Need Help with Centerpieces

[Frazzled Mom]

I need some ideas for my daughter's wedding centerpieces. I've attached a picture of a lousy attempt :notsure:. At least I hope it uploaded. I'm working with 8" clear glass dishes. They stand 3-1/2" high, the 8" is at the half way point up and it rounds in at the top of an opening of 6". We are using LED tea lights due to no open flame restrictions. I have up to 6 of those to use in each bowl. I also have navy blue or silver tulle, navy blue silk rose buds in various sizes (took them off the stems that I bought from Walmart), and little clusters of navy blue and some silver rose buds. This last item has 12 rose buds in each cluster and are only 2" across total so these are small.

If anyone has any ideas for me or has seen similar items used please let me know. The wedding is November 17th and I'm having to do all the decorations myself. So far I haven't had a problem, I've made the R.B. pillow, done the unity candles, done martini glasses with litecubesfor the bistro tables, but these centerpieces have me stumped.

As my name shows, I am truly frazzled at this point. Thanks for any help

[Danielle9608]

Looks to me like you are wrapping the tule around the flowers. Perhaps if you cut the tule in large circle it would give you a clean line.

[Frazzled Mom]

Yes I was experimenting with a piece of tulle that was probably too big. I started with one 29" square, and bringing it to a gather in the center and placing the votives around it. That didn't look good, so I thought I would try to wrap the lights individually with small circles of tulle and see what that looks like. Haven't tried it yet, just a thought in my head.

[Frazzled Mom]

I should be getting ready for dog training class but I decided to try again. This time I cut tulle circles, tied it around each tealight with a silver ribbon (had them left over from the invitations). I put 6 in a bowl, with a group of the silver rose buds, put some silk roses around and then separated one of the small rose bud groups into the six individual rose and placed them. I think it's looking better but not quite there. Now I'm thinking maybe some of those colored glass pieces that look like tiny rocks? We're using then in the martini glasses for the bistro tables. Only problem with all of this is because the tealights have to be twisted on, the whole assembly cannot be done until the last minute or the tealight batteries could run out. They say they are good for 80 hours but who knows.

Oh well any suggestions are welcome.

[Danielle9608]

Oh wow that looks great! I think you did a great job! I bet it look really pretty when the lights are on. :whoohoo:

[soontobemrs]

I LOVE the 2nd attempt - and I agree with Danielle - they should look really pretty when the lights are on.

[firespirit]

I think they look great. If they are LED's you should get 80 hours out of them no problem (LED's use very little power).

Right now what you have looks soft, the pebbles might actually look a bit rough and look too busy with the flowers. If you want to get away from the clear glass on the bottom maybe some crinkled paper to give some texture to the glass, like mache paper or tissue paper that has been balled up and then spread back out?

[EarlyBird]

I like the second one best- but what about instead of using the tulle around the candles, you could kind of DRAPE the tulle (both colors twisted together) on the OUTSIDE of the bowl and put the candles inside - You could use the flowers hot glued to the draped tulle- but i think maybe that it would be best to only use only candles inside the bowl and drape the other things on the outside- it will make everything visible and the glow of the candles will be gorgeous- Can i suggest 3 lights in the bowl, 3 or 4 lights on the outside of the bowl around it?? i think the glow would be gorgeous!!

[Frazzled Mom]

You said "you could kind of DRAPE the tulle (both colors twisted together) on the OUTSIDE of the bowl and put the candles inside - You could use the flowers hot glued to the draped tulle- but i think maybe that it would be best to only use only candles inside the bowl and drape the other things on the outside- it will make everything visible and the glow of the candles will be gorgeous".

I'm trying to picture what you mean by draping the tulle on the outside. Do you mean laying a piece over the top of the bowl? Setting the bowl on a piece of tulle and gathering it together above the bowl? Not sure what you mean. For some reason my creative juices have disappeared!

I went to Michael's today and asked one of the people there what they suggested. The only thing they could think of was trying to hot glue everything to the inside of the bowl or use the pebbles on the bottom. Even then they weren't sure if the things would stay glued to a smooth surface.

My problem (I may have mentioned) is that I would like to pre-assemble these so come the day of the wedding all we need to do it turn on the tealights and place the centerpiece on the table. I plan to also have 4 or 5 tealights in small votive holders around the centerpiece. We need as much light as possible as the wedding is outside and it will be dark.

[Goin2thechapel]

I think the second attempt is much neater. I wouldn't drape the tulle over it though, it might make it less organized...But it does look great!

[EarlyBird]

this is a really bad drawing of course cuz i did it real fast on paint but i kind of meant drape it along the sides kind of rolled up--- gosh i wish i could explain it..

the top picture is the picture from one side and the other (bottom) is from the top.

[EarlyBird]

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/vanamarieG/centerpiece2.jpg

here it is-- the yellow things are candles hahah

[Frazzled Mom]

I see what you are saying. I'll try a narrow piece of tulle tomorrow, perhaps twisting it or braiding the two colors - navy blue & silver in this case - together and draping it. I'll see how that works. Thank you

[heatherh321]

Yeah, you are onto something with the second attempt. Trying out the suggestion above may work well to. You may end up with a couple of ideas to work with!

[Frazzled Mom]

This is what I've worked on so far this morning. I took a narrow piece of tulle and a small rose and tied them with a piece of silver ribbon. I did this in 4 places. Then I took those and (for now) attached it to the lip of the bowl with tape (hopefully if I decide on this design I can hot glue it). I put 5 lights in the bowl instead of 6. 4 looked to empty. Then I placed some 2 bigger and 2 small rose buds around the outside edge. Again if I decide hopefully I can hot glue those in place.

What do you think of this design. Again any suggestions? I plan to place other tealights in votive holders around the tables for more light.

I've attached 2 pictures of the bowl. While I'm showing pictures thought I would also attach one of the ring bearer pillow I made. I hand sewed my grandmother's pearls on each row. Also there's a picture of my daughter in her wedding dress while at the seamstresses. She's not wearing the proper crinoline so the dress looks kind of wierd at the bottom. Need to fine one that is full all the way to the bottom.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[Danielle9608]

Wow this really looks great. You are doing such a great job. You have a very lucky daughter. Her dress is beautiful! And the pillow is very lovely. :frogg:

[erika85]

It looks like you are doing great! Her dress is very pretty as well!

If it were me I think I would cut 2 squares of tulle (approx.16x16) one of each color, and place them on top of each other (so it looks like a diamond on top of a square). put the bowl in the center fill it half up with water and float the larger flowers in the bowl (if you have some of the glass marbles you could put them in the bottom as well), then I would place the candles around the outside of the bowl.

Good Luck!

[Frazzled Mom]

Unfortunately the candles are not waterproof or that would have solved a lot of problems. I've just done a glued test bowl and it seems it will work. I took a 36" x 6" piece of tulle, joined the ends with a piece of thread, then tied thread around 3 other places of equal distance. Then I took the smallest roses, tied a piece of silver ribbon around and sewed them to the 4 points on the tulle. Next I hot glued each of the 4 points to the rim of the bowl - made the mistake of gluing them inside the bowl, next one I'll glue on the outside so the tulle "drapes". I was also able to hot glue 4 roses inside the bowl. I'll leave the LED tealights loose so they can be easily removed to turn on when the time comes.

Thanks for all your input everyone. Now I just have to get all the work done for 15 bowls & get them safely packed away!:laugh:

[erika85]

....place the candles around the outside of the bowl....

Good Luck!


I did not mean in the water, here is a pic of what I am talking about

[EarlyBird]

i think this last attempt was best all around- only because you cando it beforehand and not have to worry about them not being done

also.. i love love love that pillow. my mom hates sewing but she is really good at making pillows she made all my throw pillows for my house and some poker and game arcade pillows for our media room.. so that brought an idea.. i have some extra satin material from something i did, and she has the stuffing.. so she is going to make my pillow :) thanks for the idea.

[Measha]

Unfortunately the candles are not waterproof or that would have solved a lot of problems.

That's a shame! They do make the LED candles in waterproof varieties for relatively cheap. I recall googling it not too long ago :).