Although the idea to buy fresh flowers once a month started as my little Christmas gift to Sherry, I haven’t been very consistent with these budget-bloom posts — mostly because talking about flowers isn’t exactly my comfort zone. This month’s arrangement, however, is less about the blooms and more about the containers. As a sometimes-soda enthusiast, repurposing bottles into vases is right up my alley. Here’s how our August $2.47 bouquet brightened up the kitchen windowsill.
It actually began with a blueberry Izze bottle we bought at Whole Foods a few weeks back. We’d both admired the playful floral graphic on the bottle for a while, and after enjoying the drink we didn’t immediately toss the empty. The bottle stayed on the counter because it looked quirky and cheerful, and before long we realized a few Izze bottles together would make a colorful, economical set of vases. On a trip near Starbucks I grabbed two more Izze bottles — each featuring a different colored flower on the label — and we picked up three spider mums from a local florist for $2.47 total. If you count the cost of the drinks, the whole setup was about nine dollars, but that included a few fizzy beverages as well.
We liked the contrast of the pure white spider mums against the trio of hues printed on the Izze labels. The blossoms blend nicely with the crisp white of our kitchen, which lets the colored bottles pop visually. The result felt fresh and simple without looking overly staged.
We’ve long enjoyed turning cups, votive holders, and glass bottles into makeshift vases, and this was our first time using Izze bottles for that purpose. They’d be equally charming in a monochrome grouping — imagine a row of clementine Izze bottles filled with orange or yellow gerbera daisies — or in a mix-and-match color scheme tailored to your space. Classic Coke bottles would give a retro vibe, while weathered green glass from a thrift store would lend a cottage or farmhouse feel. There are several flavor designs to choose from, so you can play around with different palettes until you find one that suits your style.
These flowers have lasted longer than we expected, probably because we bought them from a local florist, which often makes a noticeable difference in longevity. We change the water and recut the stems about every five days to keep them healthy, and so far they’ve been going strong for over two weeks. A little maintenance goes a long way toward extending the life of a simple, budget-friendly bouquet.
So that’s our monthly bloom update. Beyond Izze bottles, we’d love to hear what other unconventional vase ideas you enjoy. Have you ever used teapots, mason jars, old pitchers, or tin cans as vases? What flowers have you been buying lately that surprised you with their staying power or beauty? We’re always looking to squeeze extra value and creativity out of inexpensive finds, so expect to see those bottles put to use in more projects down the road.
Curious about earlier budget bouquets? You can find our first grocery-store bouquet from last January, and follow-up posts from subsequent months for more ideas and inspiration. We’ve featured a variety of thrifted and store-bought stems, seasonal mixes, and easy arrangements that are all wallet-friendly and surprisingly charming.