How to Make a Flower Arrangement With Sliced Limes

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Lime slices can be used to enhance your favorite meal and cocktail drink, but they also are striking when incorporated into a simple flower arrangement, such as when used as an embellishment within a vase. This project works beautifully as décor at a summer party or wedding reception.

Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Things You'll Need

  • Low, wide-mouth glasses or vases

  • Ruler

  • 1/8-inch, 36-inch long dowel rod

  • Scissors or heavy-duty shears

  • 2 limes

  • Cutting board

  • Paring knife

  • Flowers

Gather your supplies to make the lime-slice-embellished flower arrangement.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Step 1: Measure the Width of the Glass

Measure the width of your glass or vase.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Lay a ruler across the opening of your glass or vase and measure the diameter. The glasses used in this tutorial measured 3 inches wide. Subtract 1/4 inch from the measurement to take into account the width of the lime slices.

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Tip

The shape of the glass must be straight up and down, with no flair to the silhouette. Otherwise, the lime slices will not be able to lay properly against the side of the vase.

Step 2: Mark the Dowel Rod

Measure and mark the width of your glass or vase onto a dowel rod.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Use a pen or marker to make marks on the dowel rod that match the width of your glass, minus 1/4 inch. In this case, marks were made every 2 3/4 inches.

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Step 3: Cut the Dowel Rod Into Pieces

Cut the dowel rod into small pieces to match your glass or vase.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Cut the dowel rod down into individual pieces using the marks as your guide. A pair of heavy-duty shears or metal scissors should take care of this for you.

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Step 4: Cut the Lime Into Slices

Cut two limes into several even slices.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Cut the two fresh limes into multiple 1/4 inch slices, from end to end. You'll want to use most of the slices, as some spaces in the vase will need large slices and others will need small ones to fill in.

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Step 5: Wedge the Lime Slices Into the Vase

Wedge the lime slices into the vase using the cut dowel rod pieces.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Place one lime slice into the glass and press it to the side, toward the bottom of the vase. Take one of the cut dowel rods, and position one end on the center of the first lime slice inside the vase. Pick up a second lime slice, holding it against the opposite end of the dowel rod. Slowly push the second lime slice down into the vase opposite the first slice so that the rod is now wedged in between the two slices. Repeat to fill the vase, laying the slices across from one another and working your way up toward the rim of the vase until the entire interior of the vase is covered with lime slices.

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Step 6: Cut the Flowers to Size

Cut flowers to fit the height of the vase.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Use a pair of shears or scissors to cut a variety of flowers and greenery to suit the size of your vase. You'll want the greenery to be roughly twice the height of the vase and the blooming flowers to be just tall enough to sit outside of the opening of the vase. This formula will allow for proper proportioning, but it's also OK to work with varying heights if the free-form look is more your style.

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Step 7: Add the Flowers to the Vase

Layer the cut flower stems into the vase between the lime slices and dowel rods.
Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Layer the greenery into the vase first, wiggling the stems in between the X-shapes made by the crisscrossed dowel rods. Be careful not to nudge the lime slices or dowel rods out of place in the process. After the greenery is arranged inside the vase, add in the more colorful focal flower stems until the arrangement is full and complete.

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Step 8: Refresh the Water Daily

Image Credit: Carrie Waller

Because the lime slices will make the water more acidic than standard flower arrangements, you'll want to change the water periodically. If you do so at least once a day, your embellished arrangement should last two to three days.

Tip

Refrigerate the arrangement overnight to make the flowers and lime slices last longer.

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