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Creative and Simple Dinner Party Ideas
Creating a centerpiece adds a sense of celebration to your dinner table, elevating the meal from a regular dinner to a dinner party. Luckily, creating a fun, customized centerpiece does not require a lot of work or expensive supplies. In fact, creative, beautiful dinner party centerpieces may be created from items you already have around your home. The key is to arrange items already included in your decor, or found in your kitchen pantry in a new and unique way that will make your guests feel like you spent hours shopping for the perfect centerpiece.
When creating your own dinner party centerpiece, be sure to think seasonally. Switching out your centerpieces according to the season or holiday leaves the table always feeling fresh and beautiful. Creating functional centerpieces, ones that serve a purpose during the meal is also an excellent way to keep guests engaged during the meal, as well as allowing you to avoid tossing out a creative piece at the end of the meal.
Winter Centerpiece Ideas
Often, we think about adorning our tables with a collection of red and green items, creating a holiday atmosphere as soon as the winter approaches. While Christmas centerpieces are bountiful throughout December, you may be left wondering what to do while the weather stays cold throughout January and February. Try spicing up your holiday decor by including some simple, DIY centerpieces that can be throughout the winter. At the craft store, purchase a series of Styrofoam cones in various sizes. Open a fresh container of dried bay leaves and hot glue the leaves on to the cones to create festive, evergreen trees.
Arrange the trees on a reflective tray or mirror in the center of the table. For a rustic, winter table runner, cut a piece of burlap about 14 inches wide. Use a white, shimmer fabric paint and rubber stamps to stamp snowflake designs along the runner before laying it on the table. Create a winter wonderland by filling clear or translucent glass candle holders with fine, white sugar. Fill the candles holder 1/3 to 1/2 full. Add in pine cones, cranberries, or top your snowy holders with battery-operated tealight candles for a twinkle.
Spring Centerpiece Ideas
Nature and the backyard garden create plenty of opportunity for a beautiful, functional springtime centerpiece. Collect your favorite low vases and arrange them along the center of the table. Spread the vases apart evenly along the table to mimic the effect of a table runner. Fill the vases with water and your favorite blooms cut fresh from the garden (or purchased at the grocery store, we will not tell!). For an elegant meal, place long taper candles in silver candle holders amongst the flower-filled vases. For a spring tea, create a functional centerpiece by arranging your favorite serving tray in the middle of the table. Set the tray with your favorite tea set. Fill a tiered dessert stand with colored plates and set finger sandwiches on the plates. Adapt this look for a dinner party by using the tea set to serve after dinner coffee. Arrange rolls or desserts on the tiered stand.
Summer Centerpiece Ideas
When the summer temperatures heat up, it becomes the perfect time to incorporate bright, bold colors in your dinner party centerpieces. At the craft store, purchase foam balls in a variety of sizes. From the party supply store, purchase paper, cocktail umbrellas and several round, paper lanterns. Carefully push the cocktail umbrellas into the foam ball, creating a colorful, textured orb. If necessary, secure the pieces with a dab of hot glue.
Set several wicker baskets or clear bowls on the table. Fill the baskets and bowls with your lanterns and umbrella orbs for bold dinner party centerpiece. For a more functional piece, take a clear, glass pitcher and fill it with water. Slice cucumbers into the water. Set the pitcher on a tray in the center of the table with colorful glasses. Keep an ice bucket on hand and allow your guests to serve themselves. Another alternative is to slice lemons, limes and oranges into the water pitcher.
Autumn Centerpiece Ideas
The colors of autumn provide you with an excellent color palate when decorating for a dinner party. Begin by using some items iconic to the season, such as tiny pumpkins or gourds. At the produce market, collect a variety of pumpkins, gourds and squash. Arrange the items down the center of the table to create a seasonal, sculptural centerpiece. Fill tall vases or clear, candle holders with acorns, autumn leaves, pinecones or other nuts.
Add a collection of various sized vases to the center of the table. Purchase several pumpkins and try to select ones that are about the same size. Ensure the pumpkins will fit easily along the center of the table, without making guests feel too crowded. Using paint markers, use the pumpkins to spell out a simple message to your guests. The pumpkin message could include pleasantries such as "Welcome" or "Enjoy." Be sure to write or paint on both sides of the pumpkin so guests get the message from either side of the table.
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