Do-It-Yourself Holiday Centerpiece

Having a festive holiday dinner table centerpiece can liven up any table and be the center of attention to any party or holiday gathering. These centerpieces vary in cost and can be quite expensive. So in the spirit of giving, I'm going to give you directions on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) holiday centerpiece that will wow your guests and save you money in the process.

First, you will need to make a trip to your local craft store (ie. Michael's, JoAnn's, Tall Mouse, etc.). Take with you a list of items you will need to purchase for your centerpiece:

- Piece of Sturdy Cardboard or Light Piece of Wood that can be cut into a circle the size that you desire for your centerpiece (The ones I use are about 18inches across.)

- One Hurricane Glass

- One Pillar Candle (Size is your preference but should be proportionate to the size of the Hurricane Glass so that it isn't too big or too small)

- One String of Garland (Buy a longer piece so it can be cut and used for several different bases for other holidays)

- Holiday decorations of your choice (ie. Fake holly leaves, small ornaments) The key here is to use decorations with the colors of the season that will stand out when put in the ring of garland.

- Foil (You can use standard kitchen foil)

- Hot Glue Gun & Glue

Follow these steps and you will be ready to show off your centerpiece in no time:

1) Cover your circle of cardboard or wood with one piece of foil. You should glue the foil so that it doesn't slip off. This will be your base.

2) Place your Hurricane Glass in the center of your base.

3) Wrap the garland around the hurricane so that it sits on the base (measure and cut the right size to fit around the hurricane and cover the base). You do not want it to be tight as you will need to remove the hurricane from time to time.

4) Glue the Garland in place so that it is fixed to the base and covers the foil.

5) Sporadically place decorations in garland. When you like the placement, glue them to the garland.

6) Place the pillar candle inside the hurricane and you are ready to entertain.

The centerpiece base can be saved and used from year to year. Also, you can make a different centerpiece base for different holidays and use the same hurricane glass. Simply put the hurricane glass on the base for the current holiday and replace the candle to coordinate with the decorations. I have included some ideas below:

Variations on decorations:

Easter - Crosses, Fake Easter Eggs, Bunnies, pastel colored candle, etc.

4^th of July - Red, White, and Blue, Flags, etc.

Halloween - Small pumpkin decorations, Candy Corn, Cats, Bats, Orange Candle, etc.

Thanksgiving - Turkey Decorations, Pilgrims, Harvest Vegetables, Brown/Orange candle, etc.

Christmas - Red Holly, Silver Small Glass Ornaments, Small White Plastic Snowflakes, Candy Canes, Red Candle, etc.

Hanukkah - Star of David, Menorah, dreidle, blue candle, etc.