A Berry Merry Holiday

Believe it or not, I really am not a fan of fake flowers. ...Based on posts like this and this (um...and this and this...), you probably don't buy that. So I guess 'not a fan' might be too strong: I'm just particular.

They have to look great, and they have to be cheap. Sort of a champagne-on-a-beer-budget situation. But impossible? No. One of the easiest things to find looking alive and well is any kind of greenery. This time of year, it's all about the holly and evergreen boughs. Another option that tends to look good on any budget: Berries.

Hot Tip: Always snip apart stems of fake flowers of any kind. Breaking them out of their mass-produced state will make them look a million times more real from the get-go.

All you need: One stem and wire snips.

Check out what I was able to accomplish with a single stem of berries:

A few sprigs in square vases (aka: two of Nate's ski trophies) for the mantel.

A little color for the mantel.

A few trimmed branches & berries to cover an empty front porch container.

A few with some greenery in a julep cup.

And the budget part? Michael's seems to almost always have a 60% off sale on their floral section, and if you subscribe to your favorite craft store's e-flyer, you're going to get at least one coupon a week, usually for 40% off any item. Stock up over time!

I bought two stems of pine boughs at the same time I picked up the berries - Show you what I did with those Friday.