Collecting Vintage Flower Frogs

Vintage flower frogs are one of the very first things I began collecting. They are inexpensive, look great displayed en masse, and can be found in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, styles, colors, and materials. Designed to help shape floral arrangements, a flower frog would sit at the bottom of a vase and holds the flower stems in place, usually with short spikes, a glass disk with holes, or a wire grid. I collect metal frogs in every size and shape, from teeny tiny spiked frogs to giant cage styles.

I have my flower frog collection displayed in a painted wooden bowl in front of our television, flanked by two big white pineapple garden finials. Metal flower frogs are often found with various shades of green paint, to blend in with the flower stems, but lately I've honed my collection to focus on frogs mostly in neutral shades of greys, whites, browns, and blacks. They are a little harder to find, but I love the look of a monochromatic collection, and the patina on these bare metal frogs is beautiful.

This tiny little black spike frog is one of my favorites.

I even used my collection of flower frogs to inspire the name and logo for my Etsy shop and blog. The flower frog graphic that I use on all of my tags, business cards, and web branding is actually a photograph of the little grey frog on the top of the stack shown above. I manipulated the photograph in Photoshop to create a black and white image with a hand-drawn sketchbook feel rather than a literal photograph. See the resemblance?

I have developed a knack for spotting flower frogs wherever I go, be it a flea market, antique shop, or garage sale, so in order to keep my own collection modestly sized and cohesive, I sell many more than I keep. I can't say that about everything! Here's a few of the frogs that are up for sale right now...

If you're anything like me, once you buy your first flower frog you won't be able to stop with just one!