No matter what the season, it’s no secret I love flowers. My Instagram account is full of flower arrangement ideas, but it’s also fun to followup here with the simple how-to instructions. I’m sure you’ve probably seen this idea to use cranberries in your vase before (in fact, I even shared this same idea on Instagram last year); however, whenever I share this idea I get tons of oohs and aahs as well as the question: How did you do that? So with that said, below are the super simple steps to create your own cranberry vase.
I especially love this idea because you can use any clear glass vessel you have and it will instantly be given a Christmas facelift. I don’t have a lot of holiday-specific decor because of storage reasons, plus I like to invest my limited budget on year-round items. So if you don’t have a clear vase you can use, go buy something you love that you can use all year long.
Materials
- Glass vessel (vase, hurricane, jar, etc.)
- Smaller vessel/jar (It must fit inside the larger glass vessel you picked and have enough room around the sides to fit the cranberries. I usually have a variety of mason jar sizes on hand so I use those, but anything that holds water will work.)
- Cranberries
- Flowers (Fresh or faux, I picked fresh hydrangeas)
Instructions
Start by picking your main glass vessel. In this post, I show you two different options: a plain clear vase and above a decorative glass hurricane I found this year at Target. I fell in love with the gold branches on the hurricane and immediately knew I wanted to get it because it’s not only perfect for Christmas, but I know I’ll use it all year.
Put smaller jar/vessel inside larger vessel. Pick a smaller vessel that fits inside your main vessel and leaves room for the cranberries. Usually a mason jar works. Then put water in the smaller vessel and place inside your main glass vessel.
Pour in cranberries. Make sure to cover the top of the smaller vessel and then pour in your cranberries.
Now you’re ready for the flowers. Remove the cover over the top of the smaller vessel and arrange your flowers.
I think hydrangeas work well for this because the large blooms rest nicely on the lip of your vase and you only need a few stems. (The number of stems you’ll need depend on the size of your main vessel, but above I used 3 stems of white hydrangea and 5 stems of mini green hydrangea.) Just be sure to remove all the leaves and then cut stems to the height of your vase. I used fresh flowers, but faux flowers would work for this because you don’t see the stems. Often what gives away faux flowers are the cheap looking stems.
Three More Easy Christmas Decor Tips
1: Use candy canes. There is nothing simpiler that screams Christams. Just place them in any little vase or glass you own—and boom—instant Christmas!
2: Use mercury glass voltives for lighting. The soft glow of mercury glass adds a beautiful touch to any space. I use them yearround, but they are often available for purchase at stores like Pottery Barn, West Elm, World Market and Target during the holiday season.
3: Pile ornagments on a tray or place in a basket. Decorating doesn’t have to be complicated to be beautiful.
I hope this was helpful. Oh what fun it is to decorate!
The Comments
Theresa Wagner
Awesome!