Most people probably think that mums are an outdoor garden plant. I have to agree…but I also bring them inside during the weeks of early fall. Before it’s time to buy pumpkins. Before it frosts and before I add touches of Halloween to my decor. Decorating with mums is easy and inexpensive. It adds amazing texture to a room not to mention a terrific pop of color.
I bought two plants at my grocery store about a week ago for $4.00 each. They were almost completely in bloom but there were still a few buds. I set them on my deck for a few days until they were in full bloom.
Gather a container and an old knife. (I am using my silver urns. A large, short pitcher or bucket would work well too.) Pull the mums out of their pots and cut off at least half of the roots. Transfer the plant to your container, water and you are finished. Voila!
I discovered some wonderful burlap ribbon at Hobby Lobby and used it to loosely wrap around the top of the urn. It sort of gathers all the stray stems in and finishes off the arrangement. I also stuck some curly willow and bittersweet in the mums but that may have been overkill. Here’s the ribbon:
Speaking of stray stems, after you place the plant in your container, cut them off. Trim them as close to the main stem as possible so you can use them in small vases. Strip the leaves and trim the ends before putting in water.
I used these tiny glass bottles for an arrangement on my sofa table. I paired them with pumpkins and lined them up like soldiers.
I think this idea would look great down the center of a dining room table or along a windowsill.
Don’t forget about your kitchen. Pair the mums with herbs and it’s the perfect thing to set on your counter or an open shelf.
Here I used basil and mums in a small, vintage ironstone pitcher. My herbs are still going strong. I have tons of basil, mint and rosemary in the container herb garden on my deck. I was worried about my basil for a while when something was eating the leaves. It rallied though and is growing like crazy.
In the coming weeks, I am going to show you ways to decorate your home with natural elements. They bring a space to life, literally. I want to do it in a frugal way as well. I’m also going to try (try being the operative word) to show you how to take your fall decor and make it work for Christmas. By keeping things as neutral as possible I think it can be done.
I’ll be back tomorrow with an exciting (ha!) Mod Podge pumpkin project. I can’t tell you how fun it was even though the Mod Podge made a mess. I promise anyone can do it too.
Here are my posts Decorating With Hydrangeas
and Decorating With Sunflowers…just in case you missed them!
