Floral design is not one of my strong suits but I do like to dabble in it occasionally. After all, I am a DIY-er to the core, and being frugal, I can’t fork over the money that most of the beautiful arrangements go for. I like to think of it more as vase styling, it’s more in my comfort zone that way.:)

One of my favorite “vases” is a cast iron urn. I often leave it empty or put a candle in it. My usual style when I fill it with flowers is to keep it very simple.

Here I simply placed two sprays from the craft store in it. Can’t get any easier than that!

Here it is filled with a single dried hydrangea bloom. It’s very plain but adds a nice texture and sometimes I want a monochrome look.

Now that spring is almost here I wanted to change it up with something a little more colorful and fitting for the season. Following the formula I have heard on gardening shows, I wanted something tall and spiky in the center, something with roundness and “mound-ness”, and something trailing over the sides. So I gathered up a few faux blue hibiscus, some Spanish moss and a few sprigs of a dried silver dollar plant (lunaria) also known as money plant or honesty.

I was underwhelmed by the result. It seemed too drab, but these were the materials I had to work with. I wanted to add a little spring green. The thought occurred to me that I could try dying the moss.

The “before” picture.

Using acrylic craft paint I mixed together yellow and aqua to get the chartreuse color I wanted. Then I mixed approximately 3 parts water to 1 part paint in a cup.

Using a handful of moss at a time, I dipped a clump into the paint mixture and squeezed out the excess liquid. I then set each clump of moss aside to dry.

I was so happy with the result! It worked perfectly and was very quick and easy.

The green moss made all the difference. It perked up the arrangement and made it feel much more like springtime. And it didn’t cost a thing! Maybe I’ll take the money I saved and buy a new spring dress.

Lunaria is a perennial plant. We grow our own and I have tons of seeds that I would happily share. Would you like to grow your own? Leave me a comment if you would like me to send you some.