You Can Create Beautiful Wedding Centerpieces on a Budget

Since elegant simplicity is often the aim of sophisticated wedding centerpieces, you can easily make your own, often with very inexpensive materials which will look as lovely as any expensive centerpiece you could buy.

For instance, almost anything looks lovely in large glass bowls. You can fill these bowls with rose petals in your wedding colors (real or artificial,) surround them with wreathes of silk roses, and they will look wonderful.

Another idea is to wrap pairs of taper candles in plastic wrap, tie them with ribbon in your wedding colors, and set them in tall glass bowls at intervals on tables. Dust the tablecloth with confetti the same color as the ribbons on the candles, and let the candles double as favors for your guest to take home. You can also use smaller bowls and fill them with shorter, pillar candles wrapped and tied in the same way.

Silk roses or other silk flowers are wonderfully versatile in centerpieces. Here is how to make a beautiful centerpiece with just three silk roses

Gather:
A short glass vase (about the size of a juice glass)
3 silk roses in your choice of colors
6 votive candles in glass cups in white or a matching color
Rose petals (real or silk)
Silk ribbon in matching or complementary color
Moss
Florist foam
Hot glue gun

Cut the roses to measure about 4" , or the proper size for your vase. You may need to use wire cutters for this. Remove the leaves.

Use the glue gun to glue florist foam around the inside of the vase. Tie the ribbon around the rim of the vase and make a tight bow.Glue the center of the bow to the top of the vase to hold it in place.
Push the moss onto the foam in the vase. Glue in place.

Glue about six rose leaves to the moss.Push the three roses into the center of the moss and through the foam. Surround the vase with the six votive candles, sprinkle the table with the rose petals, and light the candles.

Small aquarium bowls such as those used for goldfish can be used to inspire many beautiful centerpiece ideas. Fill them with colored crystals (found in aquarium supplies or craft stores) in your wedding colors and surround them with real or artificial flower wreaths in your wedding color. Or use colored sand instead of crystals, and add a candle. Use your imagination to think of other fillers for these small bowls.

Probably the easiest, most elegant centerpiece you can make is a topiary. Here is how to do it.

You need:
1 dozen silk or other artificial roses
artificial baby's breath
Container (such as flower pot or planter)
Moss
Floral Foam
Floral wire
Hot glue gun

Remove all the leaves from the flowers. Start with the first rose. This rose will go straight up.
It will be the center of the topiary. Hold it in your left hand. Add one row of six roses, bending the heads forward and arranging them in a pleasing design, still holding them all in your hand. Then add one more row with the other five roses, bending these heads to face down. You want the design to look rounded. Using floral wire, wire the roses at the top and at the bottom securely.

Hot glue the floral foam into the planter. Push your topiary into the center of the foam. Fill the planter with moss around the topiary.

Now, hot glue the baby's breath among the roses, and your elegant topiary is done.

Most of these craft supplies can be found at dollar stores. Don't feel that you have to spend a lot of money. Your guests will be just as impressed with the results if you spend a little as they would be if you spend a lot.. And here's a tip: if you know you are getting married anytime in the year, visit craft stores and dollar stores during and right after Valentine's Day for wonderful, romantic containers, confetti, candles, and other decorative materials.