DIY Blooming Watermelon Vase and Patriotic Table

Create a blooming watermelon centerpiece as centerpiece for the Fourth of July or your summer entertaining.  A perfect way to use the rind after you’ve enjoyed the fruits of your labor ~pun intended!

Happy Friday! It’s the third Friday of the month and joining my blogging friends for Floral Friday.

You can find their links for their beautiful floral inspiration and flower therapy at the bottom of this post!

For this week’s edition of Floral Friday, our challenge was to incorporate fruits and/or veggies into the floral design. You can find a round-up of my favorite ways to add fruit or veggies in a flower arrangement, here.

Since this week is National Flag Week and with Independence Day on the horizon, I created a blooming watermelon centerpiece that you can enjoy as a centerpiece for the 4th of July or your summer entertaining. . . a perfect way to use the rind after you’ve enjoyed the fruits of your labor ~pun intended! ;)

To create a blooming watermelon centerpiece, choose a watermelon that has a flat side so it sits level. If it doesn’t have a flat side, trim the bottom of the rind to make it level. Scoop out your watermelon and reserve the fruit. I fit a plastic container inside the watermelon to serve as a vase and to hold water for the flowers.

To support the flower stems, I used a piece of chicken wire which makes arranging flowers quick and easy, is reusable, and ideal for supporting heavier stems like sunflowers.

For the flowers for the blooming watermelon centerpiece, I cut some garden foliage from the shrubs and Endless Summer Hydrangeas that are blooming. You can see in the photo below that the lip of the container sits above the cut edge of watermelon, so I placed the hydrangeas to drape over the sides of the container to conceal it.

Originally I was only going to use red, white and blue flowers, but when I went to the grocery store the sunflowers began to call to me! I was hoping to find some alstroemeria for the pop of red in the arrangement, but there was none available. Instead, I chose a bunch of $9 Freedom Roses that were standing at attention. . .perfect for a patriotic flower arrangement for Flag Week and Independence Day!

For the white in the arrangement, I snipped the flowering hosta stalks for some spikes of white blooms.

Tips to help your flower arrangement last:

Cut your flowers at a 45 degree angle for maximum water uptake. If you’re using garden flowers, cut them in the morning when they’re fully hydrated and not water-stressed from the heat.

Remove any leaves below the water line that will cause bacteria to grow.

To keep cut hydrangeas from wilting in your arrangement, use the alum-dipping method.

Use the floral preservative packets that come with your flowers from the grocery store to add to your vase water to prolong the life of your flower arrangement. If you don’t have any floral preservative, you can make you own with this easy formula.

Change you vase water every two days if possible and check on your water level to top it off. Hydrangeas are heavy drinkers.

Keep your flower arrangement out of direct sunlight (if possible and you’re not outdoors) to help your blooms last longer.

I set a table by the lake to celebrate the Red, White & Blue!

Flowers in a flag formation, blooming on melamine plates seemed appropriate for a patriotic table for Floral Friday!

They’re layered on nautical striped plates and wicker placemats.

Ball Stars & Stripes Keepsake Canning Jars hold straws, sparklers and American flags. . .

And join Americana flatware and Patriotic Beaded Bicycle Napkin Rings, reminiscent of Fourth of July parades.

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Visit my talented blogging friends to see their floral inspiration this week:

Pam at Everyday Living

 Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse

Shirley at Housepitality Designs

Table Details:

Floral Flag Melamine Salad Plates / Pier1, used here

Ball Stars & Stripes Keepsake Canning Jars / Walmart

White all-weather wicker placemats / Bunny Williams for Ballard Designs

Pfaltzgraff Americana Flatware / Tuesday Morning

Patriotic Beaded Bicycle Napkin Ring / Pier1

Napkins & Tablecloth / HomeGoods

Enjoy your reserved watermelon from your vase and make some refreshing Land of the Free Lemonade

Or an American flag formation of Watermelon, Feta and Blueberries, 

the creamy, salty cheese is the perfect partner to the sweet, juicy melon!

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Thank you for your visit!

Sharing with:   Tablescape Thursday