Red Carnations On Display

Do you love red carnations as much as I do? If so you may just like to see this little floral display up close!

A few days ago while running through the grocery store, I decided to grab a bouquet of flowers on a whim. I honestly do not buy fresh flowers very often – plants, yes – flowers, no. But, I wanted to bring some life back into my home because let’s face it, winter is long. So I quickly looked through all of the available options and decided to take home a sweet little inexpensive bundle of red carnations. I wasn’t prepared for how happy they would make me!

When I got home, I popped them into an old ironstone pitcher and placed them in the kitchen. The red carnations were pretty to look at each day and they sat there for about a week and a half before I had the idea to put them on “display.” I remembered that I found this really cool old floral oil painting at an estate sale recently and I felt that those red carnations would just compliment it so so well! With that in mind, I grabbed the oil painting and hung it on the wall and then got to work building my vignette.

Red Carnations On Display

Decide Where To Put It

The first step of any ‘display’ is to decide where to put it. I created this little joyful display in the sitting area of my bedroom, where I spend a lot of time. I have a table there that sits against the wall and it usually just sits there pretty empty because my husband and I use it as a ‘desk area.’ I thought that would be the prefect new spot for my beautiful red carnations.

Grab What I Needed

As I often do, I just decided to shop my home to create the rest of this space. The only ‘new item’ here is the bouquet of carnations – everything else I already had! The floral oil canvas was in the closet so I snagged that and then grabbed a few other pieces from around the house. Those pieces include:

• Vintage Drawers
• Antique Split Oak Basket
• Smaller Wooden Boxes
• Set Of Books That Belonged To My Grandmother
• Flower Frogs
• Ironstone Pieces
• Mini Spools Of Thread
• Vintage Clock
• Additional Plants: Fern And Schefflera

Got To Work

With the Ironstone pitcher of flowers and the oil painting in hand (and all the other pieces laying on the floor around me), I decided to get to work putting this together. I started by hanging the oil painting and I put the little set of drawers under it. I then layered in the books (to the side and on top of the drawers) and then I added in the smallest pieces, like the mini dovetailed boxes and then mini spooks of thread. Finally, I added in a few individual red carnations throughout the space and I also added in a bit of green with the additional plants.

I did spend a bit of time moving the smaller pieces around until I felt they were ‘just right’ for my taste. I also played around with the various ways to display the books and such. This part of the process is my favorite – playing around with each item until it is just how I like it.

Recreate The Look

Here are a few items that are similar to the old ones that I use here just in case you want to recreate the look! As always, remember to look at the size and the dimensions of these vintage items before buying because the pictures can be deceiving.

A Little Carnation Info

I did not realize this when I picked them out at the grocery store, but red carnations actually have a meaning. According to Bloom and Wild, carnations were originally “really only found in shades of pink. But, they have since evolved to include a wide spectrum of colors, each with their own special meaning.” Red carnations “symbolize love and affection and while they are typically used to express romantic love, they can also be given to anyone who you feel particularly close to.”

According to Teleflora, “white carnations suggest pure love and good luck, light red symbolizes admiration. Purple carnations imply capriciousness, and pink carnations carry the greatest significance, beginning with the belief that they first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary’s tears – making them the symbol of a mother’s undying love.”

Wrap Up

In my opinion, I think carnations have always been a bit underrated but I have always been drawn to them. I feel like they hold their shape really well and they certainly last a long, long time. I am really glad that I decided to buy my little bunch of red carnations – not only were they pretty to look at, but they were really fun to use in this display. If you enjoyed these flowers then you may also like this spring vignette or this yellow vignette. Thanks so much for taking a moment out of your day to enjoy these red carnations!