Cut The Cost

A great way to reduce the cost of flowers at a party is to use day-old rose petals instead of fresh-cut roses. At a recent event at Carrots, the hostess filled oversized martini glasses with deep red rose petals. The petals were scattered on tables between candles and used as garnish in the pomegranate martini.

I talked to a local florist and a grocery bag filled with day-old rose petals costs $30-40, much less than the fresh cut flowers. If your florist doesn't have day-old roses, purchase cheap roses from Safeway or Trader Joe's. Usually you can get a dozen roses for under $10, but you'll have to take them apart yourself. If that doesn't fit into your budget, silk rose petals are super cheap at a craft store.

If you are planning a party, you may run the risk of spending a lot of money. Flowers, while beautiful and fragrant, often cost a large amount of your party budget. Cut the cost by cutting the flowers. Fall is a great time to use other ingredients in the decor:

• Create tonal arrangements using fruit. Fill a bowl with red apples, purple grapes, and burgundy pears. Or do the same arrangement with green apples, emerald grapes, and yellow pears.
• Fill a large glass vase (you can find them at Michaels for super cheap) with dried, collected leaves. Place a large white pillar candle on the pillow of leaves.
• Purchase potted plants. Pansies can handle frost and come at very low prices. The day after the party, plant the flowers in your garden.



• Don't underestimate the power of pumpkins! Purchase several pumpkins in various shapes, sizes, and colors and place them in the center of your table or along your mantle. Use small ones to fill large glass containers.
• Crowd bowls with nuts in the shell. Walnuts, pecans, and almonds look festive when placed at varying heights on a table in bright glass bowls.

Got a great idea on how to create a gorgeous look without flowers? Please share it with us below!!

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