You can see here I have my mums, some cinnamon scented pine cones (clearance at Michael's right now for $.99), some long cinnamon stick (another clearance for $1.99), and my $20 tin that was reduced to $3.99.  Woo-hoo!!

Step one is always soaking your floral foam in water (at least 10 minutes) to keep everybody in the group drinking.  If I'd remembered to buy it, I would have used florist's tape to keep the foam in place.  Oh, and make sure to line the container so it doesn't leak.  I used foil as I didn't have a plastic liner.

Make sure to put the foam in snug.

An arrangement should have a high, middle and low rhythm, which florists sometimes call the sun, moon, and earth.   To build support for these three elements, you need to start with the greenery.  (I have a floral designer friend, Charlene, who recently told me to work from the greens up -- I had always started with my sun, moon, and earth and filled in around them.  Who knew?  Thanks, Charlene!)

Here, I want a longer, oval arrangement, and I've decided I want it a bit asymmetrical so that it doesn't look too contrived.  I start with my weeping evergreen...

I put the branches in almost horizontal to the container to keep them low and droopy.  I'm also showing you how I propped my container up to make it easier to work with.  Next, I add in the king's gold and the azalea to start to beef things up.

Here's a look from the top-down to give you a sense of what your framework should start to look like...

Adding in some pachysandra and some catmint...

Catmint is very soft and wimpy.  To get a bunch to go into the foam together, I wrap them with some floral tape that is made for this purpose...

 

Make sure as you assemble your arrangement that it looks good from all sides, especially if it's going in the center of your table.  Next, I'm adding my sun, or the height...

As with decorating, remember to use odd numbered elements when you can.  Now, I'll fill in with smaller mums (again, like decorating, vary your scale).  It's important to carry a bit of the color over to the other side, which I did with the red mums.  It provides balance.

For my moon, or mid-height, I'm adding some fresh fruit.  Here, I'm taking a floral stake and putting it in a pear. (I like the freshness and autumn color it provides).

Now for some apples...

The asymmetry continues with cinnamon sticks added on the right...

To add pine cones, I tie them to a stake with floral wire, first wrapping the wire around the stake, then the pine cone to the stake.  Make sure to hide the wire by pulling it in to the center of the pine cone as you wrap around.

The pinecones are added, and wha-la!  The arrangement is done.  Oh, I did add one sprig of orange "lanterns" from Michaels ($1.99) for a little extra height.

So, not all that hard, right?  You can use anything you have in your yard, and hopefully, if you follow this simple construction, you'll have something fresh and great smelling to add to your home, like I did, here...

In my "buffet-scape" I added a background picture of my husband's quaint hometown, as my guests will be from the same area.  Just a little personal touch when Thanksgiving comes...

I hope this inspires you!  If you make your own, please send me a picture and perhaps I'll do a follow-up post!  Email me at SofasandSage@gmail.com

Talk to you soon,

Carol

Creating Inexpensive Artwork

When you can't find what you want for artwork, either because the subject matter isn't readily available or it doesn't fit your budget when you do find it...create it!  It really is pretty easy.  Here's the story behind the super inexpensive artwork I have in my living room...

I have really grown fond of using birds in my own decorating (I know, I know, some people are totally freaked out by the very thought of birds in a house, but I love it.)  Why?  Because when we took our girls on vacation at age 4, they were totally enamored by these little sparrow-like birds that hung around the pool area of our hotel.  Everywhere we went on that vacation, the girls would think the same birds followed them because they saw them everywhere (any place that served food outside, that is). The point?  Having reminders of that sweet time makes me happy.  So I have a few birds in my decor. 

Anyway, I wanted 6 pieces of artwork to flank my sofa, 3 on each side.  This was my inspiration, at $229 a pop -- a little beyond my budget for 6 of them.  (Available here.)

So, being a make-it-yourself-er from way back in the day, I went on a hunt to find a book that would provide me with some "prints" that I could frame.  The heavens parted and a light shone down on this baby, for $3.99 at a discount store, one day when I actually wasn't looking for it.  (Much like love, don't you think -- you find it when you're not looking?)  I digress (again).  Here's the book...

The pages had no copy, save the text notes by Audubon, so they looked very similar to my inspiration.  Next came the sagey-olivey double mats at $5 each from Michael's craft store, along with $5 clearance frames.  Can you say "making mamma's day?"  I love the frames because they are sort of branchy looking, and I thought that added the perfect texture.  They also add balance to the darker wood pieces on the opposite side of the room.

I chose the bird "prints", or pages, which worked the best with my colors.  Here is one of them close up...

Ok, maybe not quite as rich looking as the inspiration, but I'm really happy with the outcome.  When a few changes are made to the living room in the coming months, I'll photograph the whole wall so you can appreciate the symmetry they provide.  (Sorry for the lack of accurate colors in the images in this post today!)

The very best part?  My grand total was a mere $63.99, as compared to $1,374 for my inspiration!  Can't beat that.  Ok, the caveat?  Beautifully executed artwork, be they prints or originals, always trumps an imitation.  But, there's always something for every budget!

What's your best artwork creation?

Oh, and don't forget to check out Window Wednesday this week for the first reader dilemma! (Please feel free to submit your challenges and photos to me any time at SofasandSage@gmail.com).

Talk to you soon,
Carol

One more thing!  Vignette Design is celebrating one year today with a giveaway -- check out her GORGEOUS blog :)!  I also linked today's post to Colour Me Happy -- check that out, too!

Christmas Tree Ideas

On my recent trip to Cary, North Carolina, I was suprised and thrilled to find some gorgeous Christmas trees, ready for me to blog about!  It seems that purple may be the color of the season this year, and I'll start with that.  However, it's all about what you love.  Most of the pictures are from sections of the trees as it's hard to capture a tree in a store without all the other background stuff.  Maybe something will inspire your look this year!

First, some trees and looks from Family Home & Garden...

I loved this candy tree...

All the images below come from Carolina Pottery USA, a wharehouse-type discount store with fantastic accessories for your home.  I was amazed by the number of gorgeous trees they had on display, along with all the available decorations.

 

For a little peace on earth...

So, do you feel inspired and delighted?  I hope so!  Leave a comment and tell me which is your favorite.

Have a great weekend, and,

Talk too you soon,

Carol

Introducing...Window Wednesday!

A reader left a comment last week about a window treatment dilemma, which lead me to think that it might be nice to dedicate a day of the week, for the near future, to all things window.  So, I bring you ....

Window Wednesday!  

And this is where you, my loyal and new readers, come in...

Do you have a window treatment dilemma?  Want to share a treatment you've done that solves a particular challenge?  Want some advice?  Every Wednesday, I will pick a reader's submission to share.  Please send me your questions or window decorating challenge along with a picture of the window and your room.  Maybe you just want an opinion on what you've done?  We can do that, too.  Every Wednesday, I will write a post from what you've sent.  I think we could all have a little fun and maybe learn something and perhaps  be inspired by each other.

I'll kick off this Inaugural Window Wednesday by sharing a window treatment I did a few years back for Terrazza, a beautiful home and garden store in Franklin, Mass.

The goal was to make this section of the store feel like a you were shopping in a living room for their annual Christmas Open House (which is this weekend, by the way, Friday Nov. 5th through Sunday, November 7th).  It was a no-sew treatment, fabricated from yards of red and gold damask stapled to a pine cornice board I had made, with brackets hidden underneath.  I literally created and stapled as I went along (I had no measurements, no real plan when I went up on the ladder -- thank heavens Charlie, the owner of the store, had a great sense of humor and a lot of patience when I'd say, "Charlie, it'll be great, don't worry, I have a plan!")  Really, Charlie knew me well enough to know that I'd be making it up, he was just good enough to go out on a limb and let me do my thing.

The panels were bound at the top with strips of fabric and the tops fanned to created a pouf.  I did the pouf to accentuate the pre-made greenery arrangements the store was selling.  I stuck the stems under the tie around the panel, and finished each off with a gold bow.  Here's a close up (forgive the image quality :)

 Here's another view, with the window to the right as you entered the store...

This was one of the most fun projects!  I do miss styling the displays in that store.  You should check it out if you're in the area this weekend.  The store is no longer in this particular location, its grown into a bigger space, but it's still gorgeous!  Find Terrazza at Franklin Village Plaza, Franklin, Mass. 508.528.0977 (They are having trouble with their website).

With the holidays around the corner, I think these images are a good way to help get us motivated to decorate our windows in the upcoming weeks!  I'll have some more holiday-inspired ideas to share on Window Wednesdays, along with the non-holiday questions, etc., that you send in.

Please email your window pictures, questions, suggestions, ideas to me at SofasandSage@gmail.com.

The only thing I ask of you?  Become a Follower in the right hand column :)

I'm looking forward to next Wednesday and to sharing the first reader submission.  In the meantime,

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Pillow Pick-Me-Up

Janell Beals at Max & Isabella Rooms (her gorgeous blog) inspired this post.  I'll tell you what happened.

By Janell Beals at Isabella & Max Rooms

I was reading Janell's recent post featuring a tutorial on how to make the beautiful pillows she created for her bedroom settee.  I loved them so much, I commented on the post, and in doing so, started getting carried away with my thoughts.   My teenage girls were giggling in the other room with a friend as I was commenting, and the memories just took over.

I started my former business, Carol Beck Interiors, as a window treatment designer and decorator.  The girls were three and I was always tired, and sometimes, like all moms, over-tired and blue.   Sewing and creating always perked me up.  The art of creating something is a great way for me to relax, whether it's sewing or cooking. Ok, I'm getting off track.  Bottom line,  I used to make pillows for myself as a pick-me-up.  I guarantee that my friend Lisa is laughing as she's reading this, because she knows how much I love a pillow-pick-me-up.  (We used to joke about it -- having a bad day?  Make a pillow.)

So, I'm sharing my most favorite pillow.  I made it probably  7 or 8 years ago.  In my old house, I had it in my green and red living room.  Now it's going in my master bedroom along with the living room drapes behind the chair.

Here's another pillow that goes with the current living room colors of raspberry and blue-green.

Pillows as a pick-me-up?  Yes, you can think me odd, but it's all about the process and the bonus of the end result.

So thanks, Janell, for sparking some memories with your gorgeous pillows.  It was a great inspiration!  I'm off to plan a new pillow.  In fact, it'll be for a  PILLOW-PICK-ME-UP GIVEAWAY COMING NEXT WEEK!!  Stay tuned....

Janell Beals is an incredible talent -- check out her work  at Isabella & Max Rooms here.

Talk to you soon,
Carol