[title subtitle=”words and images: Yvonne Pratt”][/title]
We love to sit down to a gorgeously decorated table, but setting it up is a different story. We know where to set the plates, napkins, and silverware but the process of designing a beautiful tablescape can stump us. My secret to a well dressed table is a fabulous centerpiece. Follow my five tips for a centerpiece that will take center stage at your next gathering!
Local Flowers
In spring and summer the most beautiful floral centerpieces can be picked right outside your back door. But during the cold days of winter, visit your local florist or grocery store. Gather up flowers in single color profusions and line them down the center of your table in glass mason jars. Or line several beverage bottles down your table with a single floral stem in each for a funky, vintage look. Even clipped greens and herbs look wonderful down the center of a table.
An often overlooked flower, the mini-carnation, emits star qualities when cut and placed in a great bowl or vase. The key is to take some time to arrange them correctly. I love to cut the bottom of the stem so that the base of the flower touches the top of the container.
My favorite flowers to arrange are hydrangeas. They make a beautiful, full, fluffy centerpiece. If you don’t have hydrangeas planted, consider planting them. They bloom all summer and make beautiful, effortless centerpieces.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are as beautiful as a big bouquet of flowers. Bright, dramatic and edible. Mix fruit with other natural elements like willow balls, sticks, twigs and greens. But don’t discount a big bowl of apples, pomegranates or oranges, as a stand-alone centerpiece. It’s a breathtaking look.
Fruits such as grapes are perfect for spilling over pedestals or cake plates, stacked on top of one another. Featuring grapes on a vertical centerpiece allows them to cascade over and gives a beautiful presentation.
Carry the Theme
Use elements of a holiday or season in the centerpiece that will set the mood and theme for the entire table. I love repeated elements in décor and seeing things all tied together. If you’re setting a table for Memorial Day consider using American flags and the colors red, white and blue in your centerpiece. Then, carry the theme throughout the rest of your tablescape so that it looks cohesive and well put together
For example, if you have dishes with a rooster motif, find a faux rooster at a home décor store to place in the centerpiece. By adding the theme of the table into the centerpiece, your tablescape goes from cute to fabulous.
Potted Plants
Your local greenhouse is a fantastic centerpiece source. There are a lot of inexpensive indoor and seasonal plants. My favorite way to use them is to match or coordinate the rest of the table with them by color and season, or vice versa. For example, if you’re setting a Valentine table, a low container planted with white or pink mini orchids would look romantic as a centerpiece. Or a pot of several mini roses, often sold at the grocery store, would look great. When repotted and grouped in a cluster of three, they make a centerpiece to warm anyone’s heart.
Repeated Elements
Create drama by adding a line of like things down the center of a table as your centerpiece. Don’t just think flowers, but think collections: lanterns, candles, cake plates, the sky’s the limit!
More Table Tips:
- Make sure your guests can see above or through a centerpiece. No line-of-sight distractions.
- Make sure all flowers and potted plants are fresh.
- Put a plastic liner under your tablecloth and centerpiece if it contains water. Let’s not ruin our tables!
- It’s fun to give away your centerpiece at the end of the night to someone who helped you, or who has a special day approaching.
Yvonne is the creator of StoneGable, a beautiful and widely popular blog about all things home. Her love for American farmhouse living is evident throughout her posts on decorating, home décor, DIYs, gardening, cooking and much more.
