So maybe you’ve packed away the bathing suits, capris, beach chairs…But keep out those vases. Even when they’re not filled with flowers, they can be an easy way to dress up a room or a pretty way to get organized (hey, who couldn’t use more organizing tools?). Here are some ideas for where you can display them throughout your house.
Kitchen
Dried beans: Layer multicolored ones, or alternate with dried rice.
Pastas: Use dry spaghetti or fettuccine in tall vases, wheels and shells in squat styles. Mix in whole-wheat, spinach, and beet varieties for color.
Citrus: Combine small lemons, key limes, and even clementines.
Wood spoons: Vases make elegant, practical dispensers for kitchen tools.
Bathroom
Seashells: Buy a few bags of assorted miniatures or gather your own during your next beach vacation.
Bath salts and soaps: A colorful assortment.
Water and a floating candle: Simple yet soothing; color the water to match your decor. In a guest bathroom, float a little sailboat.
Tile chips: Create a mosaic in glass.
Bedroom
Mini tree branch: Find one with an interesting shape, then “plant” it in some sand or stone; hang earrings and other jewelry.
Feathers: Hey, you never know when these will come in handy!
Coins: Instead of tossing loose change on the bureau, create a money vase.
Potpourri: The next best thing to flowers.
Buttons: Ask Grandma; she’s probably sitting on a ton.
Family room
Candy: Keep the ever-hungry horde happy with a colorful mix of jelly beans, gumballs, M&M’s, or whatever is on sale. Licorice sticks work well in tall vases.
Grapes: A more healthful alternative.
Dog treats: Don’t forget the other family members; the mini bone-shaped ones are particularly decorative.
Marbles: Fun and full of color.
Fish/turtles: You don’t need an expensive aquarium if you can remember to clean and feed regularly.
Entryway
Holiday theme: Welcome guests with some red-foil kisses for Valentine’s Day, green glass chips for St. Paddy’s, or mini pastel eggs for Easter.
Decorative balls: Especially elegant in a large vase.
Long sticks: Gather your own, then spray paint; can be dramatic in floor vases. Or put in a few forsythia branches and force an early-spring bloom.
Sunroom/Breakfast nook
Birdseed: Toss a handful out the door every morning before you have your coffee, and you’ll be assured of company.
Coffee beans: Don’t toss them if they go stale.
Garage/Workshop
Nuts and bolts: Pretty can also be practical; organize screws, nuts, nails, and washers into different vases—or mix them all together.
So next time he says “Not another vase!” when you come home with a garage sale find, let him know that he’s off the hook for filling it with flowers (for now). You’ve got other ideas in mind.
Decadent (yet smart!) desserts
