Hydrangea’s are a beautiful flower……….
……..I wish I could grow big, full beautiful bushes but, here in South Texas, this is as good as it gets!!
If I get one bloom, I’ll feel like the hydrangea Gods have blessed me! So instead, I have to settle for faux.
I had a project in mind with an old doctor’s bag I picked up at an estate sale…….
It’s old, dusty, dirty and definitely worn…………………
it’s perfect!!!
Now, back to my project!! I visioned cream-colored dried hydrangea flowers spilling out the bag, but as I mentioned, no can do!
So, I bought faux……
But they were too white.
My solution??????
Coffee!!!!
I poured some into a large soup bowl…..
…….and dipped my hydrangea into the coffee coating the petals really well.
Here, you can see one stem half dipped!!!
I would just let the individual stems set in the coffee for a few minutes!!
And let them dry out on a paper towel!
You can tell the difference between the dipped and not dipped!!
I let them dry and then re-dipped them again. I did this about 3 times per stem.
What I love the most is how the coffee settled in the tips of the pedals making them a little darker and giving them that “aged” look I was wanting!!
I put some crumpled up grocery bags in the bottom of the bag and placed the flowers on top so they wouldn’t fall down into the bag.
I added a silver candlestick, a piece of french linen and an old book I picked up at the same estate sale!
I created this little vignette! You know how I love vignettes!
Can I just say that I’m so excited for fall?!!! I think this will make a great fall/Halloween vignette! That little black book I picked up at the estate sale, that’s in the bag, is of Edgar Allen Poe’s poems including “The Raven”!
Fabulous!!!!
So, if you don’t live where you can easily access dried hydrangea, give this technique a try!
Until next time…….
Hmm… never thought of aging them before. I have been blessed that past dew years with an abundance of hydrangeas on my bush. However I have looked at some faux ones for places in the home, and always thought the colours were off. Now I know how to remedy this. Thanks!!! Luv the way it was darker at the edges. Perfect!
Thanks for sharing. Luv , luv your little Dr’s bag filled with sweet items.
This is fabulous Angela!! Just perfect! Easy and fun and oh so very pretty! You know what, these are far better than real ones. They will last longer ;).
Oh I love that old doctor’s bag and love that you filled it with those great hydrangeas that you “aged”…great idea…I believe many of are suffering from a lack of hydrangeas this year…hopefully they will be back with a vengeance next year…great vignettes…yes we love vignettes!
Angela don’t feel bad. I live in CT and my hydrangea bushes are huge but not one single flower on them. I don’t know if I did something wrong or it is just the season. Several other people are having problems with no blooms. At least the bushes are beautiful.
Your hydrangea solution is great. You always make such beautiful vignettes. I also love this flower and do have a beautiful hydrangea bush but in the last six years it’s only bloomed once. I might have it planted in the wrong (?) spot. Who knows!
What a great idea! They look beautiful and yes, the tips of the petals are definitely a deeper color. I can’t wait for fall ~ my favorite season!
xo
Pat
I have zero hydrangeas, but I’ve always wanted some. Never thought of tea dying artificial ones. They look perfect and I love that doctors bag.
Clever clever girl you are! Love that bag, such a cool find. P.S. I wanted you to know I have your tin in my kitchen too {on the other side} which I did not even show:( But it is there, and I love it!
Coffee does cure all!
What a fabulous idea, Angela! Who would of thought. You are very clever. Love, love the bag!
Angela, that’s so pretty! Are you actually decorating for Fall now? I can’t do it yet but I am really excited this year.
Here in Central Texas.. I can’t grow them either… I never thought of fading flowers… COFFEE… what a wonderful idea… I wonder how Texas Sweet Tea would work or Dublin Dr Pepper..
What a wonderful idea! However, I’m looking for a way to change faux white hydrangeas pink. Does anyone have a suggestion?