Lucky Bamboo Gift

My husband and I have always loved to look and symbolism of bamboo. When we were visiting Korea years ago when our daughter was young, these plants amazed me with their beauty while growing around some of the most breathtaking temples. Every time I see these plants, I am reminded of one of the best vacations I have had.

When my brother and sister-in-law got married they used these as centerpieces on their tables and I was instantly in love with homemade bamboo arrangements.  Arranging bamboo this way makes simple, inexpensive and versatile gifts. I have given these to family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers for Christmas, birthdays and any other occasion.
Bamboo is believed to provide fantastic Feng Shui to a home, if used in the right combination.
According to About.com the number of bamboo shoots represents different things:

• "Two stalks represent love.
• Three stalks represent Fu (happiness), Lu (wealth), and Soh (long life).
• Five stalks represent the areas of life that represent wealth (e.g., spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and intuitive).
• Six stalks represent good luck and wealth.
• Seven stalks represent good health.
• Eight stalks represent growth.
• Nine stalks represent great luck.
• Ten stalks represent perfection.
• Twenty-one stalks represent a powerful blessing.

Important: you'll never find a traditional lucky bamboo arrangement with four stalks. In Chinese, the word for four is close to the word for death, so a gift of four bamboo stalks would be considered very rude, as if you had wished death on the recipient!"

Using the glass vase I etched here, three bamboo shoots and some decorative rocks, I created the bamboo arrangement. These bamboo gifts provides great height to a table without the bulk of most plants.

When I purchase bamboo, I like to make sure it has a nice green color to it, large roots and two stocks of leaved coming from the top. If you are ambitious, the second leaf stocks can be broken off and put in water to start another bamboo shoot.

 Carefully place a few inches of clean rocks on the bottom of the vase.

 Arrange the bamboo so the shoots are tight together and tops fit together well.

Gently place the roots on the rocks and carefully place rocks over the roots. I was not able to get my hand into the vase so I recruited my son and his small hands to help.

 Place another few inches of rocks over the bamboo roots until the shoots are stable.

Fill the vase with water to cover the rocks. I change the water on these arrangements every few weeks so the rocks don't get yucky.

For extra luck (and stability), tie a red ribbon around the three bamboo shoots. I wish I had a thicker red ribbon, but I don't have it on hand so you will have to see it with the thin Dollar store ribbon.

I purchase all the materials for this gift idea at Ikea for approximately $14 in total. $6 for the vase (you can find some cheaper), $6 for bamboo ($2 each) and $2 for the rocks.

The best part of this is you can keep the bamboo in the little holders it comes in for quit a while and assemble the vase at the last minute before you give the gift.

How is everyone's Christmas shopping coming? I am working through my list pretty quickly.

Have a great week,
Stephanie