Garden variety

Shelves out of stock? Take a trip down the specialty-food aisles of your local grocery store or hit up an ethnic market. Cans that come from other countries tend to be colorful and striking and often seem vintage (even when they’re brand-new). Gather a variety of shapes and sizes with whatever look appeals to you—tiny peas on a background of modern silver, whole Italian tomatoes or artichoke hearts. Empty the cans (bonus points if you can pull together dinner with the ingredients from your collection!) and wash with warm soapy water to remove any debris or bacteria.

We like ranunculus, dahlias and hydrangeas, but nearly anything—even overflowing honeysuckle vines—will be beautiful. (Want to make those cut flowers last longer? Check out our tips and tricks here.) For a manageable (yet divinely free-form) shape, tie the stems together with ribbon or twine so that the buds form a slight mound. This will keep the bouquet in a bundle and prevent it from looking unruly (fresh-cut flowers tend to have minds of their own!). To draw attention to a graphic design that you particularly love, use just one type of flower per can.