Decorating With Sunflowers

Learn how to decorate with sunflowers and care for them so they stay fresher longer. And see how to dry the sunflower seed head to use in fall decor.

Decorating with sunflowers is an early fall ritual here at the Tanglewood House! In late summer, the farm fields near our home are filled with these beautiful happy flowers! So I take advantage of them and use sunflowers as part of our fall decor.

Let’s chat about easy ways to decorate with these showy fall flowers and how to take care of them so they stay fresher longer.

This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click on some of the links in this post and you make a purchase I earn a small commission at no cost to you. All my opinions are my own. You can view my full disclosure here.

 

NEW SERIES- DECORATING MOMENTS

My blogging friends and I are starting a new series called Decorating Moments. It’s all about seasonal decorating and adding easy beauty to your home!

Make sure you check the bottom of this post and visit their blogs!

This month we are focusing on September decorating. For me, September means sunflower so I am sharing sunflower decor ideas.

SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT SUNFLOWERS

Sunflowers are such unique flowers that can grow up to 10 feet tall! They get their name because they look like a glowing sun and they actually turn their faces towards the sun as it moves through the sky! Sunflowers grow on stalks to support their heavy heads.

The yellow petals of a sunflower are not petals at all! They actually leave. The large disc head is really hundreds of composite flowers. Did you know that?

Sunflowers are native to North America but have spread all over the world.

They usually start to bloom in August and keep blooming through September making them a perfect flower to decorate with in early fall.

DECORATING WITH SUNFLOWERS- ARRANGE THEM

Sunflowers are very amiable blooms with sturdy stems, called stalks, that make them easy to style! They are beautiful accents with a big pop of color!

I’ve created a centerpiece for our dining room table. A simple burlap runner adds a textural layer!

Beautiful sunflowers are spectacular gathered up in a vase en masse but lately, I’ve been adding greens and other flowers to visually support the sunflowers, the star of the arrangement!

I found this glass jar container at a local shop that is a good fit for the sunflowers. It’s so important to match the flowers we arrange with the right container!

A container’s job is to

• physically support the flowers
• be a water resecure
• add to the overall aesthetics of the arrangement

Here are a few containers that would make pretty vases for a sunflower arrangement…

• a white water pitcher
• a large glass jug or jar
• almost any tall vase
• a watering can
• urns
• rainboots
• mason jars
• sunflowers look amazing in an amber or tortoiseshell vase

The pretty flowers in this arrangement came from an Amish farm stand down the street.

Besides the sunflowers, there are lots of summer into fall flowers that grow riotously in gardens all over Lancaster County.

Most grocery stores carry sunflowers this time of year too! So they are pretty easy to find!

HOW TO KEEP SUNFLOWER FRESH LONGER

With a little care, sunflowers can last up to two weeks. Here’s how to take care of your sunflowers to keep them in tip-top shape!

• Sunflowers are water lovers! Their big flower heads get thirsty. So water, water, water!
• Cut the stalks at a 45-degree angle under water to prevent air bubbles from forming in the stalk and prevent water from getting to the flower.

• Put your sunflowers in a clean vase with fresh water and remove any leaves under the waterline.
• One teaspoon of sugar in the water will help the sunflower heads from drooping. Or use a cut flower preservative like the one HERE.
• Keep cut sunflowers away from direct sunlight and heat.
• Cut the stalks frequently to keep water reaching the sunflower head
• If your sunflowers droop, cut the stems short and arrange them in a smaller container

Keeping sunflowers looking their best is all about getting water to the flower!

Once the sunflowers start dropping their yellow petals, pull off the rest of the petals and use the seedhead in your decor. When it starts to mold throw it away.

DRIED SUNFLOWER SEED HEADS

Another beautiful way to use sunflowers in your fall decor is to use dried seed heads with other fall organics in things like dough bowls.

You might like to see how I created this FALL ORGANIC DOUGH BOWL.

You can see pretty sunflower seed heads HERE.

FAUX SUNFLOWERS

Faux sunflowers are a stunning way to show off the beauty of late summer into early fall without the mess!

Not all faux sunflowers are equal! And you usually get what you pay for so buy the best you can afford.

I don’t shy away from beautiful faux flowers because I look for the best quality flowers that are on sale!

Also, I usually buy quite a few of the same faux blooms. There is nothing pretty about a skimpy arrangement of sunflowers or other faux flowers!

I’ve had my faux sunflowers for over a decade and they still look like new! They were a wonderful investment!

The image above was taken at the Tanglewood House a couple of years ago and here’s a picture of the sunflowers on the dining room table at our StoneGable home.

Don’t they look like they were just picked out of a field?

CONTINUE THE SUNFLOWER THEME

Here are more sunflower decorating ideas to use in your home…

• use sunflowers on a DIY fall wreath for your front door
• a simple basket of sunflowers looks so pretty in an entryway
• I love faux sunflowers and use them en masse in a large container in my living room
• put dried sunflower seedheads in a wooden bowl to add fall texture and warmth to your decor
• sunflowers are a great addition to a guest room for out of town company to enjoy
• white pumpkins and sunflowers are a perfect match to use in a fall vignette
• use a sunflower pillow on a chair this fall- here’s my FAVORITE

I hope you will make beautiful sunflowers part of your fall decor!

Make sure to visit the StoneGable Fall Harvest Shops!

MORE POSTS FOR SEPTEMBER DECORATING

10 THINGS TO DO FOR FALL NOW

EARLY FALL HOME TOUR

EARLY FALL KITCHEN TOUR

BRAMBLY FRONT DOOR BASKET WREATH DIY

VISIT MY FRIEND’S POSTS CELEBRATING SEPTEMBER

Designthusiasm | On Sutton Place | Shabbyfufu

StoneGable | Southern Hospitality