Tips for Transforming Clear Glass Vases
Clear glass vases are a staple of home décor, and there are as many uses for them as there are varieties available. As rapidly as vases multiply, however, ideas for filling them creatively seem to dwindle. Home decorators will often stare at their vases hopelessly, tired of making simple flower-in-water floral arrangements but clueless as to how else they can use the vases. Luckily, there are a plenty of ways to enhance the style of your home by using your simple clear glass vases and a little imagination.
First, if you do enjoy just sticking a pretty flower into your vase, but the flower never seems to look right, beware of two factors: the size of the flower and the appearance of the stem. Flowers should be neither too tall nor too short for their vases, and stems should be neatly trimmed. You may event want to choose flowers with more attractive looking stems, since the whole flower will be visible through the clear glass. You may also want to play with the stems a little, creating a circular pattern or another design. This will make the contents of your vase as attractive as the plants emerging from it.
Next, be careful about what you choose to anchor the stems of your flowers. Use materials that are both functional and attractive. For example, polished stones and iridescent marbles submersed in water will create visual interest in the vase itself. If stones and marbles are too commonplace, however, you could also turn to unique, natural materials like cherry tomatoes, grapes, or nuts to help your vase stand out. For example, golden pears make a beautiful anchor for a bundle of elegant lilies secured with raffia in a tall glass vase.
Another way to transform clear glass vases is by submerging greenery in the water itself. Rather than having a bundle of flowers emerging from the neck of the vase, as is typical, it will appear as if the greenery is floating on air. Capping the submerged greenery off with a floating candle will look every more pleasing to the eye by combining the two elements of fire and water.
Finally, you can do away with water all together and create interesting arrangements of flowers, fruits, and vegetables in your clear glass vases. A vase full of cranberries creates an eye-pleasing winter arrangement, while branches of flowering dogwood or cherry make the perfect springtime centerpiece. Even seemingly unattractive materials, such as potatoes, look beautiful when topped with peach roses. In the end, you may even trade in all the bins and containers storing produce in your kitchen for glass vases to display on your countertops.