Happy Easter - The Centerpiece

It is no surprise to my family that the centerpiece arrangement was the last thing I fussed over just before we sat down to eat. Positioning...re-positioning...taking out... putting in...a snip here and a tuck-in there. Creating a centerpiece, for me anyway, is what brings the table decor together - using elements I chose for the place settings and perhaps adding some new ones.

The elements I chose for this centerpiece were based primarily on the place settings. The arrangement was in a silver pedestal bowl. The head of cabbage and the pink flowers restated the plates, and the dogwood branch I chose for a contrasting white element and because I love dogwood blooms. The dogwood also gave me the height I needed.

I used floral foam in the bowl as a base for building the arrangement. The head of faux cabbage was enormous but beautiful! I removed the three outermost layers of leaves for a better size relationship to the flowers. These leaves I reserved for later use as "filler". Spanish moss helped fill in gaps and position the cabbage leaves and pink flowers.

One note. I use silk flowers and greenery most of the time. I may, on occasion, mix fresh with silk for some interest, but primarily the flora is silk. It's not that I don't like fresh flowers...I love them! I just can't always find the color combinations I want to use. Using silk gives me more arrangement options as well as opportunities to "recycle" in future table settings. I am continually surprised how different the recycled flowers and greenery look in different arrangements.

When I do use fresh flowers my sister arranges them.  Family Skill Set!

Rounding out the centerpiece were pink pillar candles, a silver compote dish and a sheep, which my sister has named "Ramen Lamben" because its curly wool feels like Ramen noodles. It was a whimsical addition to the table and was put at each place setting at some point during the meal. It made us smile.

From a Strawberry Cake inspiration to a table setting.  I believe it worked!