DIY: Tea pot centerpiece

Photo: Kate Sears via Everyday with Rachael Ray

Continuing with the DIY centerpiece features, today's centerpiece is a fabulous stacked teapot overflowing with pretty blooms. I think that this would be perfectly adorable at a bridal shower, bridesmaid's luncheon or at a garden party type wedding. Fashion designer Liz Lange came up with this stylish centerpiece, which is super simple to put together. To make: Simply arrange flowers in a teapot, place on top of a saucer, and add some extra height and interest by standing the pot on a tea cup and saucer.

DIY: Artichoke Centerpiece

More of a foodie than a floral gal? This DIY centerpiece is visually striking and the artichokes can also double as favors afterwards. You can find fresh artichokes year round but the best seasons are spring, followed by summer to mid-fall. My favorite fresh-from-the-farm stand for artichokes is Pezzini Farms, located in Castroville, CA, which also has an online store and will ship farm-fresh artichokes anywhere in the U.S. for incredible prices (seriously you may never look at a grocery store artichoke the same once you've had these!).

How To:
1. Group one small, one medium and one tall cylinder glass vase on a tabletop.
2. Stack whole artichokes inside, positioning some upright and some sideways to make an artful arrangement.

Here's some other seasonal ideas for cylinder centerpieces:

Spring/Summer:
Apples and Red Pears
Kumquats and Oranges
Lemons and/or Lime

Fall:
Apples and/or Pomegranates
White Mini Pumpkins and Gourds
Multicolored Indian Corn, Pumpkins and Squash
Pinecones, Fall Leaves, Seed Pods and Cinnamon Sticks

Winter:
White pine cones and pine needles
Ornaments
Mixed Nuts
Pomegranates and Cranberries
Peppermints and Candy Cane Sticks

DIY: Vintage tin can vase

I love the look of the vintage tea tin centerpieces, like these over at Martha Stewart Weddings, but who really has the time (or the funds) to hunt down enough of those vintage or unique looking tins for centerpieces? Then I saw this brilliant idea over on Rachael Ray for a recycled chic look.
Photo: Antonis Achilleos via Rachael Ray Mag

How To: This centerpiece was created entirely from the canned-foods aisle of your average grocery store. To re-create the look, choose retro-looking cans from your own market, empty them—to make a pie, perhaps? —and fill them with small bunches of flowers. Employ family members to do the same, and you'll be on your way to a collection of great, chic, vintage-looking, recycled centerpieces in no time.

More budget friendly DIY centerpieces to come this week!

DIY: Wood chip vase

Going for the increasingly popular rustic look for your wedding? This DIY might be a good one for you. This project is courtesy of Natural Home Magazine. This is a simple way to turn a humble vessel into an eye-catching centerpiece of eco-décor. It’s the perfect project to create right after the trees and bushes have had their yearly pruning. Cutting wood into slices lets its beauty and character show. A few thumb-thick branches can yield enough slices to cover a surprising amount of square footage. They could make great gifts for after the wedding, but make sure to keep a few for your newlywed nest!

Materials needed:
Several small branches from trees or bushes, ranging from ½ to 1½ inches in diameter
Recycled tin cans *( I think that the tin cans work pretty nicely for this project, but you could also use terra cotta pots or old vases)
Low-VOC, nontoxic glue such as RooWood Glue
Coarse sandpaper
Lopping shears or long-handled pruners

How To:
1. Using shears, cut branches into slices about ½-inch thick. You will need slices in a variety of diameters to cover the surface completely.
2. Start at the bottom of the pot or can and work your way up. Dab glue on both the wood slice and the pot’s surface to ensure a good bond.
3. Always dry-fit each piece in place first to ensure that it will fit nicely with the other pieces. Fit tiny slices into small, awkward spaces.

Cost: If you use recycled materials only, FREE! Minimal costs for the sandpaper, shears and glue if you don't already have these lying around.

DIY: Candle and Flower Arrangement

Today's DIY is a super cute centerpiece project for a bride who is looking into non-floral centerpieces or wants an inexpensive candle/flower arrangement that makes a statement without costing a fortune. Annie Selke, the owner of Pine Cone Hill home furnishings created a modern candle-and-flower arrangement that's perfect for a warm-weather wedding. Her idea: Place your goblets upside down on a table, tuck large blooms underneath and top with colorful votives. It may only take a few seconds to pull together, but the elegant impact will last all night.
Photo by Edward Ho via Rachael Ray

Here's how to go about finding all the elements:
Goblets and Wine Glasses: The mix and match glasses used for this centerpiece are what makes it so great since the different heights and shapes add interest. For the glasses, you could pull from the glass collections your parents, his parents and your own personal collection. You could also check out places like Save-On-Crafts or the home sections of your local Tuesday Morning, T.J. Max or Ross for good deals on sets of glassware that you can mix and match with other pieces.

Candles: Unscented different colored votives are the best for this type of centerpiece, and can be either lit or unlit and still look pretty! For a day time outdoor event where you might encounter winds, stick to unlit. If you plan on lighting the candles, make sure the burn time will be a few hours longer than you need them for. Find unscented bulk votives at places like Candles4Less.com or Keystone Candle Company, who has a great selection of unscented colored votives with a 10 hour burn time, plus a flat shipping rate of $7 on orders under $100.

Flowers: If you are using a florist for your personal and attendant's flowers, see if they can order you some blooms for your centerpieces. If you are doing your own, order some extra flowers. Some good places for ordering bulk flowers are FiftyFlowers .com (I love their selections of peonies and garden roses), Grower's Box and Costco. Google "bulk wholesale flowers" for even more options.

Real Wedding: Maria and Robbie

This charming wedding took place on June 13, 2009 at The Granary in New Harmony, Indiana. I love the vintage style on the bride and groom, the bowties on the guys, the pastel bridesmaids and the most perfect pastel cupcakes. The whole adorable event was shot by Megan W of Megan W Photography.


























Are these not the cutest pastel cupcakes ever?