By Amy Duncan

It’s about this time of year, when the holidays are long over, when
winter just seems so unwelcome to say the least…

So seeking floral inspiration, I recently discovering a stash of vintage seed package labels that have fueled my inspiration. Let me walk you through it:

Step one: Rejoice in the fact that after searching for longer than I can remember, I found these vintage French seed package labels:

Step two: Find a few old painted boards–the crackled pink paint on this one was perfect. I sawed it in half.

Step three: Unearth rain gauges bought last fall on clearance. Swap out glass gauge for test tube. Don’t know yet what I’m going to do with the calibrated gauges…any ideas?

After gluing each seed label onto a board and sealing the entire board with a coating of wax, I nailed the metal tube holder at the bottom of the board.  The test tube was a hair wider than the original glass gauge but gentle persuasion opened up the metal clamp just a little bit more, enabling the test tube to be held snug in place.Two more nails and a length of wire at the top of the board comprise the hanger.

Add the stem of your choice and its ready to hang:

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I just used whatever painted boards I had on hand. But you could color coordinate as you like, using new boards painted your color choice. Sand the board and the edges before you glue on the seed label helps to give it that distressed look:

I like them grouped together but a single board could brighten up a sliver of dark space.

I checked online and the company I bought these labels from years ago still has them available for sale…and they swear that they are not reproductions but the real deal…find them online at www.simplyfrenchvintage.com

A simple stem in a simple vase, the hope of spring when we need it most: