This project might be one of my favorite things I've made to date. It's a simple yet beautiful display and activity for any event. For my friend's fall-themed baby shower we really wanted to do a bouquet or flower bar, and I had looked all over flower buckets and a cute way to display them. I wanted the majority of my budget to go towards the actual flowers and to rent or buy one was pretty pricey. So for $35-$40 I made my own flower bar backdrop stand!
You'll need a piece of insulation foam board I had one from my Camp-themed birthday party already cut into an arch, but I shared the steps on how to size it below. Mine has a 1-inch thickness, which I think was good for this project. You'll also need zip ties and plastic buckets.
Supplies
For the Arch
- Insulation foam board
- pen and string
- saw (hand saw is fine)
Making it into a Flower Stand
- paint
- trash buckets (I used these, but here and here are a similar option... or check a dollar store!)
- zip ties
- drill
Directions
- Take your insulation foam board and lay it flat. Measure how tall you want it, my sheet came in an 8-ft size. Mine is about 5 and a half feet, with the peak at the top of the arch.
- Tie a knot around your pencil or pen and holding the end of the string at the center of the arch use it to make your outline of the actual arch.
- Using a saw or knife, cut the foam board into your arch shape.
- Paint your arch in the desired color of choice. Depending on the size and color of your insulation you'll need about a sample size of paint, maybe 2 sample jars. I used a jar and a half since my arch had previously been painted dark green.
Adding Buckets
- I bought 6 of these buckets from IKEA and they were perfect! If you don't have an IKEA you may be able to find a good option at a dollar store. These could potentially work too. You don't have to use 6 either depending on the size of your board and cans.
- Mark your buckets about ¼th of the way down with two holes. Drill through the plastic. Tip- once you have the first one done use it as a guide for the rest of the buckets. Don't drill it too low as you'll be adding a small amount of water to the buckets for the flowers to sit in.
Attaching the Buckets
- Using the holes drilled in the buckets as a guide, hold it up to your arch and mark the top center spot with a pen. Use a level and measuring tape to mark the other bucket spots.
- Drill holes through the marked places.
- String a zip tie through (I used a 24 inch size) the back of the arch and through the bucket so the zip tie is in the back. Close the tie. Leave it a bit loose until you have all 6 buckets up and confirm the placement is where you want it.
- Secure and close the zip ties.
Storage and Cleaning
After you use your arch as a flower stand, the buckets will have water in them. The easiest thing I found to do was to just cut the back of the zip ties to release them from the arch. Then you can wash out and reuse the buckets. I'm planning to fill the arch holes with caulk and re-use it too!
Tips
- You will want to make sure you can lean the stand against a wall, or at an angle. Once you add the buckets and flowers/water it is heavier and you don't want it to tip forward.
- I did this project in stages, but you do want to allocate a chunk of time to it.
- My one reminder is that this is foam board, and unless you build a stand for it you'll want to make sure it will be leaning or propped someplace securely so it doesn't tip forward.
- once you have the first hole drilled in the foam board use it as a guide for the rest of the placement of the buckets.
- Don't drill too low in the buckets as you'll be adding a small amount of water to the buckets for the flowers to sit in.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments! This backdrop was perfect for the baby shower and the flowers were such a highlight. I found the wooden crates on my local buy nothing group and the flowers were all from Trader Joe's. If you don't have a TJ's locally I recommend checking out a Sam's Club or Costco!
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