Christmas Flower Arrangements: 14 Budget Holiday Vases That Look Like a Florist Made Them

Christmas flower arrangements can make a whole room feel like the holidays, and they do not have to cost florist prices. A bunch of grocery store roses, a few clippings from the yard and a jar you already own can look like a pricey designer piece when you put them together the right way. Fresh flowers also do something that plastic decorations cannot. They smell like the season, they change a little every day, and they make guests stop and lean in for a closer look. This year, think of your kitchen counter as a little flower shop. Most of these ideas use stems that cost a few dollars, plus greenery you can snip for free. A couple of simple tricks keep everything standing tall, so even beginners get a polished result. Here are the vases that will make your home look ready for company..

Christmas Flower Arrangements for Every Table

The secret of a florist look is not expensive flowers. It is grouping. Three or four simple vases in different heights, all using the same few colors, look planned and rich. Pick a palette like red, white and green, then repeat it in every vase. Put the tallest one in the middle of the table and the small ones around it. Suddenly the whole room feels styled. Pick the colors you love and let them lead the way..

You will need: Three to five vases or jars in different heights, red and white stems, greenery, clean water.

How to make it: 1. Choose one color palette and stick to it. 2. Fill each vase with clean water and trim the stems at an angle. 3. Group the vases with the tallest in the center and the smallest at the edges.

Cranberries and Evergreen in a Tall Glass

This look went viral on Facebook, with one holiday floral arrangement video pulling in more than 253,000 reactions. Fresh cranberries sink to the bottom of a clear vase and glow bright red, while evergreen and a few white blooms sit on top. It is cheap, it is quick, and it looks like a hotel lobby. The cranberries also hold the stems in place. It is one of the most copied Christmas flower arrangements of the season, and it takes about five minutes from start to finish. Could anything be easier for a party centerpiece?

You will need: A tall glass cylinder, one bag of fresh cranberries, evergreen sprigs, a few white flowers.

How to make it: 1. Pour cranberries into the vase until it is about a third full. 2. Add water and push the evergreen stems down into the berries. 3. Tuck white flowers in between and top up the water every two days.

Christmas Flower Arrangements With Red Roses and Pine

A plain dozen red roses looks like Valentine’s Day. Add silvery eucalyptus and a few pine branches, and it turns into Christmas right away. The green makes the roses look fuller, so you need fewer stems. Eucalyptus also smells fresh and lasts a long time in water. This is a great way to stretch a cheap grocery bunch into something that feels luxurious. Would you put this one on the mantel or the dining table?

You will need: A dozen red roses, three eucalyptus stems, pine clippings, a medium vase.

How to make it: 1. Make a base of eucalyptus and pine in the vase. 2. Trim the roses so they sit just above the greenery. 3. Turn the vase as you add stems so it looks full from every side.

White Amaryllis With Birch Twigs

Amaryllis is the queen of Christmas flowers. One stem can carry four huge blooms, so a single bunch makes a big statement. White amaryllis with pale birch twigs feels like a snowy forest, calm and elegant. The tall shape works on a hall table or on the floor beside a chair. If the stems flop, tie them loosely to a twig with string. Tall Christmas flower arrangements like this one draw the eye up, which makes a small room feel bigger and brighter. Have you ever grown amaryllis from a bulb?

You will need: Two or three amaryllis stems, birch branches, a tall heavy vase, garden twine.

How to make it: 1. Put the birch twigs in first so they form a frame. 2. Slide the amaryllis between them. 3. Tie the stems loosely to a twig if they lean.

Christmas Flower Arrangements in an Ornament Vase

A bowl full of shiny ornaments is pretty. Put flowers on top and it becomes a showpiece. Fill a round glass vase with shatterproof ornaments in two colors, then add a small jar of water hidden in the middle for the stems. A video of a bauble vase centerpiece drew more than 88,000 reactions online, and you can see why. It is a great use for spare ornaments. Ornament vases are also one of the smartest Christmas flower arrangements for families, because the shatterproof balls are safe if the vase gets bumped. What colors would you choose?

You will need: A round glass vase, shatterproof ornaments, a small jar that fits inside, flowers and greenery.

How to make it: 1. Set the small jar in the middle of the vase and fill it with water. 2. Pour ornaments around the jar to hide it. 3. Add flowers and greenery to the jar only.

The Tube Trick That Holds Stems Upright

This little hack has been liked more than a million times on Instagram. Cut an empty paper towel or toilet roll tube into short rings, stand them side by side in the vase, and each stem gets its own slot. No more branches flopping to one side. Once the greenery fills in, nobody can see the cardboard. It is one of those tricks you will use all year. Florists use a similar grid with tape, but this version is free and works in any wide vase. Why did nobody tell us this sooner?

You will need: Two or three empty cardboard tubes, scissors, a wide vase, greenery and flowers.

How to make it: 1. Cut the tubes into rings about two inches tall. 2. Pack the rings upright inside the vase. 3. Slide one stem into each ring and fill the gaps with greenery.

Grocery Store Carnations in a Low Bowl

Carnations get a bad rap, but they are cheap, hardy and last for two weeks. The trick is to cut them short and pack them tightly in a low bowl so they look like one big cushion of color. Florists do this all the time, and it makes inexpensive flowers look expensive. A few sprigs of evergreen around the edge finish the look. Low Christmas flower arrangements are also perfect for dinner, because nobody has to peek around them to talk. Have you ever given carnations a second chance?

You will need: Two bunches of carnations, a low bowl, a flower frog or tape grid, evergreen sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Make a grid of tape across the top of the bowl. 2. Cut the carnations short and push them in close together. 3. Tuck evergreen around the rim.

Magnolia Leaves and Cedar in a Pitcher

Not every Christmas arrangement needs flowers at all. Glossy magnolia leaves with their velvety brown backs, mixed with soft cedar, look rich and Southern in a plain white pitcher. This is perfect for a kitchen counter or a sideboard. Magnolia lasts for weeks and even dries nicely. If you have a neighbor with a big tree, ask for a few clippings. Greenery only Christmas flower arrangements are a lifesaver in the busy weeks when you have no time to shop. Who on your street has the best greenery?

You will need: Magnolia branches, cedar clippings, a pitcher or crock.

How to make it: 1. Strip the leaves from the bottom of each branch. 2. Put the magnolia in first, then fill gaps with cedar. 3. Let some leaves face backward to show the brown side.

Holly and White Tulips in a Vintage Teapot

An old teapot from a thrift store makes a charming vase, and the spout gives it so much personality. White tulips with a few sprigs of holly look fresh and festive, and they are perfect for a brunch table. Holly berries are not safe to eat, so keep this one up high if you have curious pets or little ones. A teapot also hides the stems, so even a messy handful of flowers looks neat from the outside. Do you have a teapot hiding in a cupboard that never gets used?

You will need: A teapot, white tulips, a few holly sprigs, water.

How to make it: 1. Fill the teapot with cool water. 2. Trim the tulips so the blooms sit just above the rim. 3. Tuck holly around the edge and keep it out of reach of pets.

Christmas Flower Arrangements in Mason Jars

Mason jars are the easiest way to make a row of small arrangements for a long table. White mums are cheap and last a long time, and rosemary adds a lovely smell and a soft green color. Tie each jar with twine or ribbon. These also make sweet little gifts for guests to take home. For more seasonal flower ideas, our pumpkin flower arrangements are a fun one for fall. A few fresh stems in each jar is plenty. How many jars would your table need?

You will need: Small mason jars, white mums, fresh rosemary, twine or ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Fill the jars halfway with water. 2. Add a few mums and two or three rosemary sprigs to each. 3. Tie twine around the neck and line them down the table.

Curly Branches With White Spray Roses

Gather a few bare, twisty branches from the yard, and they add instant height and drama to a vase. Curly willow is a florist favorite, but any interesting branch works. Pair them with white spray roses, which have several small blooms on each stem, and you get height, softness and a calm wintry look in one vase. If you want more shine, an adult can spray the branches gold or silver outdoors first. Spray roses are usually cheaper than long stem roses and give you more blooms for the money. Would you keep them natural or add some sparkle?

You will need: Bare or curly branches, white spray roses, a tall clear vase, gold spray paint (optional, adults, outdoors).

How to make it: 1. Trim the branches so they stand about twice the height of the vase. 2. Arrange the branches first to make a frame. 3. Add the spray roses low and in the middle.

Free Christmas Flower Arrangements From Tree Trimmings

When you trim the bottom of your Christmas tree, do not throw the branches away. Stand them in a galvanized bucket with some red berries and a few white blooms, and you have a free farmhouse arrangement for the porch or entry. This is one of the easiest Christmas flower arrangements you can make. It lasts for weeks in cold weather. Will you save your tree trimmings this year?

You will need: A galvanized bucket, tree trimmings, faux or real red berries, white flowers.

How to make it: 1. Put a jar of water inside the bucket for any fresh flowers. 2. Stand the branches around it. 3. Tuck berries and flowers in the front.

Pomegranates and Greenery in a Footed Bowl

Fruit makes a centerpiece feel generous, like an old painting. Pile a few pomegranates in a footed bowl, tuck greenery around them, and add three or four red blooms in small water tubes. The deep red color is perfect for the holidays, and you can eat the fruit when the party is over. Fruit and flowers together make Christmas flower arrangements feel abundant without costing much. Do you like fruit on the table, or do you prefer flowers only?

You will need: A footed bowl, four to six pomegranates, greenery, red flowers, floral water tubes.

How to make it: 1. Lay greenery in the bowl first. 2. Pile the pomegranates on top. 3. Put flower stems in water tubes and tuck them between the fruit.

A Row of Mini Bud Vases Down the Table

If your table is long or narrow, skip the big centerpiece and line up small bud vases instead. One bloom or one sprig per vase looks light and pretty, and guests can still see each other. Mix old glass bottles, spice jars and small vases for a collected look. This is a great way to use up the last stems of other arrangements. Spread out like this, small Christmas flower arrangements still have a big effect. How many little bottles do you have saved?

You will need: Small bottles or bud vases, single flowers, greenery sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Fill each bottle with a little water. 2. Add one flower or sprig to each. 3. Space them evenly down the center of the table.