There are many ways to do special touches to make your home welcoming to guests and household members. I like to make sure that the things that I do in decorating are pleasing to my husband and children fore most and if they are comfortable with the decorations then I know my guests will be. I like to change my decorations with the seasons. I change the items on our fireplace mantel and place creative centerpieces on our tables. We have a formal dining table as well as a table in the living room. The living room table is used for playing cards and board games and also for snacks or appetizers during televised sporting events or parties. My children also use this table to do homework and my husband and I use it to do paper work and bill paying. Because the table is used so often I need to make sure that the creative centerpieces I put on it are easy to remove and replace.

If I am having a special dinner party I will use fresh flowers or greens that are in season for the creative centerpieces. I like to purchase flowers that will last a long time such as carnations, mums and daisies. In the winter months evergreens are a long lasting and aromatic choice. I have a large flat metal tray that I cover with a variety of greens that I find at the farmers market or floral shops. I place them on the tray and use glass bulbs and beaded garland to spread among the greens. In the center I place a clear glass candle holder and place a candle inside. This makes a great addition to the table that is flat so that people can easily reach across it and also see over it. So often I see people making the mistake of making their creative centerpieces too tall. Guests should not have to look around a centerpiece to see the person across the table from them.

Candles are a great way to create a decoration for the table top. I use multiple candles that are of different shapes and sizes and place them on my flat metal tray. I put different rocks or large pieces of potpourri on the bottom of the tray. I change the colors of the candles with the seasons. It is important to remember to dust the candles if you do not burn them. There is nothing appealing about creative centerpieces that are covered in dust. Candles have a way of attracting dust to them. It is easy to keep them clean by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Center pieces should be in proportion to the size of your table and should also be easy to remove from the table.