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When planning a floral centerpiece for your table, you shouldn't worry about whether you own any fine crystal vases. Some of the most interesting floral containers are simply old glass bottles or jars. They lend character to your table, and can even spark conversation.

The next time you visit the flea market, look for bottles and jars with openings wide enough to fit anywhere from a single bud to a full bouquet. Then try to find some with any of the following characteristics more common to old bottles and jars:

• Unusually colored glass
• Embossed lettering
• Bubbles in the glass
• Shapes that are not uniform because they've been hand blown

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