CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Using Cabbage as a Centerpiece

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:48 -0700

Glass vases are chic and timeless, but sometimes you need to stir things up a bit. And when you've used every old coffee pot and vessel you can think of, look to your kitchen or garden. Real Simple looked at a head of cabbage with an inventive eye, and decided to use it as a centerpiece. After cutting an opening into the top of each cabbage, they fit a piece of saturated floral foam inside, turning the produce into a vase! I love how they chose purple flowers to match the hue of the cabbage; it really makes a statement. For full instructions, go here.

Do You Decorate With Gourds?

CasaSugar — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:30:52 -0700

I love the funky shapes, colors, and textures of Fall gourds. Clustered in a bowl, or stacked in a tall vase, they make a great centerpiece in lieu of flowers. Do you regularly buy them for Fall decorating?

Source: Flickr User modomatic

Casa Quickie: Use Ornaments For a Chic Centerpiece

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:30:01 -0800

Su Casa member Aimeesbell suggests this trick for creating an on-the-fly centerpiece for parties during the holiday season and beyond. She says, "I had extra bronze ornaments from the tree and placed them in this oversized brandy glass to make an easy and chic centerpiece!" Since the ornaments are a neutral color, you can easily use this centerpiece well into the New Year.

Will There Be a Centerpiece on Your Thanksgiving Table?

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:00:11 -0800

As much as I love a festive centerpiece, at my house, the Thanksgiving table is usually overflowing with dishes and a sizable turkey of course, leaving little room for decoration. So, tall taper candlesticks are a good ole standby with minimal footprint, which I like to liven up with cranberry garlands. How about you?
Source

Would You Use Succulents as a Centerpiece?

CasaSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:15:49 -0700

One of the most beautiful weddings I've ever attended used succulents as centerpieces at the reception. The unusual plants were nestled in small colored glass votives that were laden with pretty, tiny pebbles. Would you use succulents as centerpieces at a wedding or a party? Source

Casa Quickie: Easy Autumn Display

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

To get the look of Fall on your coffee table, dining room table, or fireplace mantel, try this tip from Real Simple. Simply clip some pretty turning leaves from trees in your yard. The leaves should have a bit of stiffness to them, so they can stand up on their own. Next find a pretty container, such as a galvanized-steel ice bucket (as shown here), or a ceramic bowl or urn, and arrange the leaves as you would a floral bouquet. Easy peasy! Source

Cool Idea: String Theories

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:30:15 -0700

I'm always keeping an eye out for unexpected centerpieces for your next party. This pretty alternative to flowers, which was created by New York event designer David Stark, was fashioned by first shaping wire into floral shapes. Then, biodegradable sisal twine was carefully wound around the wire forms. The unexpected effect is equal parts modern art and kindergarten craft project - definitely an effect I love. I think this would look great on tables at an Autumn wedding, and it looks so easy to make that if you were going to be DIYing your wedding, you could involve a number of friends and relatives in the process of making these.
If you're interested in seeing more of Stark's ideas for centerpieces, check out the slideshow at The New York Times.

Marilyn K. Yee for The New York Times

How-To: Turn Pumpkins Into Candleholders

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:36 -0800

Your jack-o'-lantern may be rotting on your back porch like mine (oops!), but that's no reason to shun pumpkins altogether. You can make seasonal candle holders that would be perfect for a Thanksgiving table from some inexpensive, mini pumpkins from your grocery store or local farmers market. I noticed this little trick within a DIY for making a mini pumpkin centerpiece on Martha Stewart, but I'm not so keen on the entire centerpiece idea. So, to make just the candle holders, you'll need a utility knife, a melon baller, tapered candles, and mini pumpkins. To learn the steps, read more.

Here's how to do it, according to Martha:

First, cut a round hole in the pumpkin's center with a utility knife, enough to hold a candle but not all the way through. You may want to trace the circumference of your taper onto the pumpkin first to make sure your hole isn't too wide.
Then, make space for your tapers by carving the inside out with a melon baller.
Then, slip your taper in.
You can also stack your pumpkin candle holders for a different look. If you do this, you'll want to use two pumpkins about the same size. Carve the top pumpkin all the way through, but leave a base on the bottom one.
Fini! So easy.

Source

How-To: Create Festive Fall Votives

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:30:22 -0800

Want to add some pretty autumnal style to your Fall Thanksgiving table? Then try this great, simple trick from Better Homes and Gardens for transforming a holiday Autumn table. For a beautiful twist on boring old votives, collect colorful leaves from your backyard or nearby park. Then, tie the leaves to the votive with ribbon, twine, or yarn. Voila! You have a no-cost centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Just be careful not to get any of the leaves close to the flame. While I do love the fiery reds of Autumn leaves, I don't actually think that I want them on fire.

For another votive idea, read more.

If you have some extra time, you can also decoupage leaves onto the votive's exterior. This will give the votive a frosted effect, and will illuminate the leaves.

Source

DIY: Pumpkin Centerpieces

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 05:05:21 -0700

I love floral arrangements that add some autumnal variety to the mix, like this beautiful pumpkin centerpiece. One of YumSugar's pals has directions on how to create this gorgeous pumpkin centerpiece. After you make this arrangement, pop over to Meeta's site What's For Lunch, Honey? and check out the beautiful food photographs she's taken.

Here's what you need:

Colored leaves, chestnuts, acorns, berries, twigs, flowers-basically anything a long walk in the woods will give you.
A rose - the color of the rose should match the fall colors of the bouquet
Floral foam
Wired wood picks
Greening pins
Floral glue
small plate or tea saucer
Knife
Scissors

To find out how to make this pumpkin centerpiece, just read more

Here's how you do it:

Cut the top of the pumpkin and remove the flesh and seeds. Since mini pumpkins are not edible, throw the flesh and seeds away (or better yet, stick them in your compost).
Cut a small piece of the floral foam so that it fits snugly into the pumpkin.
Using the wood picks, greening pins, and glue, arrange your flowers, leaves, nuts, and berries into the foam to create a nice, full arrangement.
On the plate or tea saucer, secure a few colored leaves using the floral glue. Make sure the leaves cover the plate nicely.
Place the pumpkin bouquet in the middle of the plate.
Finally, glue a few nuts onto the leaves and fill any gaps with green moss or leaves.

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