Beautiful Centrepieces for All Seasons

There are not a lot of dinner-parties at my house, since I am a bad cook. Everybody knows that and so we are always hoping that somebody else invites us. But of course there are occasions when I am forced into it. My food might not taste as if prepared by a world-renowned chef, but my center-pieces are nice, and make good dinner-conversation.

You will need: 1 large piece of florist-foam, if you can get it in a round shape with a hole in the middle. Some small apples,any color, either real or fake. lace,ribbon,wooden skewers,toothpicks for the smaller items,some florist bendable wire,some "natural items" , seedpods found under trees, twisted willow etc.,some greenery from the garden, 1 large left-over candle from X-Mas.

This is the easiest arrangement you'll ever make. First water the florist foam. Make sure it is wet through and through. Put a plate under it.Twist the wire around the stems of the greenery and stick in foam. Build up all the greenery until you can't see the foam anymore.Stick the skewers into the apples and into the foam, just randomly. Make bows of the lace or the ribbons.Twist the wire around each bow, and stick in florist foam, again randomly. Twist wire around the seedpods,stick in florist foam, but close to the apples.Since the seedpods are for free, use a couple of them around each apple. Now stick in the twisted willow here and there, let it stick out a bit. Place the large candle in the middle and you're done!

If you have a large rectangular table perhaps it's better to make a rectangular shape of the foam , without the hole in the middle,and place long tapered candles in it. Follow the advise from above.

If you are a "natural" person, and you have a twisted willow in your garden, you could make a center-piece from this. Instead of using the foam, bend a couple of twigs around,and with the help of some wire, hold it in place. To decorate I would not use fresh fruit and leaves as you cannot water it. Instead you could use seedpods,nuts or even sea-shells to decorate.The bows should also look natural and could be made of calico fabric.Since twisted willow is very decorative by itself, you don't have to decorate it heavily. A light touch is required here. But keep in mind that if you place a candle in the middle all the materials you've used are dry and can go up in flames; it's best to extinguish the flames straight after dinner.

If you are a minimalist or have a very contemporary home, the next projects are really the easiest. Buy a couple of smooth round river stones from your local garden center. Place them on a black or white plate. If it is a large plate you can put some seed-pods or nuts among the pebbles, if you like that look. Place a candle in the middle. Alternatively (and this is truly beautiful) buy clear glass-pebbles and place in a large glass platter. Place either a white or a black candle in the middle. At night the glass will give a twinkle to your evening! Well, happy dining to all of you!