5 Minute Table Centerpiece

Have guests coming over and the house is still not ready? Maybe you’ve been cooking all day or cleaning and just haven’t gotten to those last minute decor details? Well, not to worry! I’ll show you how to pull together a no-fuss centerpiece lickety split.

I love decorating with greenery. It adds color, texture and natural beauty to any space.

You don’t need elaborate centerpieces to make a striking decor statement. Nature alone can bring in that wow factor to your table setting. Now, let’s get started with creating our centerpiece!

Step 1. Gather some clippings

I took some clippings from our Queen’s Wreath plant. The bright green foliage would make a vibrant color burst and the shapely long stems would be perfect for my tall vases.

Florals, ferns, even grassy plants growing around the house can be great options to display too.

Think of how the plant color will fit in with your decor. And consider the proportion of plant size to receptacle. Try to avoid tiny stems in a large vase.

Step 2. Prepare your vessel

I wanted the plants to be the focal point of my centerpiece. Using large glass vases helps keep the focus on the greenery. I wash my vases and dry off any water marks.

I liked the elegant shape of these thrift store vases which I scored for $6 each. Although the aesthetic of this centerpiece is going to be simple and clean, the large necks of the vases and the detail on the mouth rims add character and style.

When decorating it is often the small details that pull everything together.

Step 3. Trim your stems

I trimmed the bottom leaves of a few stems. You want to avoid crowding your leaves in the water of a see-through vase. Keeping the aesthetic clean makes for a pretty display.

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Step 4. Fill your vase

I added three to four stems of my greenery to the vases. Keeping my arrangement simple works to maximize design impact.

Other times I stuff my vases for a full effect but for the purpose of this look, less is more.

Step 5. A simple table display

For this gathering our food table was outdoors and our dessert table would be indoors. So my centerpiece was the perfect accessory for sweet simplicity.

First I laid a pretty table runner with farmhouse appeal.

I used a woven rectangular tray to create another layer. When styling it is all about creating layers in the right doses.

The tray also adds to the centerpiece effect—helping to anchor the display.

And now bring in your vase or vases.

Keep your table setting simple or dress it up with dinnerware and pretty things. I suggest keeping in tune with the look of your centerpiece.

The texture-rich natural elements of the centerpiece, tray and runner play off a rustic, laid back vibe. I would use ceramics or even vintage tableware for my table setting, but I would likely avoid sleek, modern pieces with metallic surfaces for example.