Flower Frog Frenzy

A stack of flowers on a chest of drawers

Written by Leslie Saeta

We love decorating with florals! Leslie Saeta of My 100 Year Old Home has a flower frog collection. These items are unique and add some vintage charm to a home; plus, they make building bouquets an easy pastime. Get to collecting these vintage pieces with Leslie’s tips and avoid the “floppy flower problem.”

Flower Function

About a year ago, while shopping at one of our local vintage flea markets, I bought my first set of flower frogs. I knew what they were, as my mom had a few growing up. I posted a picture on Instagram of the ones I bought and received over 100 messages asking, “What is that?” and “What are they for?”

These spikey metal objects help arrange flowers. To use a flower frog, place the frog in the bottom of a vase and stick the stems in to hold the flower upright. Flower frogs solve what I refer to as the floppy flower problem.

A flower frog sits inside a glass mason jar near a bundle of different flowers — Flower frogs ease the task of flower arranging by holding the stems steady so the flowers stay upright in their vase.

These flower frogs are unique, and I love displaying them in my flower arranging room. Not only are they decorative, but they’re also functional. They’re helpful in holding the flower stems upright, and they insure flowers are sitting in water for a longer life. They’re also a lot heavier than they look, so they won’t tip over once the stems are in the frog. I love that flower frogs allow me to use any type of container as a vase.

Vintage History

Most flower frogs are made of bronze, lead or glass. They were very popular in the 1920s and ‘30s, but have a history all the way back to the 16th century in Europe. The oldest flower frog in the US had a patent issued in 1875. No one seems to know where the name “flower frog” came from, other than the fact that flowers and frogs both like water. Common names for the flower frog include flower blocks, flower bricks, flower holders and floral arrangers.

A stack of these flower frogs in dark green — Flower frogs come in all shapes and sizes to fit the various vessels you may want to use for your arrangements. The traditional frog shape is round with exposed spikes, but some also come in a rectangular shape with a cage over the spikes.

Collecting Frogs

Over the past year, I’ve added quite a few flower frogs to my collection. I purchased most of my flower frogs at vintage flea markets and antiques stores. I paid between $2-$7 for mine, but I’ve seen them priced as high as $40. A lot of the vintage pieces online are priced higher, and shipping can be expensive. I suggest checking your local flea markets for the best prices.

Shopping Tips

Flower frogs are readily available at flea markets and online. But look to flea markets first, where you’ll find the best deals. Sales online will have high prices and include expensive shipping costs. Usually $2-$7 is the average price range at the flea market, while $20-$40 and above is the average online.

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