Spring is the most delightful season where temperatures are moderate, and daylight is aplenty. We may not have Spring in our little island of Singapore but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the season! Whether you’re looking to grab that glue gun or showcase your green thumbs, scroll on for 5 Pinterest-worthy, DIY floral projects to get you into the springtime mood.
Image cred: Pinterest
Find a desired container, get some floral foam, purchase some blooms and you’re ready to go! The amount of flowers needed will vary according to the size of your container. Be sure to choose blooms of different colours and heights for a less uniform and more natural look. Check out some expert advice via The Spruce.
Image cred: Pinterest
Decorate your wheels with some floral details! Well, but if you’re more of a handlebars type of girl, this could work for your bike’s bars as well.
Takes 15 minutes
Materials
Take each large bloom, trim off the leaves and cut the stem off at about 4 inches. Hold the flower over the bike basket and affix the flower with a floral wire of 7 to 8 inches long. Weave the wire through and around the basket grids. Repeat the entire process with all your blooms, across the basket in a diagonal pattern. Once done, insert several stalks of filler flowers and greens. Wedge these in between the larger flowers and use more wire if needed. Add more to your liking and you’re all set.
Image cred: Jessica Keala on The Letter Muse
Mini bouquets are adorable, fun gifts that can be easily attached to a card. Choose any Spring blooms and simply arrange it to your own personal style.
Image cred: Pinterest
Coffee filter peonies are a unique and fuss-free alternative to fresh flowers because honestly, who has the time and budget to maintain fresh cut ones? Plus, there are a million colour possibilities with this easy-to-make DIY project.
Takes 15 minutes
Materials
Fold one coffee filter in half, in the sequence of the folding steps below (courtesy of The Stony Brook House). Then, cut the top off in the shape of an ice cream cone. For full fluffy peonies, layer several coffee filters on top of each other, poke a hole in the middle and connect with pipe cleaners of any desired colour. You may choose to dye your coffee filter peonies with varying shades of food colouring to achieve a realistic floral effect too.
Image cred: The Stony Brook House
Image cred: Pinterest
Forget flower pots. Use an old colander to hang spring flowers and update your balcony, or porch! Wrap one colander handle with some gardener’s twine and tie off with a dab of glue. Knot approximately 45cm of twine at each of the handle and repeat entire process with the opposite handle. Then, line the colander with sheet moss and fill with potting soil and desired plants. Ferns could be a good choice! Tie four lengths of twine together, hang and admire.
Not a fan of colanders? Use tea tins or even rainboots for this!
After you’ve tried our DIY suggestions, kick back to appreciate your handmade decorations and unwind with a cup of Floral Blossom tea.
Floral Blossom
When you think of tea, brands like Lipton, Harney & Sons and The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. may undoubtedly cross your mind. And when you think of herbal tea, most people will think of the Chinese herbal teas that you will either love or dislike. If your idea of tea has been one that tea must either be black, green, or the kind of Chinese cooling tea, then you’ll probably change your mind after this, because Nilufer Tea brings you another kind of herbal tea that is beautiful, healthful and delicious.
Nilufer Tea is founded by Leah Yo. The name was inspired by Leah’s ex-boss when she was still working in marketing in the corporate environment. Leah’s ex-boss was an elegant lady, blooming with grace yet maintaining a sense of professionalism in her line of work. ‘Nilufer’ means ‘water lily’ in Persian, so it is no wonder why Leah attributed the beautiful pink flower to her. After all, the water lily is a resilient flower that exudes a unique classiness, much like her ex-boss.
With an outstanding role model in mind, Nilufer Tea was born.
Nilufer Tea aims to bring quality herbal tea to everyone. Each teabag is handcrafted with woven silk and filled with a unique blend of flowers and herbs. Every recipe is created carefully, every ingredient comes from ethical and organic sources, and every teabag is filled with thoughtfulness for those who are consuming the beverage.
As the ingredients are organic, they do not have pesticides laced within any buds or flowers. You can be rest assured that you are consuming tea that contains the essence of only the finest flowers and herbs. In fact, you can even consume the ingredients, like the dried lemon and dried strawberry, in the teabag if you are adventurous and curious.
One of the more well-loved ingredient that Nilufer Tea uses has got to be the dried lemon. Why are they so outstanding and why is Nilufer Tea so proud of it? After all, although lemons are healthy in theory, they can be difficult to consume due to its sharp sour taste. The truth of the matter is that the dried lemon originates from Setouchi, a region in Japan that has such ample sunlight and fresh air that even the lemons capture the rich essence of the environment. This gives the lemon a unique taste that consist of a balance between sweetness and tartness. The sweetness makes the lemon easier to swallow and the tartness is mellow but still characteristic of a lemon. That is why the lemons in the cute sachets of tea can actually be enjoyed by itself as well.
But how?
Nilufer Tea sources the lemons ethically from the small local farms in Setouchi. So every year, during the harvesting season, the fresh lemons are harvested and dried to bring to you the pretty and cute heart-shaped lemons. So if you want to experience the taste of fresh dried quality lemons, follow us on our Instagram, facebook and our website to keep yourself up to date with our heart-shaped lemons pre-orders. There is a limited number of packets of heart-shaped lemons, so should you want some for yourself, you should place your order when the pre-order becomes available to avoid any disappointment.
At Nilufer Tea, every tea that enters the market is a proof of the many hours of effort that are used to craft the product. Thus, we are also very proud to present our 5 types of teas:
Ginger Rooibos
We never stop exploring and always keep thinking of new ideas on the next tea, so stay tuned for our next product. But while we brainstorm to make more perfect sachets of tea, you can browse our blog which contains various articles that focuses on improving your health and well-being. A little tip here and there and you can arm yourself with a vast knowledge on feeling better than ever. There is no greater remedy than taking care of yourself, and using alternative forms of relaxation, such as engaging in yoga or using essential oils, can allow you to spend more time with yourself in a bid of giving yourself some self-care.
Ready to take your herbal tea journey to the next level? Visit here to look at the wide range of herbal teas that we offer. If you are looking for a gift or two, there are also tea gift sets, tea with mugs set (collaboration with Thy Cup Bearer) as well as a gift set that includes tea and the ever-so-classic glass cup with a strainer.
Nilufer Tea brings you quality herbal tea with your well-being in mind. Every sip of tea allows you to tackle the stressful world outside with a renewed sense of being. That is our goal and purpose.
Not all roses are red,
But Valentine’s Day is indeed near;
It may be time to pre-order that special bouquet,
And you needn’t look further than here.
Are you ready for Valentine’s Day ? It may be time to pre-order that special bouquet. You can get special flower bouquet online. Inspired by the beauty of nature, you can rest assured knowing your Valentine’s gift is in good hands.
Aude, a founder of Ask A French Flowers is very talented and her inspirational flower arrangement is definitely one of kind. You can check her amazing flower arrangement at her Instagram.
Her flower arrangement is so special and featured in well known fashion magazines like Elle, Vogue, marie france and Haper Bazaar etc.
You can customise the bouquet you wish to deliver to your loved one, choosing one of the four available styles: Romantic, Bucolic, Tropical Green, and Tropical Bright, and one of the three available hues: bright, pastel, and white and green.
Or, if your partner is someone who lives for surprises, you actually have the option of leaving it up to the florists to make their own unique selection and arrangement, with the freshest and most aesthetically pleasing flowers.
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Ask a French Flower
Why I recommend
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Roses are undeniably the quintessential flower for Valentine’s Day but the flowers you decide to get your one true love don’t always have to be red.
Roses Only sells roses in all kinds of colours, including mauve, pastel pink, yellow, and cherry brandy as you can see here !
But if you want to play it safe, they have exquisitely vibrant red ones too.
Each stalk is about 70cm long and is carefully de-thorned, with their guard petals removed, so that they reach your Valentine looking their best. Some of their options also include chocolates, candles, and even a bottle of champagne, for the added sultry touch.
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Rose Only Website
Why I recommend
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Shop Wonderland -The café and floral studio is teaming up with local indie pop band HubbaBubbas to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember! If you are not sure about online flower bouquet shopping, you can visit their shop directly at Telok Ayer st. Florist can create any flower bouquet within your budget, too.
For Valentine, you just have to request the song by 9th February along with a purchase of a bouquet, and let the surprise take its course.
Add a personal touch to your bouquet by choosing to have a note card accompany it, with elegant handlettering by illustrator and hand-letterer Julia Liu.
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Shop Wonderland
Why I recommend
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Go all out with rainbow-coloured flowers courtesy of Smile Floral. The hand bouquets don’t just use roses; tulips, baby’s breath, and daisies also make an appearance. Whichever flowers you desire, you can definitely rainbow them up!
And if you’re really looking to splurge this Valentine’s, wow your partner by opting for their 99 rose bouquet, with each carefully and meticulously arranged, guaranteeing a one-of-a-kind gift for your gem of a date.
If you’re looking to go above and beyond this Valentine’s, and want to gift your other half something different from your regular bouquet of flowers, we has got your back!
They have bell jar gifts, complete with LED lights and preserved flowers and Blue tooth Speaker ! We also add on Rose Paradise Tea with dried strawberry (because we all know sweet treats are a surefire way to a girl’s heart).
And it’ll be for a good cause too! The social enterprise’s creations are made with love by marginalised women who have undergone training and mentorship under the BloomBack Academy.
10% profits will be donated to charity.
This is the gift to pair with those beautiful blooms, Nilufer Tea's organic herbal teas ! Healthy and delicious, each type of tea is uniquely and naturally coloured by the organic and pesticide-free herbs and flowers. Together with the gorgeous flowers, they serve as a reminder of the day of romance and love.
Remember – flowers don’t last forever, but true love stands the test of time. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
Written by Anna Fernandez
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Nilufer Tea with Flower Bouquet
Why I recommend
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Bored of the same ol’ stash of tea that you have in your food cupboard? Perhaps your tea needs some pep, perk and sparkle. Create a customised tea blend and delve into a magical realm of aromas, colours and flavours. We think tea blending demands more imagination than intention so break some rules and get a little playful with your tea! There are no holds barred, no set recipes or conventions – you’d never know what you’d end up with. To assist you with your little DIY project, we’ve gathered 7 essential herbs to include in your blend for an incredible herbal infusion.
Pretty and powerful, chamomile has a stellar reputation for restoration as a gentle and effective natural sedative. It calms distressed nerves, restores inner peace and is recommended for sleep relief. But that’s not all, the delicate daisy-like blossom is a powerhouse of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties too. It’s akin to a magic potion which may be used to lighten complexion, eliminate acne scars and tighten pores. Consider the addition of chamomile for a blissful and beautiful brew.
Bask in the sweet heat of cinnamon – its complex flavour profile encompasses a warm floral note with hints of spice and honeyed fruit. Besides it’s unique smell and taste, cinnamon contains great anti-diabetic effects and a myriad of protective antioxidants, which balances your blood sugar levels, safeguards your health and defends against cancer. With all these medicinal benefits, it’d be silly not to include poor old cinnamon in your tea blend.
Ginger is an excellent digestive aid which curbs nausea and upset stomachs associated with motion sickness. And because it plays an essential role in proper digestion, it improves food absorption, prevents unnecessary belching and improves your appetite through the release of gastric acids. The fleshy herb also wards off chills, environmental allergies and even jet lag with ease. In a similar vein, ginger contains increased levels of antioxidants, which hence allows it to relieve menstrual discomfort in women.
Another definite ingredient to include in your custom concoction would be lemongrass – an aromatic herb with a zing that soothes stomach troubles such as bloating, constipation and indigestion. It’s also known to tame high blood pressure, limit cholesterol absorption in the intestines and improve overall heart health as well.
Like ginger, mint presents similar benefits. It eases nausea, clears mild coughs and is employed in the treatment of various digestive ailments, such as loss of appetite, irritable bowel syndrome and more. If consumed post-meal, the effects of mint will reduce flatulence and speed up digestion too. Hence, after-dinner mints and mint tea are so popular. With a natural cool sensation and crisp menthol fragrance, mint also freshens your breath and palate. We think it’s a win-win situation to feel clean inside and out.
High in Vitamin C and other minerals, rooibos is a copper-red charm of earthy delight. An herb native to South Africa, it has been touted for its plethora of proven health benefits and antioxidant properties aimed at aging, common skin concerns and diseases. Regular consumption of rooibos may boost hair growth and prevent sun damage too. Did you know? Japanese women are known to drink large amounts of rooibos tea for its positive effect on skin and hair!
Rose hips are the bulbous, garnet red fruits of the rose plant which detoxifies the body due to its laxative and diuretic properties. It eliminates toxins and unwanted fats in an efficient manner. If you struggle with constipation or a low metabolism rate, the said herb can be a key ingredient for your tea blend. Rose hip will impart a tart taste to your tea so be reminded to pair it with a sweet ingredient if you do find it too sharp.
Above all, have fun and relish your cup of tea, your way! But in any case, if laziness takes over, we’ve got you covered with our delicious Nilufer Tea organic herbal teas that contain many of the above beneficial herbs. Check them out here!
Written by: Valerie Tan
