No Vase? No Problem!
Creative flower vase alternatives everyone should try, with items we already have at home.
We believe that flowers are meant to be displayed and enjoyed, as they are great mood-lifters when adorned around the home! Upon receiving a bouquet of flowers, one important step that many flower recipients miss out on is ensuring that they unwrap their bouquet and place the flowers in a vase of fresh water. We often hear recipients saying “but the wrap is so pretty, I can’t bear to undo the bouquet!”—and we completely understand that, but hear us out! Undoing the wrap and letting the flowers have their drink of water allows you to enjoy them for longer, and this is always a win to us! 🙂 If you have fresh flowers on hand and you’re not exactly sure how to get started, click here for our basic flower care guide.
Now back to the topic we’re all here for, if you’re thinking “I would love to display my flowers in a vase, but I have no vase!”, maybe because you’ve travelling and you’re at a hotel, or you don’t have an adequately sized vase for the amount of flowers you received, or maybe you simply want to get creative and try something a little offbeat and unique. We understand that not everyone has a spare vase laying around—and that’s no problem!
Vessels can come in all shapes and sizes, and with a little creativity, your flowers can be enjoyed in no time. Here’s our list of home vase alternatives to display your flowers in, with items we all most likely have around the house! Time to get our hands dirty, and start creating unique and fun flower arrangements!
Flower Vase Hack 1: Tins Cans
Just finished your can of soup or beans? Perfect timing! Why not use those cans as a flower vase? We happened to finish a can of condensed milk and decided to leave the label on to add more charm. Imagine popping your flowers in a Campbell can, how adorable! If you have guests coming over for a weekend brunch or dinner, placing these along the table acts as a great conversation-starter as well.
Flower Vase Hack 2: Spaghetti Sauce Jars
Besides metal cans, reuse those old spaghetti sauce jars—see where we’re going with this? With a little imagination, any food container can be repurposed and given a new lease of life! If you’re not a pasta fan, use jars from that chilli oil you’ve always loved, or from your kids’ favourite peanut butter. Give those jars a good rinse and scrub down, and they’ll be perfect as a flower vase. Peel the label off and no one would even notice 😉
Flower Vase Hack 3: Water Pitchers, Jugs, Carafes
Instead of using your jugs and carafes to serve water, trying using it as a flower vase! If your water jug comes with a smaller nozzle or opening, keep it minimal by placing only a few stems from your bouquet. Alternatively, placing one statement flower on its own works well too!
Flower Vase Hack 4: Teapots
We’re giving floral tea a whole new meaning with this vase alternative! In between tea breaks, opt to use your teapots as a flower vase. We all have that precious teapot that we can’t bear to use, either because it’s too expensive or it was a gift from someone special. Why not use them to house those gorgeous flowers you’ve just received? We placed our flowers in this Alice In Wonderland teapot that was stowed away in the kitchen cabinet, because we are not common tea drinkers ourselves. It acted as the most perfectly whimsical flower vase, and elevated this bunch of Eustoma flowers!
Flower Vase Hack 5: Mugs & Cups
If you’re not a tea drinker, use your coffee mugs! This alternative is a no-brainer, plus it really lets you show off your coffee mug collection around the house 😉 Because mugs and cups are generally shorter in height, they act as the perfect vase for shorter flower stems that broke off midway through your arrangement adventures. They also make great vase options for the bedside table, where you can display your flowers without it taking up too much table space.
Flower Vase Hack 6: Liquor Bottles
There’s always this old-time charm that comes with wine and liquor bottles. Give your arrangement a vintage look and feel by pairing them with empty liquor bottles! We displayed mini dried flower bouquets in these gin and wine bottles, and they act as a great statement decor piece for the bookshelf or coffee table.
Flower Vase Hack 7: Tall Drinking Glasses
Speaking of liquor, we found that beer glasses look great as a flower vase alternative as well! A super easy and elegant fix for your flowers once happy hour is over. Seen here is a tall beer glass that work well with longer flower stems—how perfect!
Flower Vase Hack 8: Biscuit or Cookie Jars
The one container most households in Singapore have! Finished your container of cookies or biscuits? Repurpose the plastic jar into a flower vase! Lose the red lid and no one would even notice your little trick. These containers have a wide opening that makes them super versatile for all flower arrangement styles. Plus they are the ideal size for smaller tables and countertops.
Flower Vase Hack 9: Watering Cans
Look beyond the kitchen and into the tools cabinet! We found this watering canister and it was perfect as a flower vase. Pop it on your shelf for a charming touch, or on your outdoor seating table to fit your flower arrangement right into the space.
Bonus Flower Vase Hack: Put them all together
Have a few of these vessels laying around at home? Create your very own clustered vase arrangement by using them all at once! Split your bouquet up stem by stem, and get creative with it. This arrangement style works best when you have a variety of vessels of all shapes and sizes, and is perfect as a statement decor piece at your home entryway, or lined up along your dining table. Here we used a perfume reed diffuser bottle, a spaghetti sauce jar, a small drinking glass, and a couple of wine bottles. Want to know how to get started? Here’s a how-to on creating your very own clustered vase arrangement.
Looking for more flower guides and tutorials?
View our collection of flower arrangement tutorials, or flower DIY guides here. From making your own potpourri with leftover flowers, to making your own floral cocktails, we have all you need to get your hands deep in some floral fun.
