Simple centrepieces: 6 easy-to-put-together arrangements

Whatever the occasion, there’s an easy-to-put-together arrangement. Sarah Lazarovic for The National

Dinner-party guests will be impressed with these easy-to-put-together arrangements.

Beautifully British

Best for: A get together with the girls

What you’ll need:

• A selection of delicate, mismatched crockery

• Old-fashioned flowers such as ­peonies, roses and tulips

• A pack of large paper doilies

• A handful of old books

• Strings of fake pearls

What to do:

Start by laying out the doilies roughly in a line along the centre of your table (don’t make it too regimented — this should be a relaxed, casual display). Next, arrange your crockery — cups and saucers, sugar bowl, milk jug, even a teapot — along the doily runner. Use small piles of books to create height under some of the crockery elements. Now fill the crockery with water and arrange your flowers. Lastly, drape strings of fake pearls around and over the centrepiece to add a hint of luxury and tie it all together.

Cost rating: 4/5

Difficulty rating: 2/5

Vintage glamour

Best for: An elegant black-tie event

What you’ll need:

• One or more vintage-style mirrored trays

• Selection of free-standing candles of different sizes

• Clear candle saucers/bases

• Small glass vases or vintage jars/­bottles

• Small white flowers such as rose buds, dwarf carnations or lisianthus

• Lengths of ivy

• Victorian-style birdcage or glass cloche (optional)

What to do:

This display can be as large or as small as you like, depending on how many trays you use. Arrange the candles in a grouping in the centre of the tray(s), along with the vases or jars of flowers, then drape lengths of ivy to bring all the different elements together with the rest of the table. When they’re lit, the flickering candle flames will reflect up from the mirrored surface, creating a beautifully warm yet elegant atmosphere. Remember to use clear candle saucers to stop the wax running onto the surface of the tray. For added drama on a larger table, you could arrange some of your candles and flowers inside a Victorian-style birdcage or display the flowers under a glass cloche.

Cost rating: 5/5

Difficulty rating: 2/5

Oriental Zen

Best for: A trendy dinner with friends

What you’ll need:

• A length of raw silk fabric (about 30 centimetres to 50cm wide and as long as your table)

• Colourful squares of origami paper

• Instructions for making origami peace cranes and lotus flowers (look for instructions for the origami crane and origami lotus on www.origami-fun.com)

• 3, 5 or 7 medium-sized white or clear glass vases

• Decorative branches

• White cotton thread

What to do:

Start by making as many origami peace cranes and lotus flowers as you want to use. If in doubt, make more than you think you’ll need. Next, spread your length of fabric along the table, and arrange your vases along it. You’ll need at least three, or more if you prefer, but make sure you use an uneven number as this is naturally more pleasing to the eye. Next, arrange your branches in the vases, then use the cotton thread to hang some of the peace cranes from them. Arrange the rest of the peace cranes and lotus flowers along the fabric runner, around the vases.

Cost rating: 2/5

Difficulty rating: 3/5

Message in a bottle

Best for: A romantic night in

What you’ll need:

• A wooden tray

• Some sand

• A few seashells, pebbles, etc

• Tealights

• A large empty glass bottle

• A photograph of you and your loved one

• Pen and paper

• A length of ribbon

What to do:

If the bottle has labels on it, soak these off. Use the pen and paper to write a love note to your date, then roll it up and secure it with the ribbon. Pop it into the bottle along with the photograph, leaving the end of the ribbon hanging out of the neck of the bottle so you can retrieve the note later. Fill the tray with sand and stand or lay the bottle on it, then arrange the shells, pebbles and tealights around it. You could also put a bit of sand and a few shells in the bottle.

Cost rating: 1/5

Difficulty rating: 1/5

Sweet surprise

Best for: A family birthday celebration

What you’ll need:

• Five medium to large glass vases

• Three glass vases that will fit within the bigger ones, leaving a gap of at least one inch

• A bunch of colourful gerbera flowers

• Green moss (real or fake)

• A selection of lollies, sweets canes, cake pops, etc

• A selection of wrapped sweets and chocolates

What to do:

Place the moss inside two of the larger vases, then arrange the lollies, sweets canes, cake pops etc in them as if they were flowers. Fill the three smaller ­vases with water and place them inside the ­remaining three larger ones. Fill the gaps between the smaller and larger ­vases with wrapped sweets and chocolates, then arrange the gerberas in the water. Place the vases in a line, alternating between the different types (flowers — moss — flowers — moss — flowers). Your guests will love helping themselves to treats from your display throughout the meal.

Cost rating: 2/5

Difficulty rating: 2/5

Up, up and away

Best for: A farewell party

What you’ll need:

• A helium-filled balloon

• Gold or silver netting fabric

• Thick gold or silver thread

• Length of ribbon

• A small wicker basket (around 20cm diameter)

• A vase that fits within the basket

• A selection of your favourite flowers

What to do:

Fill the vase with water and place it within the wicker basket. Drape the netting fabric over the balloon, gathering it together and securing at the base, where the knot is, with the ribbon. Attach lengths of thread (roughly 30cm) to the netting around the balloon, about three quarters of the way down. Secure the other end of each piece to the inside edges of the wicker basket, to create a hot-air balloon shape. Carefully arrange the flowers in the vase inside the basket, allowing them to spill over the sides so that you can’t see the vase or where the metallic thread is attached to the basket.

Cost rating: 3/5

Difficulty rating: 3/5

Shortcut

Quirky alternatives to vases

In a hurry? No problem. Simply arrange a bouquet of flowers in an unusual “vase”, and you’ll create a talking point in no time. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Watering can

• Fish bowl

• Hollowed-out pineapple

• Wellington boot

• Teapot