Flowers are beautiful to look at, but decoration doesn’t have to be their only use. There are several different ways you can use flowers in your home to benefit your health, create art and more
But before we get into how to use flowers in your home, let’s talk about the best ways to get them. Ordering flowers from an online service is one of the most convenient (and fun!) ways to get your florals, but you should make sure you’re buying from a reputable source. Start with this list of things to look for in an online flower company before you get to purchasing
Once you’ve purchased your flowers, the options for using them are nearly endless. Here are a few of our favorites
1. Use Flowers for Aromatherapy (Sort of)
Technically, aromatherapy is when you either smell or apply essential oils for therapeutic purposes, but there’s no reason you couldn’t do a little ad-hoc aromatherapy with your nearest sweetly-scented bouquet. Breathing in all those gorgeous floral scents will lift your mood and help you feel calm; no expensive oils required.
2. Make a Nourishing Floral Tea
Some flowers, like chamomile, hibiscus and roses can be used to make a delicious and nourishing tea. One you’ve decided which floral(s) you’d like to make tea from, consult a reliable recipe. Most of the time, all you’ll need to do is dry the flowers and then steep them. (This takes a lot longer than steeping a tea bag; think 15 or more minutes.) Once the tea has steeped, add sweeteners and/or milk as you typically would and enjoy!
3. Make Natural Petal Confetti
Have a big celebration coming up? Avoid reaching for the confetti, which can be messy and bad for the environment, and make natural confetti from your flowers instead. Simply line up the petals on a paper towel and microwave them in 30 second increments until they’re completely dry.
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4. Make Floral Watercolor Paint
Have a little (or big) kid at home who likes to paint? You can use flowers to create an all natural finger paint for them. Just put petals in a bowl, pour boiling water over them, and wait for the color from the flowers to saturate the water. We know you know this, but make sure the boiling water has cooled all the way down before little hands touch it!
5. Create a Dried Flower Art Installation
There are so many ways to create art with flowers, but one of the simplest is to put dried flowers on display. To do this, you can attach them to a canvas, place them in a shadow box or get creative and modge podge them to another surface. This is a great way to hold on to flowers that were brought to your home for a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary.
6. Arrange Your Buds into a Beautiful Bouquet
Obviously, this is the most classic way to use flowers at home — and for good reason. There are few things that are simpler and more impactful than arranging a few beautiful buds in a vase (or mason jar, or coffee mug….) and placing them on your kitchen counter. If you’re feeling extra creative, look up Ikebana and learn to arrange flowers the Japanese way.
And there you have it! Flowers aren’t just for vases anymore. Next time someone orders you a beautiful bouquet of flowers (or you treat yourself to some), know that you’re about to get your hands on tons of different ways to make your home a happier, healthier and more beautiful place.
