The wet season has arrived! While many plants are turning brown, autumn flowers are bringing joy to my life. Yes, it is time to turn a medicine bottle into a vase for a flower arrangement!
Coincidentally, it’s Canadian Thanksgiving weekend! So I wanted to share my joy with the people I am grateful for.
In this tutorial, you’ll find how to turn a medicine bottle into a vase.
What you need
- Material (repurposed bed sheet)
- Jute Twine
- Medicine Bottle (repurposing)
- Elastic
- Pinking Shears
- Shears
How to turn a medicine bottle into a vase
Step 1: Fold, Cut & Trim
First of all, estimate the material size for wrapping the container. Give it an extra inch, then cut it into a square. When it’s done, fold it in half.
Don’t worry to cut it precisely. All you need to do is cut it bigger than the container. Otherwise, you may have to look for a smaller container!
Next, cut the material with pinking shears into a half-moon shape. Folding material in half and cutting helps create a balanced circle.
Finally, open it up to see the full moon! If it needs trimming, please do so.
Even if it’s not a perfect full moon, that’s OK, because it never turns out perfect for me either! According to my dictionary, if everything is perfect, nothing is special!
Step 2: Wrap the bottle
To begin, place the bottle in the center, and bring the material up. Then tie it with an elastic. It is just like tying hair.
Once it’s tied, flip the bottle upside down. As a result, the bottom part of the material should be flat and fit snugly.
Finally, flip it again so it is facing up. Now, try to even out the gathered areas where it’s tied. It is indeed my favourite part. For some reason, I feel like I’m a fashion designer! As a matter of a fact, this part reminds me of sewing the cuff of a fancy blouse.
Tip: Choose similar colour elastic to your twine or ribbon, so it’s not visible even if the twine/ribbon is skinny.
Step 3: Final step for medicine bottle into a vase
When the gathers seem evenly spread, trim a bit more if required. As you see in the picture, hold the vase and trim the material. This step certainly gives it a balanced, beautiful flower look.
Once the trimming is done, tie a decorative ribbon or twine bow. Look around and see what’s available in your home. You can even use materials from nature like grass, vines etc…
Tip: I always save ribbons, yarn, twines..anything I can reuse for crafts. If I have to buy some, I intentionally choose natural materials, so they can be composted.
Additional Step: Pick & Arrange
First, go see what’s available in your garden. When you see the plants, you know which one you want to work with. Just a reminder, greens are as important as flowers.
Tip: Don’t forget to bring your flower shears with you. I also bring an ice cream bucket for easy handling.
Second (middle picture), put some water in the vase. It is now time for a flower arrangement. If you picked more flowers than the size of the vase, just leave some out. I left a hydrangea out and used it as a dry flower instead.
Tip: Make sure to remove unnecessary leaves off the stems. Also, cut the stems at a 45-degree angle for better water absorption.
At last, look at the balance of your arrangement. If you are happy, clean up and enjoy your creation. If you feel something is missing, add more flowers & greens.
I made this arrangement for my mother-in-law who has always been there for me. Earlier in our relationship, she mentioned that she didn’t need ANYTHING! I didn’t understand what she meant. As I got older, I got it.
It’s the thought that counts!