Unusual Centerpiece Idea

You can create an unusual centerpiece with a demanding presence from craft wire, crystal prisms and silk flowers. Perfect on an entry table, buffet table or in the front window, these large centerpieces are easy to make with supplies from the hardware store and online wedding suppliers. Does this Spark an idea?

Vase and Flowers

Select a tall vase with a wide opening at the top to make an unusual centerpiece that can stand in a foyer or on a fireplace mantel. The opening should be at least 8 inches across to comfortably stand three thick wire spirals and at least three silk flowers. You can use a clear or colorful vase, whatever matches your dcor. The flowers should also coordinate, but should be large enough to stand with the spirals. If the blossom on your flower is wide, you'll only need three flowers, begin with 27 inches and cut to the height that suits you. You can use five slender flower blossoms like calla lily; just arrange them as a group with varying heights.

Making Spirals

You'll be making three tall metal spirals to sit to the sides and in the back of the vase in your centerpiece. Cut three 45-inch strands of 16- to 18-gauge craft wire or soldering wire. Craft and soldering wires bend easily with your hands, so you do not need special tools to make your spirals. You can use a wine bottle with a smooth neck as a mold, or something similar. The point is to make a spiral that gradually increases in size. The spirals begin just above the rim of your vase, so leave a straight stem on the wire equal to the height of the vase. Begin wrapping the wire around the bottle's neck to make the spiral. Paint your finished spiral to coordinate with the dcor in your room and decorate them with randomly dangling crystal prisms. You can add a lot of prisms or just a few, whatever strikes your fancy. You can hook them onto the spiral with small strips of 24-gauge craft wire or fishing line secured with a drop of craft glue.

Assembly

The tall components of this unusual centerpiece will need help standing in the vase. You can anchor the arrangement with glass stones for stability and to help the stems stand where you want them. Fill the vase half way with glass stones before you begin standing your spirals. If your centerpiece is against the wall, the back spiral should stand straight, but the side spirals can sit at an angle. Stand the flower stems in the center, vary the heights so that the back flowers are taller but do not completely obstruct the view of the spiral. Once your stems are in place, continue filling the vase with stones until everything stands securely.