Nearly every birthday party winds up at the table, where you display decorations, snacks, cake and bright tableware and where a festive birthday centerpiece sets the tone, color theme or character theme. Rather than spend a lot of money on an elaborate centerpiece, consider a relevant yet simple table centerpiece that incorporates the guest of honor’s interests.
Types
Classic yet easy birthday centerpieces typically incorporate flowers, but you can use any natural item such as branches, pine cones, sea glass, shells or stones. Party-theme centerpieces may feature a pattern, color scheme, cartoon character or other theme depicted with a pinata, printed balloons or a frosted cake. Activity-oriented birthday centerpieces may feature Lego structures or pretty bowls filled with art supplies.
Function
Easy birthday centerpieces provide a focal point. Fill a vase with brilliant tissue paper flowers, made by folding sheets of tissue paper accordion style and wrapping a pipe cleaner around the middle. Personalize the centerpiece by incorporating photographs, artwork or the name of the guest of honor.
Considerations
One of the easiest ways to create birthday table centerpieces involves integrating other elements from the party such as the favors, decorations, food or dessert. For example, fill a large glass container with jelly beans and then stick large lollipops into them for a candy bouquet guests can sample. Use a cake stand to stack a tower of cupcakes, and surround them with bowls of toppings for customizing them. A beach ball surrounded by leis works for a surfing safari party, and the guests can take the leis home with them.
Benefits
Birthday party centerpieces personalize the event. You can vary the look of packaged decorations by adding a prominent centerpiece. For example, doll up a princess party with a display of a tiara surrounded by sparkly sequins, or decorate for a pirate party with a tower of pirate hats surrounded by eye patches.
Warning
If you plan to have guests sit and eat at the table where you have the centerpiece, you need an exit strategy for the decoration. Some people slide the centerpiece to the side or place it on a nearby side table. Others dismantle the centerpiece and pass out the pieces as party favors.
Photo Credit
- sunflower dish centerpiece image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
