I was too cheap to shell out sixty dollars for dried palms…

So we cut down some wilds ones & they turned out even better than any I could find online.

I got this vase from a flea market in Nashville a few years ago. It sat on this table empty at our house in Nashville, but when we moved to Pensacola it looked bare on that same table. The ceilings in this house are really high so I assumed the vase needed some height to bring it all together. A black hole session on Pinterest led me to this photo and I knew I’d found the perfect addition to my old thrifted vase.

Now knowing exactly what I was looking for, I scoured the internet but ran across very few palms that matched what I had in mind. Most of them were too small or cut in a weird shape to make them look less wild. I love wild. I needed wild. Well, when I found wild they were pricey and I’m too cheap to shell out $60 for some dried leaves that grow wild all through Florida.

So, I brought some scissors with me on our daily stroll with Mayne. Once we got to the wooded area behind our neighborhood I whipped out my scissors and asked Caleb to trek through the woods and cut some palm leaves for me. He knows I’m a little unhinged with ideas at times so not even questioning my request he finds the perfect palms and we walk home with our prize.

How to Dry the Perfect Palm Leaves

You want the palm leaves to retain some of their wild aesthetic, but make sure you don’t just toss the fresh cut leaves into a vase or lay them out on the counter to dry out. You’ll most likely get an unruly mess and some mold/mildew.

Here’s what I did to create the perfect combination of retaining their natural wild beauty with a slightly polished look.

Wash your leaves. There were all kinds of dirt and spider webs on mine. I soaked them in the bath tub with hot water for about ten minutes, then cleaned off any debris the soak didn’t remove.
Tie some twine to the end of the palm stems and find a place outside to hang them upside down to dry. Make sure it’s a pretty hot day. If it’s too cool they won’t dry fast enough and you run the risk of them getting mold or mildew.
Let them dry in the sun upside down for a few days until there are no signs of moisture in the leaves.
Cut away any leaves that are a little too unruly for your taste & your done!

I loved using these particular palms because they sustained some of their green resulting in the most beautiful shade of sage.