A Thrifted Vase and Frog for The Upcycle Challenge

The idea of this particular challenge is to upcycle an item found in a thrift store.  These talented bloggers are in on the fun today:

Across the Boulevard

My Husband has Too Many Hobbies
Purple Hues and Me

It's exciting to see everyone put their spin on the challenge!  Here's mine.  You may remember these dusty items I found waaaay back in the summer!

If you would like to see my previous posts, just click below for

Round Wooden Tray Up cycle

Yellow Tote Bag Up cycle

So, just what do you think I'm going to do with the vase and its matching frog?  It's a lovely soft grayish green and surprisingly heavy.

Every vase is transformed with flowers, right?  My first plan was to wander my property and create an arrangement with found items.  Our cold temps and a dusting of snow, though, kept me inside.  My next idea was to pick up some flowers at our local grocery store.  'Not sure what happened, but the day I was there, the loose stems in their fridge were awfully scrappy.  OK.  We are on "Plan C" y'all!  

These silks were left over from THIS PROJECT.  They just happen to be mostly red and white.  Perfect for Valentine's Day!  Here we go!  Since the vase is about six inches tall, I will want the finished arrangement to be between 12 and 18 inches high.

The first round of stems are cut just over 12 inches tall and any foliage is pulled toward the top, above that six inch mark.  Leaves will not fit inside the frog.  After some experimenting, here's the pattern that worked for me.

Thinking in 3's, the cut stems are alternated on the outside row

Green, Green, Red
Green, White, Red

Notice the spots around the frog are divisible by 3, except the very center one.



For the second row, stems are cut a little longer and alternated

Green, White, Red
Green, White, Red

I placed a green stem in the center.

From there, I fluff and twist a few blossoms and leaves.  Now to add some candles and complete the Valentine's Day vignette!

One last look at the transformation.  Have you ever been inspired from items at a thrift store?

;-)  -Marci