Hostess Gift - Winter Flower Arrangement

Tis' the season of visiting with Friends & Family. I always like to show up with something in hand for the hostess.  Here is my never-fail favourite thing to do - a custom flower arrangement in a vase. I love it because it's economical (Usually around $15-$20) and is immediately enjoyed by the recipient.

The reason why I like putting flowers in a vase to bring with me is because at a dinner party or event,  the hostess is usually so busy entertaining, so your flowers go unappreciated during the night. By providing a vase for the hostess,  the little arrangement can be immediately displayed. And personally, I dislike the pre-made flower arrangements that you buy in shops, and find that you can make beautiful ones on budget.

So, here was an arrangement I did for a hostess this weekend.

I stock up on vases at the dollar store like the one I used here. For $2.00 you can't go wrong.  I keep a collection of vases in storage in our basement, as buying the same vase at the florist will run you $8-$10 because of the convinience.  I bought a stem of a Hydrangea - it's large so fills up most of the vase, and then bought an assortment of greenery/berries that were at my corner florist. (I wish I knew their names - sorry!)

Ta-da... The total cost came to $16 for this little arrangement. $14 for the flowers and $2 for the vase from the dollar store. I purposefully picked non-scented flowers/berries as I couldn't remember if the hostess was sensitive to scents (I am, so I'm usually careful). It's my no fail hostess gift.