The Centerpiece Rules to Live By

The Centerpiece Rules to Live By

Halloween, Thanksgiving, fall break, Friendsgiving, fall festivals, and everything in between....

Autumn is one of the seasons that can be overwhelming with the obligation to host the guests who you are....well....obligated to host. You know exactly what I mean. The bossy friend, the nosy family member, the high maintenance sister-in-law. We've all been there and it can make cleaning and cooking a nightmare. 

One of the goals of The RSVP project is to make hosting an accessible option for you and your family. In our opinion, the best moment to spoil your guests is in between total chaos. 

Be the home where you friends and family can sit, relax, and take a breather. Be the excuse so people cancel their plans for a comfortable dinner at your home! 

This is the perfect time of the year to host your favorite people before the holidays overwhelm everyone's schedule. Spoil your loved ones and do it in a way that is economical and well planned. The  challenge with hosting on a budget (and in the middle of seasonal chaos), is being able to add some personality and flare to your home. This is where we come in!

When it comes to creating an intimate dinner party, we want to ensure the focal point  grabs everyone's attention - the table of FOOD.   In our opinion, table decoration can quickly get out of control and actually become hazardous - I'm serious!  There are some foundational rules that everyone should consider when creating a centerpiece. Just to prove that it can be easy, cost effective and beautiful - I've created my own tablescape below. Now there can't be any more excuses for a dull dining room. 

THE Centerpiece Rules

1. Do not place anything that will have to be removed from the table when the food arrives. 

I know I've experienced the moment when the food comes and there are several people rush to re-arrange plates, flowers, candles and glasses. Do not contribute to the panic! Focus on the center of the table and allow the food to be the focal point!

2. Fire and water hazards are not necessary.

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 5 times when the dinner table has almost gone up on flames. OR someone has knocked over the large vase of water thus destroying the table and everyone's food. Its important to not place these "roadblocks" in the way of food traffic. They can be present - just very modest.

3. Add a bright color, a neutral color and a texture.

The pop of color should be 1 item: a bowl, tablecloth, runner, or flower. It should be place in the center of the table.
Neutral items fill in the area around the pop of color. This includes smaller flowers, tiny pumpkins, pine cones, etc.
The texture is something that can add depth and should be added at the end to fill any any additional space: greenery, a textured cloth, sprinkled confetti, etc.

4. Make the dinner setting approachable.

There are only a few excuses to have more than 3-4 pieces of silverware and having a intimate dinner party is not one of them. Give the guests everything they need to eat and call it a day. Simple, to the point, and it does not overwhelm anyone - especially those in charge of washing every piece of silverware. 

5. Use what you have

Some decorating essentials can be purchased but, I encourage you to actually use some common items throughout your home. This will save you money and impress your guests. Some items I've used are old books, stacked cutting boards, or the true star of the show - wine bottles. Its effortless and budget friend. 

Putting THE Rules Into Action

Recently, I've been adding some new colors to my schemes and I wanted to share a new creation! As always, I followed the rules I've listed and the centerpiece turned out bright, seasonal, and GORGEOUS. 

First, I added my new seasonal runner. This is acting as my pop of color and placed directly in the center of the table.

• I purchased this runner for $7.00 at Ross. Yes....only $7!

Next, I added my neutral colors which are the tan and orange pumpkins. To make the centerpiece less symmetrical, I pulled some additional artificial accent pumpkins from a basket in my living room.

• Each medium pumpkin was found at the Dollar Tree for $1/each
• The bag of small accent pumpkins was about $2.00 from Walmart.

I added texture by sprinkling some free acorns I scored on my walk with the dogs. I also incorporated a few sprigs golden leaves from Michael's floral department.

• The golden leaves were purchased years ago. Based on my memory they cost about $5 for the bunch. This is about 1/2 of them.

I added my dishes...

• The blue dinner plates are from Crate and Barrel
• The blue napkins are also from Crate and Barrel
• The pumpkin and leaf appetizer/salad plates are from Target and only $3 for 2 of them!

The final product....

There you have it - proof it can be done and it can be easy. If I can do it - you can do it :)