The $15 Find That Will Make You Feel So European (I Always Get Compliments!)

I’ve diligently used reusable bags since high school, and for years they’ve made every grocery store trip and farmers market run so much easier. There is one item, though, that I’ve never quite found the best way to carry: fresh flowers. 

My neighborhood’s farmers market is every Sunday, and it takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk there. I always love browsing the booths, but oftentimes my husband and I go simply to get flowers. But bringing them home always posed a slight challenge: Some petals would warm up in my arms as I cradled them, while others would droop slightly as a result of the Los Angeles sun or the high winds on a busy street. So when I spotted the Fresh Cut Flowers Tote on Uncommon Goods while searching the site for a Mother’s Day gift, I knew I had to have it despite not having purchased a new reusable grocery bag in years. 

This sturdy cotton canvas tote bag is not like most totes — this one’s conical form is designed to perfectly fit a bunch, bouquet, or arrangement of flowers. The attached tie secures the flowers, which is useful for preventing them from falling out when I’m bending down to give my dog a treat. Best of all, it has a handy shoulder sling to keep my hands free for holding an iced coffee or picking up samples from the farmers market vendors. I also love the minimal stripe design and dainty painted orange flower that is the cutest complement to all of my outfits. 

This tote bag not only romanticizes my farmers market trips, but it also preserves the quality of the flowers by protecting them on the walk home. Plus, I get tons of compliments on it and even more people asking “Where did you get that?” as I walk around. In addition to farmers markets, it’s been nice to take it to the grocery store and use it to replace those single-use plastic bags next to the flowers meant for holding excess water. The $15 price tag is also more than reasonable for the cute design and sustainable material. 

If you don’t buy flowers frequently enough to justify a specific tote bag, this gem still makes a thoughtful gift for the flower-obsessed friend in your life, mother-in-law with a garden, or newly engaged couple (just pair it with a bottle of wine!), or for any one of your “friends with a European attitude,” as noted by one reviewer. 

I gave this tote to my mom for Mother’s Day with an arrangement I made, and she’s since raved about how much she loves taking it to Trader Joe’s. I also recommended this bag to my best friend, whose mom visits the Downtown Los Angeles flower market every weekend. Whoever you gift this flower tote bag to, it’ll give them a chance to daydream about life in a picturesque countryside. You can also find similar options elsewhere, like this simple design from Etsy, or this monochromatic one from Target. 

Buy: Uncommon Goods Fresh Cut Flowers Tote, $15