It seems every other month there’s a new home design trend we’re trying to keep up with.
The farmhouse look is out, mid-century is in!
Paint those cabinets white! Now gray! Now blue!
Trying to keep up with changing trends is expensive, wasteful, and exhausting. Our homes are supposed to be the antidote to stress, not the cause of it.
If you’re looking for a simple update that won’t take all your time and dollars, consider adding fresh flowers and a bamboo vase. The bright blooms are proven to improve your mood and a bamboo vase is the perfect eco-friendly home decor accessory for any space.
What Are Bamboo Vases?
Bamboo vases are decorative containers made out of bamboo that hold things like flowers, grasses, or bamboo sticks.
Japanese tea masters of the 16th century are thought to be the first to use bamboo for flower vases during a flower arranging competition. During this competition, they used long tubes of bamboo stalks and placed flowers in the top or through holes in the side. It wasn't until the end of that century that the vases we are most familiar with were used as decor.
Is Bamboo a Good Material for Vases?
Like a lot of home decor, bamboo is a wonderful material to bring in style and sustainability. It’s durable, beautiful, and environmentally friendly.
Benefits of a Bamboo Vase
Bamboo is a great material for vases because it goes with any decor and it’s eco-friendly. The natural material blends well with any type of wood and can help hide the mess of stems and water needed by your blooms. You can find a wide variety of styles from lacquered spun bamboo vases to woven floor vases.
Bamboo is a very sustainable option for flower vases because it’s such a renewable material. It’s the world's fastest-growing plant and regenerates itself when harvested. Unlike other materials used for vases, bamboo doesn’t need a lot of processing to be functional. Some bamboo vase options are as simple as a section of the bamboo pole with or without an insert to hold water.
Challenges of a Bamboo Vase
The first question we hear when talking about bamboo vases is, “can you put water in that?”. Short answer, yes, but you’ll likely need a liner. While bamboo is water resistant and won’t absorb water, too much moisture over time can cause the bamboo to warp or discolor. Look for a bamboo vase that has a waterproof seal or an insert made from aluminum or glass if you want your bamboo vase to hold fresh flowers and plants. If you plan to use dry grass or bamboo sticks you won’t need to worry about any special liner in your bamboo vase.
Alternatives to Bamboo Vases
While we clearly love the look and function of bamboo around here, there are some alternatives that make great flower vases as well.
Glass
Glass vases are the most popular type of vase around. They’re used by most flower delivery services so chances are you still have one stashed under your kitchen sink. Glass vases are pretty and usually inexpensive. They go with any decor because they’re usually clear and they’re fairly durable depending on the thickness. Glass vases are pretty eco-friendly too. It’s made from natural materials (sand, limestone, and soda ash), and can be recycled.
While glass vases are an easy option, they’re also not the most exciting when you’re updating your home decor. They’re basically invisible and everyone has one. If you’re looking for some visual interest, glass isn’t usually the way to go.
Tree Wood
Using wood in home decor dates back thousands of years. There are hundreds of wood vase options on the market. From square boxes to modern curved designs, wood vases are a beautiful option for any decor. The natural rough texture of wood makes it ideal for balancing out the look of fresh flowers. Wood vases are very durable
Though wood vases are beautiful, we need to be mindful of how the wood is harvested. Around 42 million trees are cut down every day to support our lifestyles. Because trees take 30-40 years to mature, we can never