Whether you are hosting a fancy dinner party or just want to decorate your table for the holidays, a centerpiece can quickly become the focus of the room. Go beyond a bouquet of fresh flowers for some truly original ideas to make your table look outstanding with these table centerpiece ideas.
Clear glass bowl
This is the fastest and most versatile centerpiece there is. Use a large hurricane glass or clear glass bowl and fill it with a variety of objects. Try pinecones and jingle bells for Christmas, or bright red peppers and ribbon for a Mexican-themed dinner party. From interesting nuts to colored craft glass, a clear container can capture the theme of any party.
Centerpiece candles
Include candles in table centerpiece ideas. Choose three different sizes of pillar candles and arrange them on a colored placemat. Or, place the candles on a large glass platter and surround them with "scatter," such as nuts, seashells, glitter, craft glass or fresh or silk flowers. Choose three tall taper candles to sit inside glass or bronze candleholders, then weave a garland around the three centerpiece candles for an elegant look. Remember to group candles in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, or 7) to achieve a designer look.
Recreate the theme
Use items you have around the house to create a theme centerpiece. Go formal with bare tree branches spray painted white and placed in a silver urn. Assemble a baby diaper cake for a baby shower centerpiece, or arrange baby blocks and baby shoes around brightly decorated cans of formula in varying sizes. A spring garden party can feature a small silk flower wreath encircling a pillar candle with artificial butterflies hot glued in various spots.
Holiday centerpieces
Endless possibilities exist for holiday-themed table centerpiece ideas. For Christmas, use pine boughs and candles for a wintry touch, or stack small coordinated wrapped boxes to hint of holiday cheer. Halloween will be extra nice with black and orange candles surrounded by spiders and autumn leaves. Valentine's Day is the perfect time to use a large clear bowl to float bright red flowers in water. Thanksgiving guests will love the fresh green of three miniature potted ivy plants nestled inside three hollowed out pumpkins.
 | Not only do place cards make seating guests easy, but they also make family, friends and guests feel special by adding fun and elegance to any table setting. |
 | After you know who should sit next to whom at the meal, you'll need to design and make place cards that will give your guests direction and still look good on the table. |
Don't worry, no one will laugh if you don't know which fork is the salad fork. In fact, you might not even need a salad fork. Proper table setting is easier than you think if you follow a few basic guidelines. |
Set a vibrant table for your next dinner party by mixing and matching your table settings. Do what's pleasing to look at and what goes with the theme of the party for success. When you follow a few rules of thumb, you can come up with endless appealing place settings that will come together in a striking display of table art. |
You want to show your guests how much you care about them. You make your house sparkle and cook a fabulous meal. But what about your table setting? Is it a work of art, or merely a practical arrangement of plates and flatware? |
