Easy Christmas table centrepiece to make?

[Dumbledoresgirl]

Any ideas? I have a large table, no tablecloth, place mats and runners but my table always looks so bare and boring.

In truth, I have only done Christmas on this table twice. The first time, I had 2 candles in thin glass candlesticks and a vase of flowers but the flowers had to be moved as no-one could see over them! The second time (last year) we didn't have any guests so I am not sure I bothered with anything and our table looked so bare and miserable! I can't make that mistake again.

Sooooo.........I'm looking for simple craft ideas for a low centrepiece. I have pine cones collected so it would be good to use those but not compulsory.

Please don't tell me to look at Pinterest as I need more than a visual idea. I need to be told how to make it or, if that is obvious, where to get the component parts.

Anyone? TIA.

This is stolen from my wedding but what about really nice baubles in a fishbowl vase? Or any other type of vase? Or use your pine cones and get some berries to put inside vase?

Frosted fruits make a good Christmas centrepiece, especially with a bit of added poncery added.

Get lots of apples, grapes, figs etc and brush with egg whites then dip in caster sugar. Leave them to dry and pop into a pretty bowl.

We also add a bit of ivy trailing around the edge and a few sugar mice peeking out from the fruit. It's quite Miss Haversham

Ours looked very much like this except with greenery hanging down and the aforementioned mice.

These are both from Pinterest, but they are massively easy to put together. I got a cake stand from Tesco for a tenner and will use holly and berries from our tree instead of the red berries here. For the candle holders I'm using old Branston Pickle jars as they are slightly tapered and look pretty once tied with a bit of raffia and the candles placed inside.
I think the cake stand will go on the table and the jars will go on the side board.

Jam jars with twine or ribbon round the top, filled with water and submerged holly with cranberries floating on top. That sounds crap! But I did it last year and it did look lovely. I'll try to fine pic.

Like I say, I used jam jars instead with twine round the top and no candle.

I also did jars with candle and a little bit of greenery between the glass and the candle.

I like the look of those jars frozenyoghurt. This may be a stupid question but what is the white stuff that the candles are sitting on?

I've done (in the past)
large glass bowl with those glass nuggets and gold or silver confetti stars , then small floating candles. (They don't last long though, burntime)

My DC are teens but if there are young DC then candles probably not the best idea unless you get the flameless ones (The Range have some that have the 'flickering flame' effect)

I have a gorgeous 5 arm silver candleabra but my theme will be gold/cream so I'm going to use a tall hurricane vase (Ikea) with the glass chips (I have black/green) and a ring of ivy round a tall candle.

I bought a giant champagne glass (height of tat) that I'm going to fill with gold wrapped sweets (Werthers,Ferrerro,gold coins,Lindt ,M&S chocolates)

OSET - it looks like coarse sea salt?

If I remember to do this (makes a note on the calender)

Not a table decoration for inside (too messy)

Ice bowl- two large freezer proof bowls , I have a few of those big basins. Put a couple of inches of boiled cooled water* in the big one and freeze.
Put the smaller one inside, add berries (holly, cranberries) holly leaves,
Fasten both together with tape, fill the space with the cool boiled water and freeze solid.

I'm going to fill with a chunky candle in a jar and put it on the patio table to give a nice outdoor ,practically free, decoration.

*boiled water gives clear ice.

Do you have any hydrangeas in the garden? The flowers dry on the plant, just before Christmas you can cut them and spray them silver, gold or with snow spray then put them in glasses or with tinsel or foliage

Thanks for the ideas. You lot are so arty!

Just as a note: no young children so candles are fine.

Yes, I have one small hydrangea bush - will have to go and see if there are any suitable flowerheads tomorrow.

I'm still not convinced I can do any of these ideas though. I think I need to have a go though, and see if anything will look any good.

Any more ideas, do please keep them coming.

OSET as 70 suggested too I think it must be coarse salt or something (the pic's from Pinterest). That's what I'll be using.
Whatever you do, don't use flour, it's combustible!!

Thanks I think I'll give it a go. We've just moved to a bigger house and believe it or not, this is the first time we'll have a proper, big dining table! So I'm going to go all out this year!