Entertaining guests is a great way to open and share your home and make memories with family and friends. If your entertaining includes a meal, chances are everyone will be sitting at the table to dine and converse. A beautifully set table can make guests feel welcome and establish the ambiance for the meal.
A centerpiece is at the heart of a well-dressed table. While centerpieces are most often associated with formal affairs, any meal or gathering is enhanced with the right centerpiece. Here are some easy and elegant centerpiece ideas to dress up your dinner table.
Fresh flowers
Floral arrangements make for great centerpieces. Such arrangements can be as simple or as extravagant as you desire. For casual meals, consider picking some flowers from your own garden or a nearby field. Spring daffodils or cherry blossom branches can add color to a table. Some smaller, potted impatiens or begonias make great centerpieces for summer soirées, while autumn and winter blooms work for holiday gatherings and parties.
If you want an even more special touch, consider working with a florist. Explain the theme of your party and ask the florist to recommend appropriate flowers for the gathering based on your theme.
Fruit and foods
Floral centerpieces may be some of the most popular, but food also works as a base for interesting centerpieces. Grab an unused soup tureen or some decorative vases and fill them with an assortment of items. Lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits add a splash of bold color to a table. Otherwise, look for exotic foods that have interesting appearances, like prickly pears or artichokes. Fill a tall vessel with walnuts or chestnuts for an earthy look. A large basket brimming with assorted breads and crackers looks attractive and is also ready for guests to dig in.
Candy
Whimsical parties or children’s events can be made more fun with clever centerpieces made from candy. Stick lollipops into buckets filled with sand or push them into a foam form to make a candy topiary. Canisters filled with candy of all shapes, sizes and colors appeal to guests’ eyes and their affinity for sweets.
Miscellaneous items
Look around the house for any number of other items that can be placed inside vases or clear containers. Bells, tissue paper, pebbles or confetti can be used to create attractive centerpieces for the table.
With some inspiration and a little creativity, hosts and hostesses can create centerpieces that add a touch of elegance to any dinner party.
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