Valentine’s Day is a time when everyone is thinking about flowers but having fresh flowers in your home doesn’t have to be expensive. You can purchase cut flowers and arrange them yourself. It’s easier than you think! The trick is to keep your arrangement simple and fuss-free. First, gather your supplies choosing ordinary objects such as white ironstone pitchers for vases.

Cut your tallest flowers first for the center of your floral arrangement. For the first grouping, I’m using pink and white carnations in a simple white ironstone pitcher. Remove any leaves from the lower end of the stems so there aren’t any sitting in the water. Use floral clippers to get a nice, clean cut.

Cut the stems at a diagonal for maximum surface area to take up water. Immediately place the cut stems into your pitcher or vase filled with lukewarm water treated with a floral preservative. Make sure you stir the water so that all the preservative is dissolved.

Continue cutting your roses making sure the center stems are a bit longer than the roses on the outside. This will create a nice mounding effect. I prefer shorter arrangements, cutting the stems so the flower rises just above the vase’s edge.

For today’s Valentines Day arrangements, I’m using Rose sprays, meaning there are several flowers and stems on one branch. Some of the flowers were in awkward places on the stems, so I cut them off and tucked them in a very small, white pitcher.  Cute and simple!

Flower arrangements don’t need to be fussy and fancy to pack a punch. Sometimes simple is better.

Red roses are the most popular flower of choice for Valentines Day. Using red rose sprays, which are less expensive than single stem roses I might add, cut your stems to the proper length. I’m using another white ironstone pitcher since the flowers will all be in the same room. This will give my arrangements a unified look.

Rose sprays fill the vase more than single stem roses due to their bushy style. For single stems, you might want to add a frog at the bottom of your vase. After the red roses are placed, it’s time to fill out the bouquet with white carnations – or other flower of your choice. Carnations come several flowers to a stem. For flowers that aren’t the proper length, simply snip them where they meet the main stem and use them later. Be sure to place them in another vase with water until you’re ready to use them.

The final step is to add some Baby’s Breath. This dainty flower will provide depth and airiness to your bouquet. You can use taller stems of Baby’s Breath to frame the bouquet, but be sure to tuck some in between your larger flowers for added interest.

Your arrangements don’t have to be perfect. Simply cut your flowers at varying lengths. Sometimes it’s easier to make a bouquet in your hand, and then tuck it into your pitcher. Then fluff it as needed, pulling flowers away from each other so it’s not too tight.

Even a single rose bud in a tiny white pitcher can be pretty when paired with other arrangements.

For another simple look consider using old Mason jars as vases. Their wide mouth lets the flowers fan out.

Group similar floral arrangements together on your table for a pretty punch. No need to limit yourself to just one!

For just $25, I was able to make 6 floral arrangements! When summer comes, I’ll be able to create bouquets all season long using cut flowers from the garden …  for free!

Other considerations for vases include baskets lined with plastic, enamel buckets, soup cans that you’ve decoupaged or painted. The options are almost limitless! Do you arrange your own flowers or do you prefer professionally made bouquets?