Frugal Floral Gifts
Hi Friends! I am so glad you stopped by! Are you looking for a gift with a big impact on a small budget? These lovely potted arrangements bring all the cheer, while still being light on your wallet.
Read on to learn how a few thrifted and dollar store finds, combined with the right frugal plant combinations will elevate your gifting game.
I live in a small, rural town with a funky dollar store, a couple of quaint nurseries, and no chain grocery or super stores. If I can put these lovely little arrangements together, so can you!
The vessels:
First, I shopped our little local thrift shop and found a sweet little strawberry/herb pot for $3, a sparkly crystal bowl for $3, a ceramic Celtic votive holder for $2, a ceramic milk can for $2, and a set of punch cups on sale for $1.
The idea here is to think outside the pot! Look for interesting vessels with unique details. It doesn’t have to be a flower pot to hold soil.
Some other containers to look for are antique tea cups, canning jars, interesting ceramic mugs, small bowls, spent candle jars, creamer pitchers, and little tin buckets.
Next, I went to the “good dollar store” an hour and a half away to see what I could find there, and it did not disappoint! I found a glass bowl, a 3 pack of tiny terra cotta pots, and a 3 pack of small terra cotta pots. They also had some votive holders and other glassware that would make lovely vessels.
If you live somewhere where either or both of these options aren’t available, and/or you don’t have the time to gallivant all around, you can click on the photo and it will take you to a similar online find.
The Plants:
Our local library has a HUGE spider plant that is always producing babies. I asked our wonderful librarian if I could have a few and she said yes! So, I took them home and propagated them in water. Et voila! Free plants! I had the two little succulents left over from another project.
My only surviving herbs after winter were my chives, so I split up a big group of bulbs to add in. Not free, but nearly, I bought one little chive plant 15 years ago and it has multiplied exponentially since!
My local nursery provided the remainder of the plants I used. I bought a mint for $3.50, a lemon thyme for $3.50, a four pack of dianthus for $4, a four pack of alyssum for $4, and a four pack of violas for $4.
If you wanted to be even more frugal, you could buy a few seed packets, and grow your own starts. You could even have a planting party with some friends and share the cost! Some of my favorite seed companies are Baker’s Creek, MI Gardner, and Botanical Interests.
When transferring plants into pots or other containers, it is important to use potting soil to maintain the appropriate amount of moisture and aeration. I like Organic Black Gold Potting Soil.
Now that you’ve collected all of your supplies, let’s get to the fun part! Potting up is really quite simple, and you can be so creative with the combinations.
First, choose florals in a color scheme that brings you joy. Then select herbs you like to cook with, enjoy the smell of, or have an interesting texture.
For my arrangements, I went with a general floral color palette of purples and whites, with a little pink.
I added herbs for texture, fragrance, and a nice green base.
Incorporating herbs and edible flowers makes your gift multi-faceted, as it adds beauty AND practicality to a space. Who doesn’t love the ability to brighten a dish with fresh herbs on a whim?
Next, divide your herbs into several smaller bundles or sprigs. You can also propagate some like mint or basil to stretch your purchase even more.
Finally, put a little soil in the bottom of your chosen vessel, add in a variety of herbs and flowers to your liking, and fill all the gaps in with more soil. Water your new arrangements, and they are ready for gifting!
They will continue to fill-in over the next few weeks. Place them under a grow light, or in a bright window until you are ready to pass them on. Don’t forget to water occasionally to keep them happy.
Enjoy delighting your friends and family with these cheerful and personal gifts.