Garden-staple turned home accent. Yes, they're real! Those are hydrangea blooms clipped from my "Nikko Blue" hydrangeas in the backyard (they were starting to dry on the bush) and set them waterless in an antique sugar canister. They will continue to dry while on display.
Nikko Blue hydrangeas are really only blue if you have the right acidity in your soil. I have tried to amend my soil for years with MirAcid, but they always seem to stay shades of pink-to-celery green. In the Fall, however, they are turn a reddish-gray. Do you have any long-forgotten hydrangea bushes?
The wood tones in my cherry dining room set, my beloved wallpaper ("Oriental Spring Blossoms (GG4721)" by York) and some ribbon-wrapped votives make a beautiful autumn tablescape.
You can make these votives yourself with 3 items: wax-filled glass candle votives (sold in a set of 12 at Michael's crafts), a half-yard of beautiful dimensional ribbon (I found this one in several colorways at Joann Fabric) and some double-sided tape.
How To Make Ribbon-Wrapped Votives:
Choose a ribbon that is just a bit narrower than the height of the votive. Wrap the ribbon around the votive, cut to allow a slight overlap and use a piece of double-sided tape (at that overlap) to secure the ribbon cuff around the votive. Voila! Tell them it took you hours...
*Sigh* This may be the last bouquet of the season. Isn't is gorgeous? We have had a few frosty mornings and I went out to save the last few buds before the cold sets in.
For this bouquet, I took one of my hand painted glass jars (green polka dots!) and centered one reddish green hydrangea blossom and leaf over the opening. This way I can use the hydrangea as a "frog" (a flower arranging tool that stabilizes an arrangement), and tuck the yellow and peach roses through the hydrangea petals and into the water. It makes an arrangement of very few flowers look full and lush, don't you agree? And the roses aren't going to slip or droop. I added a sprig of ginger mint (green and cream variegated leaf) near the top for added dimension.
I love it! And I'm not ready to give up on the roses, I still see buds coming! If only Jack Frost can hold off a little longer...
