The Textile Vase

I think that no matter how much we admire their endless beauty, flowers are still underestimated. There is simply no measure for the wonder of flowers. Each time I take pics of flowers, I get lost... I could shoot them all day long (and then some more). So I always search new and improved ways to make flower arrangements - this time it's an impromptu fabric vase!

It all started with this wonderful  little pouch - a gift from my Norwegian friend Lisa from Lisa Sol. She is one extraordinary lady, who's love for beauty and keen eye for detail never cease to amaze me. She sent me the little pouch as a gift, after we just bonded on the Internet. Thank you, Lisa, one more time, I wish every one could see all the perfection of every millimeter of this little textile jewel!

My adorable pouch has got 4 large pockets, so I can store inside jewelry, colorful beads, small trinkets or anything my heart desires - in a very organized way! But I wanted to show off the pouch a little more, so I transformed it into a textile vase, the star of my tea party. I was very careful not to damage the pouch - see how I've done it at the end of this post!

The spring weather was rainy and sad, so when the sun finally came through I had this urge to celebrate. With cake. Chocolate cake, to be precise - lots of chocolate, please! There was a small Russian doll invited to the party, a hyacinth planted in my pink creamer and a china set from .... China, that my parents got as a wedding gift in 1975.

The centerpiece for this small tea party is made of spring flowers: freesias and tulips in assorted colors. They smell so fresh! I also made a little trick on the table - I put the textile vase up high on an upside bowl, just like a pedestal, in order to add some height for the little pouch and to make it stand out among the tea cups.

So here is the tutorial for making a textile vase. For this little project you'll need a bunch of assorted flowers, a fabric pouch, florist foam, a clear plastic roll and scissors.

1. Cut a cube from the florist foam and let it soak in water. Cut a large piece of plastic roll and wrap the wet florist foam, three times, so that the water never touches the fabric.

2. Cut all the flowers short and insert them into the foam cube. Start with the biggest blooms (in my case, the tulips) and spread them evenly. Fill in the gaps using the smaller flowers (in my case, I filled it up with freesias, until I had a round arrangement).

3. Insert the bouquet into the pouch - very carefully! Then close the pouch and never open it again until the next day, when you'll need to add a little water into the foam. Enjoy your unusual spring centerpiece!

Yay, the textile vase has just been featured at Smart School House, Creating My Way To Success, Handmade Cuddles and JAQS Studio. Thanks a million for the feature!