Looking for a clever way to display tulips for spring?  Here’s a simple DIY that shows you how to wrap tulip stems with leaves.

Raise your hand if you love tulips.

I’m not sure if it’s because they remind me of spring or that they come in such vibrant colors or that they only cost $5.95 at Trader Joe’s or that they are only here for a hot minute before they are gone again until next year.

Tulips are my jam.

(total aside:  I don’t think we are supposed to be saying jam anymore according to the twins, so feel free to add much hipper and cooler word there).

Most of the time I keep my tulip interaction simple.  It looks a little like this.  I see tulips at the store and realize that spring just showed up and fall in love with tulips all over again and reach over and grab a couple of bunches and put them in my cart and take them home and put them in a glass vase and use these tips to keep them fresh.

But this year?

This year is different.

This year I’m embracing being extra.

This year I’m standing up and being counted and being more purposeful about my life and my stirrup pants and my red lipstick and my hair choices and my flowers.

I love tulips in a glass vase, but the stems always look a little awkward.  So I decided to fix that and took about five minutes to make the tulips just a little extra and here’s how I did it.

Have tulips?

Here’s how to wrap tulip stems with leaves.

Here’s my tulip wrapped stems in glass vases on my dining room table.

Before we get started wrapping these stems, can we talk about the vases for a second?  You need vases like these.  These came from Hobby Lobby (on sale for $2.50 when they’re half off).  I’ve also seen them at the dollar store for a dollar.

I’ve used them to make twig vases.

I’ve used them for a simple spring mantel with burlap bows.

I’ve wrapped them in sweaters for fall.

They are the perfect foundation for centerpieces and mantels and bookcases and coffee tables dining room tables and tulips.

(total aside:  don’t you love how I brought that little bit of rabbit chasing back to our topic at hand).

Here’s what they look like on my dining room table.

And here’s how to make your own.

How to wrap tulip stems

Step 1:  wrap tulips

Bring home your tulip bunches.  Open the plastic and separate them out into bunches.

Trim the ends slightly to extend the life of your tulips.

Put them in bunches of eight or six and wrap them.

This is just sticky floral tape from Hobby Lobby.  You’ll want to wrap each bunch 6 or 7 times until they held together tightly.  This is the foundation to build on when you wrap your leaves.

Step 2:  trim your leaves

This step kind of happens naturally.

When you put the stems all together, you’ll have a couple of stems that are a little katywhompus.

There’s always a renegade stem or two.

Trim those off the tulip stem with scissors.

Step 3:  cut leaves in half

Tulip leaves are pretty good size.

You need slightly smaller leaves to wrap your stems.

Using scissors cut the leaf in half.

Step 4:  Wrap your first layer of leaf

Wrap the leaf around the stems.

It usually wraps about three times.

Secure the end of it with green florist tape.

Step 5:  Add next layer of wrapped leaf

Take the second part of your leaf and wrap it around the floral tape to cover it.

Then secure the last leaf with a small piece of floral tape.

Score the tape to make sure it’s secure.

Step 6:  Add to vase

Place your wrapped tulip into a glass vase and fill with water.

Here are my glass vases and my wrapped tulips on my dining room table.

I created four of these for a simple spring centerpiece.

And that’s it.

That’s how you wrap tulip stems.

It’s such an easy project and it only takes a minute to make.

And now you and your flowers….

…are all about the extra.

PS  I think these would be so pretty for a wedding with a little ribbon wrapped around the top of the leaves, too.

 

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Posted On: March 13, 2019

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

  2. Image for Kristy Harvey Kristy Harvey

    OH MY GOSH! A DIY that even I can do!! I'm so excited. And I love tulips. What I loved most of all about this post is that you used the word katywhompus. I wrote this in a book and my copy editor had a fun time trying to figure out the correct spelling. It's such a good word, though, right?? Going to get get tulips now. xoxo

    Reply
  4. Image for june june

    I love this...I have been enjoying some beautiful white tulips this past week. Nice break from our crazy “Minnesnowta” weather. I was told the leaves shorten their life and to remove them except the small ones close to the bud. I will say other than trimming every morning and refreshing the water this is the first time I have gotten great life out of them. Did you know there is ribbon that looks like foliage? They just featured wedding centerpieces on a local program last week and the ribbon was very life like.

    Reply
  6. Image for Teresa L Gonzales Teresa L Gonzales

    You are always EXTRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks for the easy method of wrapping the tulips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They make a terrific centerpiece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, Ikea has similar vases.

    Reply
  7. Image for Nancy Nancy

    I think I have to go shopping today! Thanks for the new info on how to display the lovely tulips that are going to come home with me!

    Reply
  11. Image for Mary Caliendo Mary Caliendo

    I love tulips too! They are a definite sign of spring around here. (I live in the Chicagoland area) I love the simplicity of the tablescape. I'm embracing that simplistic feeling this year.

    Reply
  13. Image for Janice Janice

    ❤️❤️❤️ TULIPS! The colors are so pretty! And I love color. They make me happy! Thanks for the great leaf-wrapping tip.

    Reply
  15. Image for Kris Kris

    My husband always gets me tulips for Valentine's day instead of roses, because at that point in the year, I am craving springtime color! This is a beautiful idea.

    Reply
  16. Image for Mindy Mindy

    Tulips are fleeting but what a wonderful way to embrace them in an "extra" special way while they are here. Somehow I think maybe we appreciate them more because they are only temporary...

    Reply
  17. Image for Kim S. Kim S.

    NBC just announced a new show called "That's My Jam". It's a new celebrity music and variety game show. So you are cool again . ..

    Reply
  20. Image for Donna Marie Donna Marie

    Mine came in a pot. They were a lovely shade of purple. The pot was enveloped with the same polka-dotted lovely shade of purple. They were a thank you for having my friends out for lunch on Sunday!!! So simple--but so kind!!! Such a simple gesture, but it meant so much!!!

    Reply
  22. Image for Juanita Mille Juanita Mille

    Wow...never thought of doing this with tulips or any fresh flowers! I love this idea! I also wanted to thank you for the blog post you did some time ago on "DECORATING YOUR HOME WITH YARD SALE FINDS." I just came across it and love the wonderful tips and ideas that you shared with your readers! That's me...my home decor is a combination of yard/garage sale and thrift store finds...and the results can be beautiful and charming! I loved the airy look you created with all that white...almost country or coastal look! I'm not into quite that much white...I love color and the fact that white seems to catch all the dust and dirt of my tribe, but it is truly amazing what you have accomplished with your garage sale treasures+...and gorgeous! Thanks for sharing & inspiring!!!

    Reply
  27. Image for Jolyn Jolyn

    Tulips are my all time favorite! I went to the Dallas Arboretum last weekend (Saturday's weather was divine) and the tulips and daffodils were breathtaking!!

    Reply
  28. Image for MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

    KariAnne, thanks for the great idea of wrapping the tulip stems! I'm going to do this next time I have tulips, Right now, I have some pretty pink tulips on my island -- and there's a blizzard happening outside! Another thing that I do to the tulip vase is to add 4 pennies! This makes the tulips stand up straight! I didn't really believe this when a friend told me but, yes, it really does work! Have a great day! Enjoy your beautiful tulips!

    Reply
  29. Image for Shannon Shannon

    I absolutely love this idea! They are beautiful! Talk about saying Jam, etc., these remind of “leg warmers” during my younger years in the eighties!! When I look at these wrapped 🌷, that’s what I see! 🤷‍♀️Call me crazy lol 😊 So cute!

    Reply

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