If you follow my blog you know how much I love flowers, and that I also have a great affection for mason jars. Spring allows me to marry these two wonderful elements together! This is something I have shared with you before, but I never get tired of this look. The bulbs are so sculptural and fresh in the mason jars. Sometimes I line the jars with moss but most of the time I like to see the dirt…there is something nice about dirt.
In the photos below you can see that I used curly willow to support the mini daffodils. If you want to take the spring theme up a notch you could use pussy willow. I also tucked some birch bark in-between the jars, and mini birds into some of the jars to add another element to my table.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my vision come to life! I am back to interior design for a while! Thank you for stopping by let me know your thoughts by commenting and liking the post!!!
I have been asked to do the table decorations for a monthly series of dinners at Flanagan Farm, which is a beautiful barn in Buxton, Maine. http://www.flanaganstable.com/
Earth is based on the popular farm to table concept. I thought my décor should reflect this philosophy as well.
The table was about forty-eight feet long. I used fresh herbs, orchids, mason jars with floating candles, set on a green burlap runner. I filled in the gaps with moss, birds nests and a few other natural items.
I hope you enjoyed seeing this tablescape as much as I loved putting it together. My photographer Liz Donnelly is so talented at capturing the mood of the event.
Let me know your thoughts, by commenting and liking the post. If you are not already a member of the Celia Bedilia family please click the follow button and never miss a post.
Houzz Contributor. I cover topics ranging from decorating ideas, product picks, Houzz tours, and interviews with designers and architects, to the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write tend to center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life’s simple pleasures. Learn more, and follow my adventures in creating a warm and cozy home at http://www.lolalina.com/.
Summertime calls for a distinctly unfussy approach to entertaining, and thankfully so — because who wants to sweat over planning a summer soiree? Make things easier on yourself by hosting outdoors instead of in, getting guests to pitch in and embracing low-key, budget-friendly decor. From DIY flowers and quick extra tables to a beachy outdoor bar, these 20 ideas will make your party planning easier.
1. Whip up an extra table with sawhorses. Short on outdoor dining space? Hunt down a few sawhorses and top them with a length of board as big as you want your table to be. You can paint the board, cover it with a cloth or butcher paper, or leave it as is.
2. Fashion a wooden crate into a drinks container. If you line it with plastic, any old crate can be a rustic-chic open-top cooler for keeping soda and beer on ice. It won’t keep it cold as long as a real cooler, but it should do the trick at a party.
3. No crate? Use whatever you’ve got. An old wheelbarrow, a garden cart, an enamel bucket or even a toy dump truck can be lined with trash bags and filled with ice to make an impromptu drinks cooler.
4. Give your outdoor bar a tiki makeover with a palapa roof. Search for “palm leaf thatch panels” to find a source and tack a few lengths of the grassy stuff to the roof of your outdoor bar or shed to give it some tiki bar style.
5. Dress up candles with woodsy details. Curl a wide green leaf and drop it into a glass jar — then fill the jar with water and float a tea light on top. Or use lengths of birch bark (available at craft stores) to wrap the outside of a jar or candleholder, and fasten them with twine. 6. Make beachy candles with mason jars and sand. Filled partway with sand, a mason jar of any size can easily become a chic candleholder. To make hanging lanterns, wrap the mouth of the jar with flexible wire and hang the jar from the branches of a tree. For safety, use battery-operated candles for hanging.
7. Use soda bottles as vases. A row of tall, slender soda bottles lined up in the middle of a table makes a pretty (and supereasy) centerpiece. Just plunk one bloom in each vase, and you’re done! Try gerbera daisies, cosmos or sunflowers.
8. Involve your guests. Have them help squeeze lemons for fresh lemonade, let them take a turn cranking an old-fashioned ice cream maker or send them into your garden with clippers to pick a bouquet for the table.
9. Seat everyone at one big table. Who wouldn’t love coming into a backyard set up like this? Put two or three tables together if you have to — the dramatic effect will be worth the effort.
10. Use old crates as trays and servers. Vintage wooden soda crates make the perfect receptacle for toting glasses, vases, napkins and other essentials out to the garden. Or use one to dole out flatware, standing utensils upright in simple mason jars.
11. Boost ambience with lanterns and signs. Flank the entrance to your party area with a pair of big lanterns and lean a sign nearby — it can announce the menu or simply say, “Welcome!”
12. Greet visitors with a pretty porch for the Fourth. A great big galvanized tub of red geraniums and a waving flag make a cheerful entrance to this home. Keep the patriotic spirit going with Americana-style cushions on a classic porch swing.
13. Give guests a healthy option with fresh flavored waters. Fill a big drink dispenser with ice water, flavored with fresh ingredients for a healthy thirst quencher on hot days. Try lemon, lime or orange slices; fresh mint leaves; cucumber rounds; or berries.
14. Place your table in the shade. There’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy a lovely meal al fresco when the sun is beating down on you! Keep your guests comfortable by pulling the tables under the shade of a tree or awning, or invest in some umbrellas.
15. Make a plan to keep bugs at bay. If you have a water feature, make sure you regularly treat it or skim it to keep mosquitoes from breeding there. If the bugs are bad in your area, plan your event for a less buggy time of day or hold it on a screened-in porch, where your guests can enjoy a fresh breeze withoutgetting bitten.
16. Create activity zones to keep large parties moving. Setting up several distinct areas can help a large gathering feel more manageable, as your guests will naturally be drawn into smaller groups. For instance, you could set up a dining table, a fire pit circle, a porch lounge and an outdoor bar.
17. Collect thrifty party supplies. Avoid last-minute stress by keeping an entertaining cupboard well stocked with mason jars, florist’s buckets, table linens, candles and serving containers. Many times you don’t even need to buy these things — save pretty old jars to use as glasses, washed-out tin cans to use as flower containers and even old bedsheets to use as outdoor tablecloths.
18. Go wild with your arrangements. Plucking flowers and foliage from your own backyard is cheaper than buying them, and it can be more fun, too! Push yourself to look at your garden anew and clip a little something unexpected to tuck into your bouquet. Dandelions look charming in mason jars, flowering chives are utterly romantic, and an artichoke would make a dramatic centerpiece in a mixed floral bouquet.
19. Hang flowers from a tree. Use a drill to punch two holes in a washed-out tin can and thread wire through the holes to make a hanger. Fill your cans with cut flowers and hang them from a tree around your outdoor dining table. Leave the cans plain or dress them up by tying on strips of pretty fabric.
Wedding flowers do not have to be fussy, expensive or structured to be beautiful. Flowers are amazing, just let them be the star!
Here are some photos of the flowers and décor from a barn wedding I did in Maine in August.
Here are the flowers in the raw.
The after shots are by wedding photographer: Tiffany Converse
The tent was filled with flowers, it smelled so fresh and clean.
The flower girl was so cute!!
Ijust love the way these crab apples looked tire to the railing.
This was the back door…imagine what the front looked like!
Here is one of the table numbers the bride’s father did the numbers, on these wood slices I commissioned.
The burlap runners were just the right touch to tone down the formality of the all white tables, and the mason jars added a casual nod to farm life.
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The ceremony was lined by these loose hanging arrangements.
Below are collages I made with photos taken by my co-worker Anne Sowles, isn’t she amazing?
Clockwise: 1.small mason jars filled with flowers for the cocktail tables, 2. the largest of the mason jars used on the tables (I used 3 sizes), 3. Hanging flowers that lined the entry to the barn, 4. Bridal bouquet, 5. Napkins tire with fresh herbs, 6. A Bridesmaids bouquet
Clockwise: 1. Maine of honor’s bouquet, 2. Smallest of the mason jars for the tables, 3. Ceremony flowers, 4.More napkins, 5. boutonnieres, 6. The making of the bridal Bouquet.
I think this shows you what can be done with less than $2,000 in flowers. That sounds like a lot, but we had over 200 arrangements on the tables, we had hanging arrangements lining the path of the ceremony & to the barn and tent, we did the bridal flowers, and several large arrangements too!
If you have a wedding in the near future I would love to hear about it!
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Mason Jars are hip these days. They make wonderful vases, lights, votives, storage containers and, of course jars for canning. Here are a few of the things I have done with mason jars. All photos by Liz Donnelly.
I hope this inspires you to use mason jars! Thank you for stopping by to see me. If you like this post let me know by commenting or liking it.
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When I do this project, I go to Skillins Greenhouse (my local greenhouse) www.skillins.com and buy bulbs that are in bloom. If you are a true gardener you might want to plant and force your own bulbs.
Below I have the Step by Step directions from Better Homes & Gardens if you want to give it a try.
1. Plan ahead. In autumn, purchase bulbs from a garden center, nursery, or mail-order source. Plant bulbs of your choice in any type of pot with a drainage hole. Choose a pot that’s at least twice as deep as the bulbs to allow for proper root growth. Fill the pot half full of soilless potting mix.
Most bulbs will do well if grown in potting mix. Always start with clean pots and fresh mix.
2. Place as many bulbs as possible in the pot, without letting them touch. A 6-inch-wide pot holds up to six tulips, three narcissus (daffodils), or 15 minor bulbs, such as crocuses or grape hyacinths.
For a thick show, layer more than one kind of bulb in the same pot; place larger bulbs on the bottom and they’ll grow around the smaller ones. If the two bulbs you want to combine have different chilling and blooming schedules, plant them first in small plastic containers and combine them once they’re in bloom.
3. Cover the bulbs with potting mix, leaving their tips showing. Water the bulbs thoroughly. Label with name and date; loosely cover pot with a paper bag. Place in cool (35 to 45 degrees F), dark storage for chilling. See our bulb-forcing timetable for chilling time.
An unheated attic, basement, or attached garage makes a good chilling area, but monitor the temperature if the weather turns extremely cold. Another option is to set the pots outside in a 12-inch-deep trench, lined with pebbles to prevent the pots from freezing to the bottom. Cover the pots with 10 to 12 inches of soil, then 12 inches of dry leaves held in place with a plastic tarp.
4. Check moisture in pot periodically. Keep soil damp but not wet. When chilling is complete, you’ll see roots poking out of the bottom of the pot and green sprouts emerging at the bulb tips. It’s time to move the potted bulbs into a warm room.
5. When flower buds form, move potted bulbs into a sunny spot. Keep the soil damp. When flowers appear, move the pot out of direct sun to make the blooms last longer. After the blooms fade and wither, toss them (bulbs and all) into the compost. Most forced bulbs have used up their energy and won’t bloom again.
Growing in Water
Paperwhites and Soleil d’Or can be grown without soil. Plant them in pebble-filled containers with the base of the bulbs in contact with water at the bottom of the container. These bulbs don’t need chilling, but will benefit from a cool temperature (50 degrees F.) until the top shoot is a couple of inches long. At that point, you can move the plant into a warm, brightly lit area.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it inspires you to bring spring into your home.
As always thank you for reading my blog.
If you have any questions ask away, I will get back to you as soon as possible!
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Tip #2: Buy one to three unique flowers and let them be the star of your table in simple vases.
Tip #3: Buy flowers that are in season to get the best prices
Tip #4: Use flowering plants as your centerpiece, these ranged in price from $1-$4 each
Photo: Liz Donnelly
Tip #5: Highlight your show flowers with greens
www. petalena.wordpress.com
Tip #6: Buy local…go to your local farmers market at the end of the day…you can get great deals on food and flowersPhoto: Liz Donnelly
Tip #7: Add herbs from your garden (or a neighbors) into your arrangements
Tip #8: Buy one stem of flowers that has lots of blooms! For $7 you can get 3 vases like this!
Tip #9: Mix vintage and flowers, these vintage bottle make great vases! These flowers only coast $9.98 it is the mixed market bouquet from Skillins on Friday afternoon all flowers are 20% off!
Tip #10: Cluster inexpensive flowers for a big impact! Carnations and mums look great in the Pave method.
On May 19th my niece got married on her parent’s farm in the beautiful Virginia country side. I had the pleasure of being the event planner/florist for the event. The colors were purple and yellow and the setting was stunning! I used mason jars and jelly jars for all the flower arrangements. The flowers were all locally grown they included; Peonies, Queen Ann’s Lace, Stock, Bachelor buttons, Viburnum, Sweet Peas, Tulips, Roses, Baptisia & Zebra and Green Grasses. The flowers came from a local farmwww.wollamgardens.com, the flowers were freshly cut for the wedding. It was a pleasure working with these fabulous flowers, they were so fragrant!
This is the bridal table looking out on the farm and the mountains
We topped white table clothes with a fun yellow and white checked table runner. I used yellow and purple ribbon from www.mayarts.com on each flower arrangement. My wedding gift to the bride and groom was the monogrammed napkins that were used at the wedding. I am sure those n apkins will be used for every one of their family function for years to come!
Mini Arrangements in jam jarsWe put two small and one large arrangement on each long tableCountry flowers and country view out the tentCheck table runners are a great finishing touchWe filled the tent ceiling with white paper Chinese lanterns
Look at the beautiful bride and her father dancing, and look at the letters on the floor they have lights in them at night they were magical.
Father Daughter Dance
Kirsten Fairall is the photographer
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