You’ve seen how trendy it is to have glass vases, hurricanes, and domes, and cloches on tabletops and in tablescapes, but some of us have difficulty coming up with ideas of what to put into them. So, here are some ideas for you to try. I often load them up with fruit like apples or pears when staging homes to sell. Hemingway Hurricane Vase by Southern Living at Home.
You’ve probably seen them filled with little brown woven balls and colored rocks – Target even has an aisle full of vase filler material. But that’s a little too easy, if you ask me. I like to use the opportunity to display small items or collections that you don’t want to see scattered all over table. Fill a fat vase with old jewelry, beads, shell necklaces, shells, holiday decorations, marbles, etc.
Try using glass trifle bowls, punch bowls, glass kitchen canisters, or other glass containers. Fill them with rice, beans, sand, pebbles. I’ve even gathered chestnuts from the backyard of a client to bring in some browns and texture to the kitchen. Think in themes – this picture is an example of a nature or spring vignette. Devonshire trifle bowl is from Southern Living at Home.
Drop a cloche over any little vignette. Bird nests and vintage photos are my favorite. Upon a small stack of books, of course! If you don’t have a garden cloche, how about using a glass cake or cheese dome?
After Christmas is over, keep the wintry decor going with some vases filled silver balls, white and crystal napkin rings, and shell necklaces. And top them with vintage black and white photographs, like I did here.
In January, this small punch bowl holds Christmas ornaments that don’t scream Christmas – just winter.
I found a bundle of vintage birthday candles at an estate sale – never used, still in the original packaging. All for 50 cents. Who else would want those but me? But look at the cool retro graphics on these – the colors are so cool. What a perfect way to show off a quirky grouping of things you love!
Display things that express what your family loves or enjoys to do. How about a hurricane full of golf balls, matchbooks from favorite restaurants, vintage silverware, bird feathers, even billard balls for a pop of color? My husband thought of a few more: old bills, metal screws, cigarette butts, and gallstones. That’s why I do the decorating around here.
You are a genius… I may run with the golf balls idea… I will pass on the matches, bc I don’t want the kids to burn my house down, but I think that would look cool…
I was in TJ Maxx yesterday. They have lots of great glass containers. Nice large sizes. Nice low prices.
I think often bigger is better. 🙂 One Christmas I tried using containers that were too small. I could only fit three leftover ball ornaments in — and it looked really odd. Had to ramp it up to a much bigger container.
Show us some more of these in the fall — KB. Halloween is the best. My favorite filler is fake eyeballs. 🙂
Andrea – bigger is often better, and that goes for most things in decor. In years past, I have skimped on the size of accessories and have regretted it! Now, I think if it seems too big – it’s probably just the right size! Thanks for the fake eyeballs idea – and we may need to do a little visit to your house around Halloween to show everyone how creatively spooky you get in October!
I’ve been using whole coffee beans as fillers lately. VERY fragrant and adds a contrast to light colors.
Your cloches and domes are beautiful and you have such great ideas. I especially like the ones with the old pics inside – I want to do that! Also like the old birthday candles – wow who would have ever thought it would be so cute?! I just did two smaller cloches – one (very small cloche) I found a cupcake candle – put it on a very small doily and put on top of my microwave in kitchen with some chicken items….looks really cute. The other is a mid size cloche – I have a Made in Japan – wall pocket that looks like a old clock with birds and the clock face – I put some fake ivy in the planter part – added some spanish moss around the bottom – it turned out very cute! BUT – I just wanted to say something about the WHITE MOTHER MARY statue – I have the exact same one! I inherited from my mom – this was a piece in our living room on one of the shelves – the bottom is marked 02-28-1957 and a family name – of which I guess my mom got from them at that time. I love this piece – very special to my heart – I’m going to be on the look out for a cloche that will fit – and add her under one! Think that would be beautiful. I have never seen another one of these around – what is the history of yours? What a cherished piece! Thanks for your posting and pics and some really great ideas!
Thank you, Sharon! That wall pocket in a cloche sounds really cool! I wish I had a better story about the Mary, but I simply found her at a yard sale! She would look lovely under a cloche with some greenery or something. Thanks for visiting, hope you become a regular at The Decorologist!
Thanks Kristie! Yes – the wall pocket added some (fake) greenery under the glass which is great! Since my post – I changed my other cloche – stole an idea from another cloche site – took a taller candle holder stand and sat the small cloche on top (I didn’t want to glue so I used candle wax made to secure a candle in holder) – makes it look like it is on a stand now. I added spanish moss – and a little yellow bird that is actually a salt shaker – and that matches up with the wall pocket – as there are a couple of small yellow birds on it. Paired the two cloches side by side – really a great look!
YES – the Mary vase – I have never seen another one in my life! Mine has such meaning to me – as it has been in my family since I can remember. I’m on the look out for a cloche for her – would be a beautiful thing!
Love your site – yes – got you saved on Fav’s – will be watching! 🙂