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Dried Flower Ideas for This Vase?

I have an interesting vase on top of a piano in the living room that I want to use as a decorative display year-round. On special occasions, I will use fresh-cut flowers. But for ordinary days, I want to find a dried flower display. Can someone recommend a tall bundle of dried flowers that would look good in this vase?


Comments (27)

  • 3 years ago

    it would be a real statement empty.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Lyn Nielson
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    You need to show us where iyou have it and that will tell us how big it is. I buy fresh flowers at the supremarket every week so why not just do that

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Patricia Colwell Consulting It is big. The vase is about 18 inches high and about 10 inches wide in the middle. The piano is a baby grand and it occupies the entire corner of the living room. So it is going to make a statement.

    Fresh flowers would cost $10 to $20 per week, and then there is time to install them, and time to clean out the vase if it becomes dirty or moldy. I think dried flowers with a sharp color contrast might look like a painting and be timeless. It will definitely be less maintenance.

  • 3 years ago

    I think if you filled it with dried flowers, it would look like you bought it that way from somplace like Homegoods (read: cheap). So if you’re going to fill it, fill it with fresh flowers. Otherwise leave it empty.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Sammy
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Yes I agree. When not using live flowers leave it as a statement piece.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Dried flowers suffered a decorative death eons ago. Thank the heavens. Leave it empty. The narrow neck on the vase is giving you the "instructions". It is telling you........I am just here to look pretty, all by MYSELF. It's not a vase, it's a decorative vessel.

    When you want a floral statement? Use a clear vase, with enough room/opening to allow arranging the fresh floral. The clear vase allows the FLOWERS to be the statement.

    PS....whatever the vase is now sitting on, atop the piano? The blue white "thingy"? Remove it, and put felt bumpers 'neath the vase. All that thing does, is detract from the .....................vessel.: )

    If you absolutely must put a something in it? A single stem or two will DO.




    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked JAN MOYER
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I have a large vase I keep curly willow branches in, I like the sculptural quality of them, and organic look. There are lots of ideas you could do, hard to say without knowing more about your decor. I like to keep arrangements simple, so would use one or two types of plants (or branches) — dried hydrangeas, wheat, eucalyptus, grass bunch, Easter willows, etc.

    I was scrolling IG earlier and came across a gorgeous vase on a piano with a beautiful dried arrangement (from a very prominant design account). Will try to find it again and share. It was so lovely.

    Or your vase might look best empty. Can’t tell with just the close-up and not knowing your decor style(s).

    ETA: The Architectural Digest IG account has many, many rooms shown with beautiful arrangements. Some fresh, some dried, some cut from outside and arranged in vases.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Jilly
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I’ve used dried large allium seed pod heads and they lasted very well

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Gargamel
  • 3 years ago

    Gargamel, I love the looks of those! Do they shed at all?

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Jilly
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I would say they were very good at not shedding …I was surprised. I’ve seen them spray painted, but I kept them natural

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Gargamel
  • 3 years ago

    Thank you! Might need to put those on my list. :)

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Jilly
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I’d keep it simple and elegant.


    A vase can be even more lovely on its own sometimes. I have a large antique vase and have never filled, as the design and workmanship far outweigh flowers becoming the focus.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Maureen
  • 3 years ago

    I love this faux olive branch idea, I dare to say it would look great with the vase in question.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked julesnbuttons
  • 3 years ago

    I had a similar cut glass piece in my dining room in the past, and it looked more beautiful empty

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked User
  • 3 years ago

    The vase is a piece of art. I agree with the “leave it empty” group. It’s truly stunning.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked RedRyder
  • 3 years ago

    @Greg Starwinski I agree that a white flower - maybe a white sunflower - should be part of any floral composition in that vase.

  • 3 years ago

    @Maureen I have a lot of Gladding McBean pottery, and I often keep those pieces empty. I am certainly going to consider leaving this vase empty, but will try out a few approaches.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Let the piano be the star I do not like any decor on a baby grand except maybe a piano light any decor has an effect on how the piano sounds . Why not put that somewhere else completly .

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 3 years ago

    The attached photo is just an experiment to generate conversation, so please give feedback. Please ignore the mess around the base. That's going away


  • 3 years ago

    No, those flowers don't complement the vase at all. A few long branches of something would be a lot better. By the way, if you're into feng shui, dried flowers represent death in a home.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Tara
  • 3 years ago

    How about cherry blossom branches?


    Urban Living - Pacific Heights · More Info


    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Tara
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    some ideas to try. I like the olive branch or something similar

    or, if you have a window nearby, do a potted olive tree






    if you do faux flowers, maybe something that doesn't look super fake








    Or, instead of the vase, get yourself one of those orchids (faux) that look completely real. they aren't cheap




    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Beth H. :
  • 3 years ago

    @Tara If dried flowers represent death in Feng Shui, then what do dried branches represent?

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Beth H. : A twisting olive tree in the corner would look very nice. But where do I find an immature plant with twisting trunks? Most species I see in nurseries start out with straight branches and only become gnarled as they age.

  • 3 years ago

    the twisted one may be a fake.

    there are many other fake ones. Personally I prefer live.


    if you want a real one, the trunk doesn't have to be twisted.


  • 3 years ago

    What about a bunch of dried eucalptus? It smells nice, too. Try to get a long bunch, and if it is not long enough for your taste, loosely squash up some wax paper or something else to raise up the eucalyptus stems.

    Dried lunaria is also beautiful, as is dried babala.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked loobab
  • 3 years ago

    Try lavender, baby's breath, roses and hydrangeas or etc.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked eden lee
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