DIY Table Centerpieces

How to decorate your table with flowers

Whether it is a wedding, or just another large family celebration, the first things on your mind are the bigger ones, like time, booking a venue and band, ordering food and drinks. But once you settle those, it will seem to you that something is missing. And you will be absolutely right.

You enter the hall you have booked for this particular occasion and see that the tables are set, chairs perfectly positioned, but it all seems kind of empty. Hint: it is the decorations. Though, honestly, the last thing you would forget to include at a large, planned-over-the-course-of-months event is the decoration. After all, it is the most fun you could have organizing an event. Cue the color palettes!

The Japanese art of arranging flowers is called ikebana, which works greatly for creating do-it-yourself table centerpieces

Here is an article about decorating tables – or rather, setting up a centerpiece, the crowning glory of any line of sight at a big party.

Show your guests how you carefully thought out every detail, that you put a lot of effort into organizing this night for them to enjoy. You even put in a couple of hours yourself, creating customized, magical centerpieces that no Etsy store could top off.

If you are new to the art of ikebana – the Japanese art of arranging flowers, or its unnamed western counterpart, try these tips for starters.

Ombre is a popular flower arrangement, as shown here by Martha Stewart's Ombre Flowers

Scentless Art

Table centerpieces shouldn’t be created from heavily scented flowers. A light, pleasant tinkle upon your senses is fine, but these tables will soon be covered in food, and those are the fragrances that should stand out during meal time. Florists tend to perfume their cut flowers. The cheaper florists will use cheaper scents, which disappear in a shorter period, or they bathe the flower in product, making them pointless in a table centerpiece.

The ideal flowers for basic arrangements are anemones. They can even be the only flowers included, and you can find them in various colors. Black and white anemones are a major trend this season, but the color scheme might be off-putting for a festive event. Either stick with greenery and white anemones, or include black anemones cleverly placed on a pop-of-color base. Black doesn’t have to be goth or macabre, as long as it is sleek and stylish.

Centerpiece floral arrangements also work well in garden settings

Craving for Ombre

A bouquet of flowers is an easy way to create an effective table centerpiece

Ombre has been dominating every section of every lifestyle blog for two years now. It is the most popular hair color, DIY project (for white shirts, white shorts, shoes, lampshades and macramé. Anything). Ombre has made its way into the floral industry. To keep things classy, do not mix and match different colors, but pick your favorite one, and water it out to achieve the fading effect.

If the flowers are to be put in a vase or a bowl, find a clear one, fill the bottom with the darkest tone of the desired color. Gradually lighten the shades in your mixing container, and paint them above each other. Try to maintain a smooth gradient.

Or you can get super creative. Forget jars, forget vases. Make the actual flowers the materials for your ombre print. You do not have to stick to a specific flower, and you should not look for plants at your local market.

You need to choose at least 3 different sorts of the same color, but different tone. The easiest way to do this is to browse and order flowers online, where the choice is much wider. Since these arrangements are not meant to last longer than a day, you can even choose flowers from different climates than yours.

Of course, the flowers are the main ingredient of a beautiful centerpiece, but there is more to the craft. Vases are a safety net, but floral foam give you more access, more options. Ribbons, hay, shrubbery and such will disguise the unsightly floral foam, depending on your aesthetic of choice. Tip: if you’re thinking whimsical, boho, or off-beat in any way, why not use clay pots or oversized tea cups?

The designs are various, and the best place to get ideas is, naturally, Pinterest. But the style that works best for you and your occasion is your own. Send in photos of your centerpieces when you make them!

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