How to Make Grocery Store Flowers Look Expensive!
Achieve a more professional look from grocery store flowers! Use these tips to create beautiful grocery store bouquets!
Save money by arranging your own flower bouquets at home!
Gifting flowers doesn’t have to break the bank. Thanks to local grocers and stores like Trader Joe’s and Costco, picking up fresh flowers can be affordable.
Creating your own bouquets can be a great way to stretch a dollar, plus I think it’s a fun activity!
A bouquet of pretty flowers makes me HAPPY!
Fresh flowers are such a thoughtful way to brighten someone’s day and make them feel special. They’re a fantastic gift for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation – pretty much any holiday or occasion!
I also love to grab grocery store flowers and make DIY arrangements to spruce up my own home.
Not all grocery stores have cheap flowers. I typically seek out Trader Joe’s if I am buying them, but my location is further away. On this day I made my own bouquets using 24 roses from Costco priced under $19 and some mixed flowers from my local Kroger store.
Where to Buy Cheap Flowers:
Turns out it’s actually pretty easy to elevate grocery store flowers into a more professional-looking arrangement. Whether you’re giving them away or keeping them for yourself, here are a few simple tips!
1. Opt for hearty, longer longer-lasting flowers.
Having a fresh bouquet die right away is such a bummer. For the best grocery store bouquets, be sure to pick flowers with thicker hearty stems that aren’t browned or turning mushy. Keep in mind the flowers that will last the longest such as roses, carnations, orchids, alstroemeria, and lilies.
2. Create a base with greenery.
Grab a mixed bouquet of greenery to go along with your flowers. My favorites to include are a couple of varieties of eucalyptus. This will level up your bouquet to bougie status, and greenery is inexpensive. Place them first in your vase and then build your arrangement from there.
3.) Pick a pretty vase or vessel for your arrangement.
When gifting flowers, I love to gift a vase along with a bouquet. Using a flower vase with a standard 4-inch opening is ideal. Any larger than that, and it will take a ton of flowers to fill.
I keep a collection of inexpensive vases from stores like TJ Maxx. The thrift store is a great place to score a cheap vase or use a ceramic pitcher as another idea. I also love repurposing large jars and empty candle containers for flowers!
4. Prep your flowers before arranging them.
Snip the bottom leaves that will be below the water line from each stem. This will prevent bacteria growth in the water and help flowers last longer. Also cut the ends of each stem at an angle so the flowers can suck up water easily, in turn lasting longer.
5. Open the roses to achieve that high-end florist look.
Typical grocery store roses are usually super tight. For a more upscale romantic look consider opening your roses a bit. This process is called reflexing roses, according to Food52.com, and it’s super easy. You basically start from the outside of the rose and gently pull each petal open.
6. Stagger your stems.
Instead of taking grocery store flowers and just inserting into a vase, try cutting the stems one at a time to varying heights, and arrange. Some find it helpful to arrange them flat on the counter first. I just snip as I go and try to create some balance when arranging.
Start with a base of greenery, add some larger focal flowers, then some smaller filler flowers.
7. Have fun and create your own rules.
Creating bouquets is honestly a super fun way to be creative and arrange how you’d like. Trust your instinct on what color flowers to pair together and placement. Let that creativity flow and enjoy!
Hip Sidekick Soleil also gives another thumbs up to Trader Joe’s flowers for these DIY bouquets. Check out two of her recent arrangements above!
I love my styled grocery store bouquets!
It’s amazing how much a few fresh flowers can really brighten up a space and create a whole new vibe. These would make perfect arrangements to give away as a gift. I spent about $40 in grocery store flowers for two large arrangements and that is much less than buying from a florist!
If you have any grocery store flower tips please be sure to share them in the comments!
I’m a retired florist, you did a great job!
One suggestion I have is when the outside petals of roses start looking too brown and tired, don’t be afraid to pluck them off.
Oh yay! Thanks Jodi! Great tip about the roses, thanks!
Wow, your bouquets are lovely. Great post!
Oh thanks so much Abby!
Lina, your posts are always my fav! Thank you!!!! I was just trying to figure out a hostess gift for a dinner tonight and this was just the inspiration I needed. 🥰
I totally agree! I LOVE Lina’s posts too! I usually save most of them 😉
Aw thanks Cheryl! ❤️
Oh yay! That is so fun! Thanks so much for your kind words ❤️
Beautiful! This would be a great way to make some nice gifts around holidays too. Making several arrangements for teachers’ gifts or friends at Mother’s Day would be very affordable if you pick up vases from a thrift store or at Dollar Tree. I feel silly for passing those flowers at Costco and never thinking about arranging them myself.
Oh great idea! Thanks Chantel!
I always love reading Lina’s posts too! Thanks for this helpful flower post! I was just trying to figure out the past few days how to give someone a thank you gift, and wanted to give them flowers, but wasn’t sure I could afford the cost. I probably can if I follow your tips! Thanks!
Oh yay, glad you found this helpful and fun!
I have no creative ability, but I have recently started buying vases or other things to use as vases when they are cute and I can get them for $1 or less. I don’t have a big budget, but like to brighten people’s days. So I’ve been buying inexpensive flower arrangements from the grocery store and putting them in a vase and gifting them. It’s not a big or expensive gift but something that brightens a day and I find most people don’t splurge on flowers for themselves so it’s just fun. I’ve thought of teachers, neighbors, family, and friends with this idea and it’s always appreciated.
Yes love this!! So true. Thanks Beth.
What a GORGEOUS arrangement. I love the step-by-step instructions.
Thanks for these helpful tips, Lina! “Bougie status” cracked me up.
Lol thanks Margaret! ❤️
I love these tips!!! Thank you!
Oh good thanks Sara!
You have a really good eye for color and design. Thank you for sharing this DIY.
Oh thank you!! ❤️
Thanks for the tips! I’ll be using these the next time I get an Aldi bouquet.
Oh great idea!
You could always get a tall stainless steal wide mouth travel cup and arrange them in there and then they would have a mug to use after the flowers die.
I love this idea! Thanks for sharing.
Oh fun! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Great ideas! Our Costco’s flowers are not great, but our local Safeway has awesome, inexpensive flowers!!
Oh nice! Thanks for the suggestion Liz!
I always buy supermarket flowers! This year my son gifted me a gift card to Publix for the sole purpose of buying fresh flowers. Currently enjoying a gorgeous bouquet of daisies, mums, and alstroemeria.
What a great son!! ❤️
Any tips on what to add to the water to make them last longer? Is the little packet that normally comes with flowers good to use or do you have another suggestion.
Hi Shelly! I do use the packets and add cool water. I checked online and tips are kinda scattered all over the place depending on the type of flower. If any other readers have specific tips let us know! 🙂
Cut-flower preservative 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp sugar 3 drops bleach 1 L water
Hubby worked as a basic laborer for a busy florist in the 70’s and they always used straight-up sugared 7-Up in their arrangements. Sugar+citrus to feed and slightly inhibit mold growth. In my college floral design classes the teacher taught that you must first eliminate any leaves below the water line, then add something that will easily liquefy in the water and also feed the flowers…something sugary.
I have an idea for a segment: 24 hours with Lina. She is just the coolest!
YES! She sure is, Holly!🎉🥰 Lina did do a Takeover on Instagram for a whole day if you wanted to go back and watch that. 💕 Just head to the highlight listed ” Team Takeover 2″. 🤗
H-E-B also has great inexpensive flowers all year round. They start at $3.88/bunch (asst styles including greenery) & even a doz roses for $8.88! It’s not widely advertised but the pails are out at every location! I’ve watched customers grab these for years for a quick gift, recital, graduation, etc. & ask the team to add a bow for an added touch! Many customers have grabbed these for years to do exactly what you stated! Great post!
Lina, is there anything you cannot do?? You make everything look so beautiful. Your posts are always my favorite. Rock on Lina! ❤️
Aww that is the sweetest! Thanks Lulu ❤️🙌🏼
We were stationed in Germany for a long time. All the stores had flowers and then there was the farmers market. They were everywhere. I remember the crocus and daffodil’s in the spring. I used to get a bunch of them for a little over a dollar. My mom always had flowers and I always had flowers in my apartment too.
Oh wow! That sounds beautiful Patricia. Thanks for sharing. <3
Add my name to the list of Lina fans!
I often give flowers in spaghetti sauce jars as vases. You can
usually find a brand on sale for about a buck – Prego, Ragu, etc.
I use the sauce to augment my homemade spaghetti sauce, then
save the jar for flowers. You can tie a ribbon on it for decoration.
Or for a fun kids’ project, put washi tape on the jar. It’s easily
removable for little hands, and they’ll get a kick out of being artistic!
Oh I love all of those ideas Dara!! Thanks for sharing and the sweet compliment. I appreciate you stopping by.
And now I want flowers, lol! The snow and cold have become dreary. I miss the flowers that Aldi used to have. They were great. Might have to check out Walmart today. Thanks for the idea!
As a tip for preservation, I’ve heard lemon lime soda such as Sprite is good for helping flowers last longer.
Thanks Happpy Aunt! Great tip I will have to try!
Side note: Hobby Lobby has a great knock off for red roses. They have the fake dew drops, and you have to get very close to see that they are not real. I found mine near the front of the store, in a separate area away from the main Valentines stuff.
Great post Lina! I got some great ideas for our next bouquet. Thanks so much!
Oh good! I am so glad ❤️💐 Thanks Mary for the sweet comment!