15 Easy Flower Arrangements for Under $20

Popular arrangements and flower choices may vary from shop to shop, but there are a couple tricks of the trade that always remain the same. And those are the tricks most floral shops hope you never discover.

Simple doesn't have to mean ugly or cheap, but it does usually mean one thing - cost effectiveness. Here's a list of simple flower arrangements you can put together with little money and little time:

1. Display works of love - plant African Violets in the mug your son gave you for Mother's Day.

2. Plant some creeping ivy or morning glory in an old guitar. It makes a great conversation piece that can be used indoors or outside on your patio.

3. Hollow out a watermelon and fill with greenery, some bright focal flowers. This is a favorite at kids' parties and baby showers. Create a basket shape for easter, or a zig-zag edge for added interest.

4. Create a romantic mood with daisies. Float daisies in a clear container with some candles. Use just a few or several bunches, with daisies it's hard to go wrong. Mix and match colors to complement any décor.

5. Clean out your junk drawers! Save a couple bucks and pass on the glass stones or rocks. Place a couple stems of your favorite flower (silk or dried flowers work best) in a vase or clear container and fill it with pennies, pebbles, sea shells, buttons, marbles, just about anything.

6. Convey an antiqued look by recycling your canned goods. Simply remove the label and slightly distress the can with sandpaper. A great look for any wildflower bouquet.

7. Go natural! Hollow out a squash to use as a vase for sunflowers, delphinium, and harvest greens. (Don't like squash? Try pumpkin, pineapple, honeydew melon, or even apples for a small bud vase.)

8. Prune your yard and fill your old vases with trimmings - flowering branches, lilacs, evergreens, or twigs for winter seasons.

9. Create an eye catching display of color with a single stem in bud vases - use gerbera daisies, calla lilies, tiger lilies, or sunflowers. For a more eclectic look use bud vases of all different shapes, sizes and colors. Check your local thrift store for great finds.

10. Dress up a houseplant or geraniums by covering your container with wrapping paper or leftover scrapbook paper. Newspaper provides a neutral backdrop for colorful flowers, or a fun way to keep your favorite comics within view.

11. Put the finishing touch on a shabby chic kitchen with a simple arrangement of Queen Anne's lace and sliced citrus fruit. Mason jars work just as well as any vase.

12. Dress up your front door with cinder block planters. Place the cinder block on its side, place a liner inside the center hole and you've got a cost effective container for any garden planter. Use plants with trailing vines to cover the gray, or use an outdoor spray paint to add some color.

13. Capture natural beauty. Glue moss, bark, or leaves to the outside of an old container. Tie with raffia to help keep it secure. Fill the container with a few of your favorite roses.

14. Go modern. Pin moss, daisies, or mums to Styrofoam balls for an unusual geometric display. Floral balls can be displayed on platters, bowls, or suspended in the air using fishing line.

15. Wrap long-stemmed flowers or vines around a hand-made trellis (use twigs or bamboo, secured with raffia) for a tall and sleek arrangement. A simple coat of paint on your trellis and container brings the whole look together. Great for Asian-inspired, modern, or minimalist designs.