Flowers Centerpieces

Get more out of your flowers with this simple gadget.

If you can't even keep an air plant alive, this post is for you!

You won't believe it's made entirely from LEGOs.

Ina Garten is always asking us one question: How easy is that? And this recipe couldn't be easier.

We’re not going to say that we’re anti-roses; after all, these iconic perennials may be the most classic expression of romance (especially on Valentine’s Day). In fact, it’s estimated that growers will produce 250 million roses just for this lovers’ holiday! And while a dozen long-stems are never a bad idea, there are more thoughtful, not to mention more affordable, alternatives.

Actually, you can probably assemble this in even less time.

You cannot mess this up.

Unless your evening commute involves a detour through the Flower District, the easiest way to get a bouquet on your table by dinnertime is to hit the grocery store. Most places offer a decent selection of roses (and maybe tulips if they’re in season), but you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck from mixed bouquets, which run $5 to $10. The question is: How to transform your budget flowers into a brag-worthy bouquet?

I’ll be the first to admit that keeping plants alive is not my strong suit. After years of denial—and time, money, and effort wasted—I now stick to a strict succulent-only rule when bringing plants home. For a twist on regular potted succulents, I decided to plant some in eggshells. It was a fun way to combine my love of food and cooking with my (relatively) newfound success caring for succulents.

It’s easy to look through Pinterest and label yourself as uninspired, not crafty, or a total failure (no, just me?). Let’s take gorgeous dining table settings as an example. How many times have you seen some crafty, chic thing that some blogger created for their Thanksgiving table? How many times have you seen a beautiful place setting that you know must have cost your entire paycheck and then some? Well, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t need to be like that.

Understatement of the season: Chip and Joanna Gaines have earned an enormous following for their gorgeous home renovations on HGTV’s Fixer Upper. The couple and their adorable family have turned their signature taste into a lifestyle, with a magazine, Target line, and uber-popular Instagram feed to match. Naturally when they entertain, you get the same kind of wow factor from their table as you do from one of their kitchen renovations.

There's Martha's level of precision and crafting skills, and then there's the rest of us. Fortunately, not all of her ideas are that hard!

I’m not a huge fan of traditional vases. They take up space under your counter and are tricky to wash. So I love these! We’ve shown you gourd and squash vases before, but these vases are made from all kinds of vegetables!Brit over at the aptly named Brit + Co blog has whipped up a smashing centerpiece that can not only be purchased on the cheap. The ends of vegetables are sliced off to create a flat surface in which to rest and then cored out to create a vase or candlestick holder.

A vase of flowers is such a lovely thing — in the kitchen, on the dining room table. Maybe you cut your own flowers every week, or maybe you only see them on special occasions (like today!).

One of my favorite fall parties I ever threw was this pumpkin-carving party, co-hosted with my friend Lydia, an autumnal afternoon of carving pumpkins, sipping cider and sitting down for a romantic outdoor dinner at dusk. Today I’m going to give you a full look at how we transformed the blank slate of Lydia’s backyard into party central, with a casual pumpkin-carving zone and a cozy buffet and dining area.

Have you ever made surprise eggs? Do you know what they are? I love them so much, I made them two Easters in a row! Take a look at what happens when you crack a surprise egg… See? Candy inside! How did it get in there? (And yes, I know these eggs look different; the photo at the top was from my 2011 Easter dinner, and the one just above is from 2010. I like this project so much I did it two years in a row!

If you’ve ever looked on Pinterest for table decorating ideas, you’ve probably left with your head spinning and your wallet hurting. It can be overwhelming — so many of the ideas are either time-consuming or expensive. That hand-stamped tablecloth and gorgeous floral centerpiece? Totally doable … if you’re Martha. Most of us aren’t looking for an elaborate table setup; we just want something pretty, easy, and cheap to dress up a weeknight dinner.

One glance at the ethereal weddings and home-thrown showers on Pinterest shows that baby’s breath is alive and well … and not in the way you remember. Creative minds are putting the former filler-flower center stage — a spot commonly reserved for roses, peonies, and the like. The resulting centerpieces and other arrangements are effortless, chic, and minimal; in other words, everything that’s hot right now.

Well, it’s not peony season at Trader Joe’s just yet. And ranunculus and anemone aren’t particularly cheap or plentiful either, so what’s a girl supposed to do for a dinner party centerpiece? You could go the route of supermarket carnations or roses, but if you’re looking to try something a little different and springy, why not give plants a go? Greenery is the Pantone Color of the Year Follow these bloggers’ leads for your next gathering.

After years of attending Thanksgiving dinners in other people’s homes, it’s finally your turn, and you are pumped. You can’t wait to return some of the hospitality you’ve experienced over the years, and your Thanksgiving dinner will be the best one ever because you are pretty darn good at this. Or maybe you’re more of a reluctant host. You got “volun-told” you were hosting because no one else in your family wanted to do it.

You know how wedding planning goes: Mention the W-word and prices seem to automatically skyrocket. This especially holds true when it comes to flowers for the tables, bouquets, and boutonnieres. Wedding blooms are so darn expensive! They’re much cheaper, though, at warehouse stores. Yes, warehouse stores! Did you know that you can get fully arranged pieces mailed to you from Costco and Sam’s Club?

Supermarket bouquets are notorious for being a hodgepodge of flowers that don’t necessarily look great together. But even if you’re not a pro, it’s actually super easy to turn one inexpensive bunch into a series of beautiful arrangements. So skip the extra trip to the florist shop, and instead grab some cheap blooms while you do the rest of your grocery shopping.

Whether it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving or your 40th, you probably want your table to look good, right? After all, it’s one of the few occasions out of the year when family and friends are obligated to physically sit down to eat a meal together. If that means you’re marking the occasion by breaking out the fine china and cloth napkins and whipping up a snazzy centerpiece, then so be it!

Easter is one of those holidays that can send you down the literal rabbit hole on Pinterest — especially if you’re hosting the holiday at your house. Should you turn eggs into little bunnies to use as place card holders? How can you fold those napkins into bunny ears? Would it be impossible to make that cake that looks like a little bunny butt? As nice as they are, all of these Easter moments take time, craft skills, and money. If you’re short on any of that (we are!

The beauty of Friendsgiving is that it’s Thanksgiving’s cooler, more casual cousin. No family fights about politics, no cranky aunt inspecting your glasses for water spots, oh, and it’s totally fine to make it a potluck or a buffet instead of a more formal sit-down occasion. Plus, you get to invite whoever you want! It’s fun, it’s laid-back, and it’s full of delicious food. So what’s not to love? This casual-ness extends to your decor and setup, too.

It’s been no secret lately how much we love pegboards. We love them in a drawer to organize dishes; we really love them on a wall to hold, well, anything; and now, we love them on the table! Just look at this wedding table centerpiece from Fabulously Designed, a luxury flower and events company based in Las Vegas and Southern California. The idea is actually super simple (and affordable) to pull off: Have someone at your local hardware store cut a pegboard down to the length of your table.

Pinecones are one of the best fall decorations, and we’ve seen them every which way: painted, flocked, doused in glitter, rolled in peanut butter — you name it! Now, we’re seeing them bleached. That’s right … bleached! Think of this pale, Scandinavian-inspired look as the sleek, modern take on this traditional autumn decor classic. And we’re kind of loving it. There are at least three great things about this project. First, pinecones are free.

If you’re like me, you’re going to need most of your holiday prep time in the kitchen. No time to fuss over complicated centerpieces for the table! But there are lots of ways to make the holiday table beautiful without sinking all of your time into it. Here are a few simple ideas. Make mason jar luminaries like these from Cattales on Etsy. Find a pretty glass container and fill it with bulb ornaments. Cut a pine branch and put it in water. Voila!

Hush. Do you hear that? It’s the sound of all other holiday tables bowing down to the glory that is this Thanksgiving table from Apartment 34. In case it’s not obvious, here are three things we love about this table (and totally plan on stealing for ourselves at some point this holiday season). This is mix-and-match at its finest! If you look closely, you’ll notice that every place setting is a little different.

Do you remember these rosemary wreath place cards? Now the ladies of Spoon Fork Bacon have tweaked that idea once again, and this time it’s even easier! To make these place cards, you only need cards, a hole punch, and about five-to-six-inch long sprigs of rosemary. I love how simple and pretty this is, particularly with the way they’ve styled it above, tucked into a folded napkin. This is definitely motivation for me to get another rosemary plant.