by Cindy Viesselman

Created on: November 29, 2008

The holiday season inspires us to decorate in a big way. In addition to an impressive outdoor light display and a beautifully trimmed Christmas tree, you will want to place a festive centerpiece on your dining or buffet table before your guests arrive.

A traditional centerpiece features fresh flowers and greens and often a hefty price tag to go along with it. At this most wonderful (but expensive) time of year, most of us would appreciate a holiday centerpiece which can be put together from pieces we already own and will last through the season.

Here are some ideas for centerpieces you can construct from items in your kitchen cupboards and your Christmas decorations:

Let your punch bowl take center stage. Fill it with eggnog or a pretty red-colored punch and surround the punch bowl with real or artificial greens or even a small wreath laid on the table. For more height in your centerpiece, place your punch bowl on a pedestal cake plate. You can surround the punchbowl with small ornaments on the top of the cake plate and place greens around the base of the cake plate.

If you're not serving punch, fill the punch bowl with water, add some red or green food coloring and place floating candles on top.

A large hurricane lantern can also be used in your holiday centerpiece. The lantern can be filled with a large pillar candle, pinecones, tree ornaments or even a string of lights. Surround the lantern with greens and more ornaments or pinecones.

A trifle bowl or compote may be the basis of the centerpiece, as well, by adding candles or other items of choice to these containers.

Venture out to your backyard to find branches and spray paint them white. Place clear marbles in a tall clear vase for stability and put the branches in the vase. Hang sparkly snowflake ornaments from the branches.

For a low but dramatic centerpiece, place a real or artificial evergreen garland down the center of the table. Nestle tree ornaments, votive candles and strings of beads among the branches of your garland.

Use two of your pretty Christmas plates as the basis of your centerpiece. Place them on easels, back to back and surround with taper candles and greens.

Any of your Christmas figurines would make a unique centerpiece. Place several Santa, snowmen or angel figures on your pedestal cake plate and surround with cotton balls or fake snow for an elevated presentation.

The number of beautiful centerpieces you can create from items around your home is limited only by your imagination.

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