Festive Winter Flowers

by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor Spirited Table®—By Natalie Dayton and Wade Scherrer—BHG.COM

A festive winter flower arrangement makes the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table. But you don't need to spend a fortune on pre-arranged floral displays in order to impress your guests. Snag a few bouquets from the grocery store, find a pair of sharp shears, and follow our tips to create gorgeous, holiday-ready arrangements yourself.

First, make sure your vase or container of choice is clean, then fill it with warm water. Mix in the floral food packet or a spoonful of sugar combined with a teaspoon of white vinegar or bleach to help control bacteria. Next, give flowers a fresh cut under running water with sharp scissors, flower snips, or hand pruners. Cut thick, green stems at an angle. Trim woody stems with an X-shape cut. Meanwhile, remove any foliage that sits below the waterline. To ensure your winter flower arrangements last as long as possible, change the water every couple of days, and trim off spent flowers right away. Display flowers in a cool area away from vents and out of direct sunlight.

When making a from-scratch arrangement, fresh greenery adds the perfect professional finishing touch. The list below includes a few favorites (also pictured above, from left) to mix with purchased bouquets. Find these (and more) greenery options at most local grocery stores or floral shops. Or take a peek outside your window and trim from a nearby tree.

Red Hypericum: These woody stems add a little color to any bouquet with a sprinkle of red berries.
Silver Brunia: Perfect for a wintry touch in your arrangement, these silver baubles typically are sold in sets of two or three stems.
Green Hypericum: Similar to its red cousin, green hypericum berries are long-lasting and add texture to your bouquet.
Variegated Pittosporum: Technically a shrub, this variegated, rounded foliage helps fill out arrangements with a double dose of green.
Scotch Pine: Nothing says holiday quite like pine. Take trimmings from a nearby tree to fill in and finish your arrangement.
Bells of Ireland: These unusual cuttings add height and a modern feel with their meandering, chartreuse stems.
Seeded Eucalyptus: All eucalyptus varieties are great as greenery additions; seeded eucalyptus has sturdy, malleable stems that work well when mixed with other flowers and greens.
Balsam Fir: An added perk of incorporating balsam fir into your bouquet? The piney, holiday smell that comes with it!

Use these clever container hacks to turn inexpensive grocery-store flowers into magical centerpieces.

1. Vintage-Inspired Floral Arrangement

Mismatched glassware is the key to a collected centerpiece. Fill each glass about halfway with water, trim stems, and place one per glass. For flowers and greens, we mixed red carnations with white roses, green spider mums, evergreen, and eucalyptus sprigs.

2. Unexpected Winter Flowers

Hydrangeas might not seem like a traditional addition to a holiday arrangement, but when mixed with pops of red roses and wintry silver brunia, they certainly look the part. Position hydrangeas first in a tall pitcher. Nestle the roses and berries among the blooms to complete the display. Look for blooms that can be separated when buying grocery-store bouquets. We chose red roses and hydrangeas that would be easy to pull apart and rearrange.

To keep hydrangeas looking fresh: When the blooms begin to wilt, cut at least an inch off the stem while under running water and get into fresh water immediately.

3. Poinsettia Centerpiece

Bigger, in this case, is better. One large poinsettia steals the show of this arrangement, while fir sprigs and hypericum stems tuck behind to support the star. Add a floral frog (or make your own from a ball of chicken wire) to support your focal bloom front and center. Fill in behind the poinsettia with stems.

Keep this arrangement where your furry friends can't nibble on it—poinsettia leaves can be toxic to pets.

4. Ornamental Arrangement

While this winter flower arrangement looks ornate, it's actually super simple! Shape a floral support from a ball of chicken wire to fit the container. Starting in the middle of your container, tuck cut stems into the support, finishing with shorter stems around the edge. We used green spider mums, white carnations, green hypericum, and bells of Ireland in our display. Accentuate the arrangement with green ornaments glued to floral picks.

5. Green Holiday Floral Centerpiece

A mix of grocery store greens makes up the majority of this low-rise winter flower arrangement. It includes white spider mums, white roses, variegated pittosporum, seeded eucalyptus, and short-needle pine. Find a short, wide vase, and add a floral frog or ball of chicken wire to fit the container. Cut stems short and at an angle. Stick greenery stems into the support, add flowers, and finish with staked gold pinecone ornaments for holiday shimmer.

6. Red Floral Arrangement

Bold and beautiful, this monochromatic grouping is sure to turn heads. Make a floral support out of chicken wire or insert floral foam to fit the desired container (the taller, the better). For a more formal affair, look to urn-shape containers. Cut stems at an angle, then place a few of the biggest blossoms to begin to map out your arrangement. Add greenery and more large flowers, followed by smaller flowers to fill in gaps. We used red roses, red carnations, and short-needle pine. Glue red ornaments to plant stakes and tuck among the stems to finish your arrangement.

By Natalie Dayton and Wade Scherrer

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