CasaSugar

This Mother's Day, Try These Eco-Friendly Floral Arranging Tips

Guest Writer — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:30:46 PDT

When it comes to buying cut flowers, sometimes it's hard to remember that behind those beautiful blooms sometimes lurks something more sinister - namely thousands of miles of shipping and herbicides and pesticides. That's why Deborah Prinzing, the author of the new book The 50 Mile Bouquet, recommends that you buy local and sustainable flowers for those you love (like your Mom this Mother's Day). Keep reading for Deborah's great tips on local and beautiful bouquets, and if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out Deborah's event at Flora Grubb on Mother's Day.

As more florists and designers discover the negatives of that green foam block (also called florist's foam or Oasis), they are returning to some tried-and-true techniques for stabilizing stems in a vase. The problem with the foam is that it is a formaldehyde-based product that does not break down in landfills. Many designers I've interviewed express concern about breathing and/or exposing their skin to the material.

Alternatives to Floral Foam

Vintage and new flower frogs. I started collecting these years ago and they're easy to find at tag sales and vintage flea markets for under $5 or $10. Use and reuse!
Pebbles, glass beads, and marbles.
Excelsior fibers. Also called wood aspen, you can find this packing material through craft stores or wine shops. Insert a tangle of the fibers in your vase and then you can stick stems through the fibers to stabilize. When you're finished with the arrangement , the excelsior fibers can go into the compost pile with other clippings.
Chicken wire.I have a $15 roll of 15 inch by 5 foot-long poultry fencing that I use over and over again. Just use wire clippers to cut off a 12-inch section of the wire so you have an approximate square. Form it into a loose ball to fit the interior dimensions of your container . If the container is shallow, use sticky clay (available in the floral department at Michael's or other craft stores) to anchor the chicken wire in place.
Twigs and branches. I learned this technique from several designers I interviewed for The 50 Mile Bouquet. As a first step. arrange a framework of decorative twigs inside your vase, placing each one at an angle that crosses over the next. This interior matrix is then perfect for inserting other floral branches and foliage - and the twigs become part of the design.

Keep reading for more eco floral design tips!

A Classic and Timeless Country Wedding

Casa Community — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:00:06 PDT

Here's a post from Juliana2641817 from the CasaSugar Community group Wedding Decor and DIYs.

My wedding was in September of 2011. I planned the colors/theme around our venue, a log cabin structure on a bend in the river. I wanted colors that were timeless and reflected the season. The first photo is an inspiration board I put together for the wedding, and the others are photos of the wedding itself.

Link Time: Fashionable Flowers and a Home Office Makeover From Nate Berkus

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:30:50 PDT

See how Nate Berkus transformed an office in just nine hours. - House Beautiful
Add curb appeal to your home with these 13 tips. - Stylelist Home
Solve storage problems with these tips for under the sink. - Real Simple
Add style to your garden with these 20 modern watering cans. - Houzz
The Cricket trailer is one stylish camper, perfect for Summer trips. - Shelterrific
Gorgeous fashion-inspired florals at New York's Flower Show. - Garden Design

Outdoor Faves: Wonderful Wisteria

Elka Karl — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:30:22 PDT

Wisteria is an absolutely romantic plant, and one that would add instant ambiance to any home. It's an incredibly versatile plant, too, and can grow from a relatively tiny spot - such as a four-foot-square patch of soil in a city sidewalk - and then curl upward for several stories. Of course, it will also train itself to stretch across long pergolas in a backyard or city park. To grow your own wisteria, remember to keep the plant well mulched every Spring and to prune back the new growth immediately after flowering every Summer. Keep clicking to see some beautiful ways to decorate your outdoor space with this gorgeous plant.

Link Time: Refresh For Spring With Flowers and Foyer Decor

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:30 PDT

Get your foyer ready for Spring weather with these decorating tips. - Houzz
Celebrate Albert Hadley's legacy with a look back at some of his designs. - Elle Decor
Floral arrangements made easy! - Real Simple
Tour these gorgeous celeb bathrooms. - Stylelist Home
Make a lemony splash with these yellow hues. - California Home + Design
Pattern-rich hand-tufted rugs will add major focus to your living room. - EcoSalon
Tour this beautiful eco-friendly home. - Bob Vila
Need more floral arrangement inspiration? Look no further. - House Beautiful

10 Ways to Decorate With Colorful Flowers This Spring

Stylelist Home — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:57 PDT

I'm happy to present a post from one of my favorite sites, Stylelist Home!

Now that Spring is here, we're looking at ways to bring cheery color and a touch of the outdoors into our homes. And, the easiest way to do that is to accent spaces with an array of colorful flowers.

Although big floral arrangements make for instantly captivating focal points, smaller blooms in groupings can often be a faster and easier way to enliven a room with color. For example, a small bouquet of bold-hued anemones set on a wooden table top is certain to be eye-catching and a grouping of lilac and wildflowers placed in simple glass jars along a windowsill offers countryside-style charm.

30 Lil Stinkers Stop and Smell the Flowers!

PetSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:00:00 PDT

I don't know about you, but I've had about enough of chilly Winter weather! At least the arrival of March means we're on the home stretch and on our way to Spring. In the meantime, I've gathered up a bunch of cute pups stopping to smell the flowers. There are plenty of funny furry faces and reactions to the blossoms, so check out the budding superstars and start this slideshow.

Source: Flickr User GCSE Jack, kayak_b007, Wonderlane, and Getty

Link Time: Fabulous Spring Florals and Easy Decorating DIYs

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:00:16 PDT

Ten gorgeous, colorful flower arrangements - House Beautiful
Tour a country-inspired rural ranch home - Houzz
Try this easy DIY for decorating with candles - Stylelist Home
Fresh ways to dress up a table - Real Simple
Learn more about green and sod roofs - Garden Design
Eighteen relaxing bathroom designs - California Home + Design
Lean how to make this wall of shutters - Country Living

Shopping For: Black and White Vases for Technicolor Blooms

Elka Karl — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:00:08 PDT

When it comes to the vibrant shades of Spring flowers, you don't want to distract from the bright colors of the flowers with an overly busy or colorful vase. Instead, let the flowers' beautiful hues shine through by pairing them with a vase that sticks to black and white tones.

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There are so many great vases on the market in black and white colors that it was hard to narrow down the choices for this roundup. Even now, I'm having a hard time deciding which one is my favorite.

Let's start by highlighting the Kate Spade New York Japanese Floral Vase ($90, middle row, middle).The lovely, fan-like pattern is from Australian artist Florence Broadhurst. I can imagine it beautifully offsetting a clustered arrangement of purple and yellow calla lilies.

For a more unusual arrangement, try the Barnacle Tube Vase ($160, bottom row, middle left). Add a single bloom to each of the cylindrical openings in this handmade, white-glazed ceramic vase. To showcase the sculptural look of the vase, use smaller, contained flowers, such as rosebuds. Or, to camouflage the shape a bit more, pack if full of more boisterous blooms, like hydrangeas.

Do you have you eye on another vase? Start shopping when you click on each image!

10 Tips For Arranging Farmers Market Spring Blooms

Angela Swinderman Elias — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:10:10 PDT

With an abundance of Spring flowers flooding farmers markets, grocery stores, and residential yards, I'm attempting to keep my home stocked with colorful, fragrant arrangements. And, since these flower varieties are so readily available, it's easier and more affordable to commit to a weekly or biweekly switch. I pulled together a slideshow of some of my favorite seasonal buds along with tips on how to create stunning DIY arrangements to brighten your home. If you have a Spring arrangement you're particularly fond of, snap an Instagram photo and use the hashtag #springblooms. Who knows, we might just include your arrangement in our next inspiration post!