Be honest, when you look at your kitchen table, is it boring? Does it feel like a blank wall staring at you in what’s supposed to be the heart of your home?
(Please note- article may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure at the end of post.)
Take heart, making your table inviting may not be as hard as you think. Adding a simple centerpiece to your kitchen table can change the whole look of your space.
I’ve found some really neat centerpiece ideas for your kitchen table that you’ll fall in love with. All you need, is to ask yourself- do I prefer a centerpiece that’s already made, or do I want to make one myself?
WHY DO I NEED A TABLE CENTERPIECE?
Fact – over time, a flat, empty surface in your house will collect things – junk mail, trinkets, cleats (yes I said cleats, I obviously have boys in my house), but it’s true. By using a beautiful centerpiece you’re more likely to protect that space from clutter.
A centerpiece creates a focal point (something beautiful to focus on) in the room. It grounds your table so the table doesn’t look like it’s “floating”.
CLICK FOR KITCHEN TABLE CENTERPIECES
Does that sound weird? If it does, put a large plant in the middle of your table and take a look. Then take the plant off and look again. You see? A bare table looks like it could float away – the centerpiece holds the table down and gives it a complete look.
Plus a centerpiece can transform your kitchen table from blank and boring to stylish and beautiful.
No matter what kind of table you have (round, rectangular, square, etc) you can easily dress it up with a simple centerpiece to make your kitchen table the star of the show.
WHAT TYPE OF KITCHEN TABLE CENTERPIECE DO I NEED?
Centerpieces come in all different styles but in general, there are two types to choose from; a ready-made centerpiece or a build-your-own.
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A ready-made centerpiece is a complete decoration – you buy it and it’s ready to go on your kitchen table or dining room table. Simple as that.
A build-your-own is exactly what it sounds like. You find a base for the centerpiece like a tiered tray or a dough bowl like the one below. You layer the base with decorative items creating a unique one-of-a-kind piece for the center of your table.
Or skip the base and go with decorating the table itself. You could use a glass jar filled with birch branches draped in wood beads. Or a pitcher of fresh flowers surrounded by candlesticks and greenery.
With a build-your-own centerpiece, the creativity is left up to you.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both ready-made centerpieces and build-your-owns.
READY-MADE CENTERPIECE
ADVANTAGES
- Ease – You find it, buy it, place it on the table and you’re done. Easy as that. There’s no stressing over being cleverly creative with the piece itself.
- Costs Less – A ready-made centerpiece tends to cost less than a build-your-own, (unless you buy a one-of-a-kind centerpiece). Ready-mades are manufactured in bulk which keeps the cost relatively low.
- Year-Round – A timeless centerpiece, meaning table decor that’s not tied to a certain time period or style can be used year-round for several years. There’s no stress having to change it out with the seasons.
DISADVANTAGES
Ready-made centerpieces aren’t all that easy to find, but they’re out there. The hard part is, finding the right size and style for your table. If you find a ready-made centerpiece that you like, and it’s in your price range, grab it.
DIY centerpiece ideas for your kitchen table
ADVANTAGES
- By choosing to build your own centerpiece, you’ll get exactly what you want. You don’t have to settle for what’s available on the internet or at the store.
- You’re the chief creative director – you can design anything you want from a simple creative centerpiece to an intricate design
- DIY centerpieces are versatile – you buy a base item and layer it with table decorations. For ideas on base items, check out my post 19 Decorative Trays with Tips on How to Choose the Best One for You. When you get tired of it (and eventually you probably will) you switch the items out with something new – so you’ve got a whole new centerpiece for the upcoming season or holiday.
DISADVANTAGES
With a DIY centerpiece, there is no “set it and forget it” like the ready-made option. A build-your-own is a perpetual DIY project. Unless you add items to the centerpiece that are timeless, you’ll be switching your decor out frequently which could be costly.
For more ideas on DIY centerpieces, read my article Best Tips On How to Decorate a Serving Tray.
A CATEGORY ALL ITS OWN
Usually, you’d consider a tiered tray to be a DIY piece but this one comes fully loaded – all decor included which puts it in both categories. It’s in the ready-made category because the decor is included but it’s in the build-your-own because you can change the decor out anytime to freshen it up.
Check out these Related Articles:
19 Decorative Trays With Tips on How to Choose the Best One for You
Best Tips on How to Decorate a Serving Tray
CENTERPIECE ideas for your kitchen table (READY-MADE)
FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
Flower arrangements never go out of style. They’re perfect for your kitchen or dining table. A vase with fresh flowers is always a good go-to centerpiece- you can never go wrong with flowers.
You might be surprised to find that the flowers in the floral arrangement below are not real. The life-like water is made of epoxy and the flowers are called real touch flowers, even though they’re fake (or faux – as they say in the design world – which makes me chuckle).
Real touch flower arrangements are really neat – they’re beautiful, they look real, the flowers don’t die and there’s no stinky water to deal with.
DECORATIVE BOWLS
A large decorative bowl is a good option to use as a centerpiece. The bowl below includes 3 matching orbs and is perfect for a round table or a kitchen island.
PLANTERS
This ready-made planter comes complete with greenery and pinecones. All you need to do is add it to your favorite spot to display it center stage. It’s a great way to make a dramatic statement for your farmhouse table.
Now that you’ve seen the ready-made centerpieces, your creative juices may be flowing. What about creating your own centerpiece? You can absolutely do it and here are some suggestions to get you started.
CENTERPIECE IDEAS FOR YOUR KITCHEN TABLE (DIY)
The possibilities are endless when it comes to a do-it-yourself centerpiece.
LAZY SUSAN
As you can see, the beautiful Lazy Susan above is a great base for getting started.
Cutting boards, riser trays, and tiered trays are great options too.
CLICK FOR CUTTING BOARDS ABOVE
GLASS BOWLS
Glass bowls like the one below from Kensington Hill are a good choice because they’re versatile. You can add your favorite orbs, greenery or use the centerpiece as a fruit bowl. When the holidays come around you can switch out your everyday decor and fill it with ornaments.
GLASS JARS AND VASES
Using a glass jar or flower vase for your kitchen table centerpiece can freshen up your space. Seasonal flowers add a splash of color. Real flowers are best but faux flowers have come a long way. There are some faux flowers on the market that look incredibly real.
CLICK FOR RUSTIC GLASS JAR CENTERPIECE
A beautiful set of three terracotta hand-painted vases for a natural centerpiece setting.
CANDLEHOLDERS
Candle holders are staple items when decorating your table. Keep in mind odd numbers are best. Use sets of 3, 5, or 7 candleholders as opposed to 2 or 4, it’s more appealing to the eye. Also, make sure the candles are different heights like the ones pictured below.
Sometimes a simple centerpiece, like these 3 mercury glass candle holders, is all you need on a table. These candleholders fit large-sized candles for a substantial feel.
Silver candlesticks are timeless. These would be beautiful on top of a table runner with a eucalyptus garland down the center of the table.
TABLE LANTERNS
Another good base item for creating a gorgeous centerpiece is to start with a table lantern. Table lanterns are good for large tables because they create structure and give depth to the centerpiece. You can use one table lamp or multiples to get the right centerpiece you’re looking to create.
GREENERY
Greenery is not mandatory in a centerpiece but I promise, if you use it, you’ll like it. I’m pretty sure everybody likes live greenery, it’s great for special occasions, but it isn’t practical when it comes to an everyday centerpiece. You’re going to have to go with faux (fake) greenery. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised- it’s really beautiful.
A greenery garland can be used straight down the center of the table, or you can use pieces of greenery to fill in your tiered tray or decorative tray.
TABLE RUNNERS
Table runners, like greenery, complete the overall look of a centerpiece. In general, they make everything look better. I have a wooden farmhouse table and a wooden tiered tray. Honestly, the wood on wood isn’t a great combination because they’re the same texture. There should be contrasting colors or textures between your table and centerpiece.
To create a buffer, I added a table runner like the one above, and my problem was solved instantly. The table runner was the perfect piece of the puzzle to make the tiered tray stand out and not blend into the wooden farm table.
Table Centerpiece Tips
Do you still have a few questions when it comes to the right centerpiece? Here are a few tips to help you out.
| TABLE SHAPE | BEST CENTERPIECE SHAPE |
|---|---|
| RECTANGLE | OVAL, LONG, RECTANGLE WITH NON-SHARP EDGES |
| ROUND | OVAL, SQUARE, RECTANGLE, LONG, ROUND |
| OVAL | RECTANGLE, SQUARE, LONG |
| SQUARE | ROUND, OVAL, ANYTHING WITH ROUNDED EDGES |
- There are no hard and fast rules for your kitchen table centerpiece so don’t sweat it. The most important thing when choosing is that you get what you like. You’re the one who will see it each day.
- Something is better than nothing. Remember what we talked about before – a flat empty surface will get “junked up” unless you use the space wisely and by using it wisely, I mean – decorate it.
- Before you buy, decide if you want to keep the centerpiece on the table when you eat or not. If your table is small, you may want a centerpiece that can be easily removed for meals.
SHOP THE BIRDS ON A BRANCH CENTERPIECE
- If your centerpiece is bulky or heavy, you may want to leave it in place when eating. In that case, make sure it’s not too wide. Most place settings take up 14-16″ of table space. You want to make sure everything can fit on the table at the same time.
- A general rule of thumb is your centerpiece should be 12″ tall or less if it stays on the table during meals. You want to be able to have conversations at dinner without straining your neck to see across the table.
- Take the size of the table into consideration when picking out or building your centerpiece. The larger the table, the larger the centerpiece. The longer the table, the longer the centerpiece. You may not be able to find a centerpiece large enough or long enough. If that’s the case, use more than one centerpiece.
- Important – Make sure your centerpiece is large enough. If you have to ask yourself, “Is this too small?” Nine times out of ten, it’s too small.
- This may be a Captain Obvious statement but If you feel like your table decorations seem kind of puny, add other items to the table like candlestick holders, vases, or flowers. Greenery and table runners are great fillers too.
- For interest, choose a different texture than the texture of your table. If your kitchen table is made of wood, use metal or glass for your centerpiece. Don’t use wood (like I did) oops! If you mess up and use the same two textures, put a table runner or some greenery under the centerpiece and your problem will be solved.
So now it’s your turn to decide. Do you have a favorite on the list?
I love hearing from you. Let me know your thoughts and better yet, send a photo of which table centerpiece you chose.
Until Next Time,
Cherie
Related Articles:
19 Decorative Trays With Tips on How to Choose the Best One for You
Best Tips on How to Decorate a Serving Tray
5 Best Candlestick Holders on Amazon
Creative Basket Decor Ideas to Make Your Home Fabulous
15 Creative Decorating Ideas Using an Old Wooden Ladder
Disclosure
Please note that some links in this post are affiliate links. At NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, I will earn a small commission on any purchases made.
I love the chart that includes the best centerpiece shape for the shape of the table. That will definitely come in handy 🙂
Thanks Jordan! I figured a chart would make it easier than explaining everything. I appreciate it 🙂