Bird cages can serve as the ideal container for floral designs. These arrangements are perfect for home décor.

Depending on the season, you can use a seasonal or holiday theme. In addition, a style that can be displayed year-round works very well.

I like to buy the bird cages at rummage sales and thrift shops as the prices are a fraction of the cost for new ones. If buying a used cage, wash it very carefully in case it was used for pet birds.

In some cases, these are painted. Others are plain. Bird cages come in a wonderful array of sizes and different shapes. Some cages are very fancy looking, while others look more utilitarian. I’ve seen some with a very Oriental appearance.

Regarding the selection of florals for use in bird cage arrangements I prefer to use everlastings for the most part. Fresh flowers could be used. But, unless the stems are kept in water they’ll probably have a very short vase life.

Both the inside and outside of the cages can be decorated with florals. For the top I prefer to use large bows and long ribbons cascading down the sides of the cages. It is also possible to take strands of ribbon and weave it around the wood or metal of the cage.

Sprigs of everlastings work very well for the top of bird cages. Inside the bird cage I often use a piece of driftwood or a similar base for floral arrangements. At Pier One I found some stump-like pieces of wood with holes in which I could insert flower stems and evergreen foliage of different kinds.

Baby’s breath looks nice inside a painted cage. So do dried hydrangeas. Since dried hydrangea heads are so large, I cut these into separate pieces before using.

Mosses and topiary forms are suitable choices for use inside the bird cage. Some designers like to add artificial bird nests and artificial bird eggs. However, these are totally optional. By all means, add them if they are an integral element in your design.

The overall size of a design for a cage should be in scale with the cage. The aim is to decorate the cage rather than to have it stuffed to the hilt with florals. This means that one needs some blank space. From an aesthetic view point, I like to leave at least half of the overall space (either height or width) empty.