Simple Vases - Natural Wrap

Bored of using the same old vase? Looking for a way to add a little rustic touch to your wedding? Wrapping your existing vases with fabric or string, in natural materials like hessian (burlap), linens and cottons is a super quick way to give your tables a country feel.  

You can either cut out a template and glue onto to a cardboard gift box and pop a vase or plastic container inside the box, or glue your fabric directly onto an old straight sided vase.

Would you rather skip the glue? - you could just wrap and secure with string. Stand your vase on your fabric and allow enough fabric all the way around your vase to cover the sides, plus 2 or 3 inches excess. Gather up around the vase, and tie at the neck. 

If you find the string is slipping, you could pop an elastic band over the neck of the vase before you wrap it - this helps avoid slippyness. Also tying on a corner point or just above the neck helps.

Think hessian alone is a bit plain?  Add a band of lace, cotton, wool or ribbon to pretty things up a little. This simple combination works really well, and lightens the rustic fabric.

Another cheap and easy way to DIY your own vases is to wrap them in string. I love brown garden string or twine but you could use wool, yarn, jute, or lovely thick macrame cord.

Knot and leave a long string when you start winding. Once you've built up enough string aim to finish up near your long string and tie firmly in place. Trim the ends and tuck out of sight. Again, if the string is slipping try double sided tape or elastic bands to help things stay in place. 

These are a nice alternative to low wooden container boxes for wedding tables and would work really well for outdoor or woodland decorating schemes. If you're holding your reception in a barn or throwing a posh picnic lunch these natural wrapped vases would be fab. They're just perfect for country bumpkins.

Images: RitzyBee, Elizabeth Anne Designs, Michaels, Apartment Therapy, Style Me Pretty, Justin Marantz, Shelterness

A little bird..

A lonely old beaten-up chair, found abandoned and unloved in an empty echoey location house. But on closer inspection a beautiful bird rests softly on his arm, a charming companion in a draughty old space.

Red, white and blue

As a stylist, I appreciate good design in all its forms and am lucky to be able to try out different styles in my work and home.  

Ultimately, for me a home should be a place to take refuge, to relax, and recharge.  I look for warmth, and simplicity in objects, and if I have a constant I would say its a fondness for natural materials, whether that's a beautiful grained wood, slubby linens, natural hues... oh and stripes, because there's something just so clean and classic about stripes especially in fresh blue and white.

So you can imagine, I was in my element on this shoot with Hannah Deacon for Ideal Homes.  I was so busy I barely got to sneak a few shots, but loved the linen and stripes so much I couldn't resist grabbing these.  Beautiful glossy ceramics too. You can see the rest of the shoot in July's issue of Ideal Home, out now.

The Linen Works shoot at a Suffolk Longhouse

This week I've been over in Suffolk working on a shoot with stylist Abi Bourra and Photographer Sean Myers for The Linen Works. The Location was utterly charming, full of cute nooks and crannies. As well as the main house there were lots of little outhouses to explore. See more pics of this and other location houses here: Oak Management. When the work was all over I could have happily stayed put.