From pedals to petals, Green Earth News has more eco-friendly news for you. Roughly 182 million stems of flowers are sold each Valentine’s Day so odds are good that there is a bouquet in your house right now. As beautiful as they are, flowers only last so long. The question then becomes what to do with flowers after they have outlived their usefulness. After all, you can only have so many bunches of dried flowers hanging in your kitchen.
Here are a few suggestions on how to reuse your Valentine’s Day flowers:
- Soap. If you make your own soap, add your dried and semi-dried petals into it.
- Candles. Add your dried petals into candles if you make your own.
- Compost them.
- Art work. I often like to use dried petals and put them in vases throughout my home. I have a triangle vase that makes a great talking piece when I fill it with petals.
- Make beads. Make rose petal beads and create some new jewelry for yourself so you can carry the beauty of Valentine’s Day with you long after it’s passed.
- Cook with your rose petals. As long as your rose petals haven’t been sprayed with pesticide or preservatives, you can use them as a cooking ingredient or a decorative element with food. You can make things like this Rose Petal Brie recipe.
- Bath time. Sprinkle your flower petals in your next relaxing bath for some aromatherapy.
- Packing material. Who wouldn’t want to open a gift or a package with beautiful and eco-friendly packaging like this?
- Air freshener. Add your petals into a crock pot with a little water for a beautiful smell.
- Hair conditioner. If you are given a hibiscus flower, you can use its petals and make your own hair rinse. It also adds shine and luster to your hair.
- Make rose flower water. All you need is organic rose petals and 2 cups of water. Boil the water and then pour it into a bowl over the flower petals. Let it set for around 30 minutes. Once cooled, strain out the petals, and you have rose flower water that can be used as a toner and body mist.
- Crafts. My kids like to take old petals and make pictures with them. A couple of sheets of paper, some glue, and markers are all you need for a couple of hours of fun!
- Decoration. Sprinkling petals on your table adds color, drama and beauty to your room. You can even add them to a glass bowl filled with water. The petals will float on top and make a beautiful centerpiece.
- Make potpourri. Combine dried yellow and orange flower petals with citrus peels to make a potpourri with a delightful citrus fragrance.
I’m sure we all received different gifts for Valentine’s Day. Some of us may have opened up a new set of bamboo sheets. Some of us may now be showing off our bamboo jewelry. For those of you lucky enough to get flowers, remember that there are plenty of uses for those beautiful creations once the special day is over.
What do you do with your flowers after Valentine’s Day? Do you throw them in the trash or do you find other uses for them?
Be sure to visit our Green is Grand section for more tips on eco-friendly living.
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- Love Is In The Air! How To Choose An Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day Gift.
- Better City, Better Life: INBAR Hosts Innovative, International Bamboo Competition
- Pedal Power! How Bamboo Bikes Are Changing Lives Worldwide.
- What’s That Smell? Natural Remedies For Household Odors.
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