How To Decorate With Hydrangeas

Decorate with hydrangeas. A brief context to set expectations.

If you have hydrangeas, I have decorating tips for you. Here are some simple DIY projects and tips and display ideas on how to decorate with hydrangeas.

I just saw William Shatner on a commerical and it reminded me of all the Star Trek episodes I watched growing up. If the Star Trek Enterprise landed nearby and the Federation decided to whisk Texans away to a newly inhabited planet in a nearby solar system and they needed only one plant to start the new ecosystem.

And if Captain Kirk asked my opinion, I would tell him to bring hydrangeas.

I mean, I know corn or wheat or barley would be a good choice to feed the masses.

And Mr. Spock might prefer brussels sprouts.

But in my book? The hydrangea is still king.

Look at this hydrangea arrangement.

It has a secret. It’s half faux hydrangeas and half real hydrangeas.

Can you tell which ones are real and which ones are faux?

It’s SO HARD.

I show you the up close of each flower and have you guess.

I think you are going to be SO SURPRISED. 🙂

Before I get to the real vs. the faux, let’s do a little deep dive into this hydrangea display.

It’s such an easy idea for spring.

I started with this oversized dough bowl. If you are looking for a dough bowl this large, it is definitely a splurge. It’s 48″ long and really large. You can see a super similar dough bowl here from Etsy.

But you can create a super similar look with a smaller dough bowl that so much more affordable. I found a few vintage-looking options on Amazon:

And of course, you could always use a basket or a crate instead of a dough bowl, too.

To create this look, I just filled the dough bowl with mini vases full of hydrangeas. I lined up the vases side-by-side and placed them in the center of the dough bowl.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Some of the vases are full of real hydrangeas and some of them are full of faux hydrangeas. It was actually hard for my family to tell the difference because these faux hydrangeas that I found? They feel and look real. I’ve tried different faux hydrangeas before, but you want to look for the name YalzoneMet.

Those are the hydrangeas that feel like real petals and the stems and leaves look real, too.

Here’s a side-by-side.

Here’s one set of hydrangeas

And here’s the second set.

Can you tell?

Which one do you think is fake?

Here’s the side-by-side so you can have one more look.

It’s hard? Right?

Drum roll please…….

//these faux hydrangea//

THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS FAUX.

And here they are in the arrangement, too.

The ones on the right side of the arrangement are faux.

But don’t they look real?

And the ones on the left side of the arrangement are real.

Could you tell?

Could you guess?

Are you a brilliant faux flower detective?

I’m serious when I tell you that these are the most realistic hydrangeas I’ve ever seen.

You can see them here.

I’m so happy now. I’m going to order a few more to fill up the dough bowl once the real ones have faded.

I love faux hydrangeas and I love real hydrangeas, too.

Just in case you are all about real hydrangeas?

Here are a few more ideas to decorate with them.

How to cut hydrangeas to decorate

I wanted to go all Julie Andrews and start at the beginning. All hydrangea decorating starts with the cutting.

1. I always cut the hydrangeas first thing in the morning when it’s cooler (especially in Texas) so the flower doesn’t take it too badly.
2. I typically cut my hydrangea stems about 8 inches long (I can always trim them later) with leaves on them.
3. Hydrangea leaves come in groupings of two and you want to cut the flowers where two of the stems meet so the flower can keep flowering.
4. Start by cutting the stem at an angle. This will help the flower absorb more water and stay fresh longer.
5. Next, remove any leaves that will be below the water line. Otherwise, they’ll start to rot and contaminate the water.
6. Finally, cut the stem to the desired length. If you’re not sure how long to make it, err on the side of caution – it’s always easier to trim off a bit more later if necessary.
7. I try to choose the flowers that look like they are finished blooming to help out my hydrangea bush a little.

How To Decorate With Hydrangeas

Display in a tall glass bottle

Here’s an easy way to decorate with hydrangeas.

First, find a tall glass bottle that will allow your hydrangea to stand upright. Next, fill the bottle with water, making sure to leave enough room for the stems. Finally, arrange the hydrangea in the bottle, using the leaves and branches to create an interesting and visually appealing display.

With this simple approach, you can transform your hydrangea into a work of art.

Display in a basket

This is one of my favorite things to do when I’m about to dry hydrangeas to decorate with for the fall.

I cut 10-12 hydrangeas with 8 to 10″ stems and remove all the leaves.

Then I fill a big glass vase with water and place the stems of the hydrangea into the vase and then place the vase in the basket.

And then?

When the leaves start to change color slightly, I remove the water and let the hydrangeas dry in place.

It’s kind of the lazy way of drying hydrangeas. Some of the flowers might get a little smashed, but if you are drying tons of hydrangeas for wreaths or garlands or arrangements? This is an easy method that doesn’t require a lot of work.

Hydrangeas and milk glass

This is one of my favorite ways to add a little color to a spring mantel.

It’s one of the easiest, too.

I line up five milk glass containers in different sizes and different heights. Then I trim my hydrangeas with small stems (between 4 to 5 inches) and keep the leaves on a few of them.

Then?

I just add water.

I stagger the leaved hydrangeas with the non-leaved hydrangeas to add a little green to the display.

Decorate a table with hydrangeas and pears

This is an arrangement I created for fall with the last hydrangeas of the season in late August. They inspired me with their bits of brown leaves and fading petals. I took small pumpkins (or you could use vases) and filled them with water and hydrangeas.

Then I cut magnolia leaves (which are an entirely different flower decorating topic) and layered them into the dining table centerpiece with pears.

It was such a fresh way to welcome in September.

It’s spring.

The hydrangeas are just around the corner.

But until then? I’m shopping at Trader Joe’s, and I’m all about faux hydrangeas like these.

It’s decorating time.

Beam me up, Scottie.

I’m bringing the hydrangeas. 🙂

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Posted On: February 18, 2026

Written By: KariAnne Wood