Creating Table Centerpieces

I know many people who love to entertain. I'm not particularly one of them, but when I do decide to host friends to a party or relatives come over on holidays, I feel compelled to live up to my "reputation" as being in the design business. So naturally that means I have to put thought and effort into creating a beautiful table arrangement or centerpiece.

The centerpiece, whether a beautiful floral arrangement or sculpture or something else, is important because it will anchor the decorations on the table. To wind up with a well-dressed table, you need to focus your best attention on the focal point. To really create drama, go big - go bad - go all out with a total showstopper.

Here are some tips for your table decorations and how you can totally impress your guests (or clients).

• Start with a theme. This will help give you inspiration and a clear vision of where you're going. A theme will also help you select the various elements that will comprise your centerpiece or focal point.
• Choose a theme and design that is in keeping with the season. Obviously don't do a Christmas theme in July. In the summer, a rustic theme, a garden theme, a holiday theme, a light and airy theme would be perfect.
• Themes can also be related to the reason for the party, such as the birthday of one guest, a wedding anniversary and so forth. I once threw myself a "surprise 40th birthday party". I even sent out crazy invitations telling them not to tell me about my party, giving them a crazy gift list to choose from, telling them their gift would be rated at the end of the party. Naturally my decorations were a bit off the wall too.
• If the party is to celebrate an event in a guest's life, include snapshots of that person in your centerpiece or other decorations. Or include items that reflect that person's life, character or personality. When I was 20, I was invited to a birthday party of a gentleman who just turned 30. His wife had decorated the entire home in black and the table decorations included a hearse. No one likes to turn 30.
• Decide whether your centerpiece will be a grand statement or understated elegance. I tend to go for the dramatic, but that isn't for everyone. The grand statement will usually add additional cost to your decorations. But bear in mind that a clean and simple table arrangement can spark just as much enthusism, wonder and awe.
• If you tend to go extra big or extra small, begin by placing your table settings first so that you have a clear picture of the space that remains.
• Look around your home for interesting containers. Look for home or garden items you don't normally use, like a bird's nest or a weathered urn.
• Mix your textures for more interest. Mix glass, wood, pottery, leather, fabric.
• Use candelabra, plates, small vases, statuary, figurines, decorative boxes, baskets, bowls.
• Lastly, don't overdo it. Many people don't know when to stop and keep adding, and adding, and adding until it all becomes "mush". Stand back periodically and look honestly at what you've created so far. If things look wild and out of hand, edit the plan immediately.

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Barbara Jennings is author of 11 decorating books: Decor Secrets Revealed, Rearrange It, Home Staging for Profit, Staging Luxurious Homes, Home Staging for Yourself, Arrange Your Stuff, Advanced Redesign, Pro Art Consulting, Where There's a Wall - There's a Way, The Art of Hanging Art, Great Parties! Great Homes!