Free Bouquet

The best things in life are free. Especially when your wallet is empty, and you really would like to give someone special a gift. I am a flea market junkie, and I am always looking for ideas to make my booth stand out from the crowd. This picture is from a place called the Barn House Flea Market. (It was taken by Shabbyscrap.) This looks like an incredible place- but this idea stood out. It would be so easy to gather up all the Queen Anne's Lace from your backyard, wrap it in newspaper, tie with some twine, and voila. A beautiful gift. For free. Which makes it even better in my book. Right now where I live in Ohio, the roadside is bursting with wild flowers. I am pretty sure most of the farmers that live around here would give permission to some crazy lady who wanted to cut down some of their weeds. This idea could be used in almost any season though. In fall, take some cuttings of autumn leaves, smash the bottoms off the branches with a hammer, and soak them in a vase filled with glycerin for a few days. (You can get glycerin at any drug store.) You will see a change come over the leaves- the glycerin will preserve them, and they will last for a long while. In winter, some evergreen boughs and berries from your yard would be really welcome by anyone. In Spring, If you have a forsythia bush in your yard, the blooms can be forced as early as January. Once again, take some cuttings and smash the ends with a hammer. Put them in a vase of water, and watch the cheerful blooms grow. Who says a gift has to be expensive to be good?