Every year, one of the things I most look forward to is creating a large floral centerpiece for my Christmas table. I always begin this process in competition with the herds of rampaging deer foraging in my yard for cedar, magnolia, boxwood, holly and loropetalum. When I bring in this ridiculous overabundance of greenery, I then have to gild the lily by adding, roses, alstroemeria, mums, hydrangea, hypericum berries, fruit or whatever else is available in the grocery store to arrange quite a sizable centerpiece. I admit that I often get a bit carried away with this project–so much so, that my guests often feel like they have to peer through a thicket to see their dinner companions. Also, my dining room table is rather small, and my arrangements tend to take up so much space on the table that there is little room for the food. Fortunately, I have my priorities well in hand, and if I have a choice between food and flowers, flowers will win out every time.

This year I had a Christmas centerpiece conundrum. I wanted to use these unique gold mesh trees on my table, but I knew that they would not work with my usual giant arrangement. I always dress my dining table when I decorate my house for Christmas, and I did use the trees, along with pillar candles and red and gold ornaments on the table.

However, when I set the table for Christmas dinner I wanted to utilize the trees as well as flowers and greens in my table arrangement, and I wasn’t at all certain how to effectively incorporate all these elements into my design.

After considering various ways of arranging my table, I decided to start with a red silk runner layered with gold and plaid ribbons. I then added cedar branches which I studded with red and gold ornaments and glitter pillar candles. My solution to having both gold trees and flowers on the table involved placing the trees on top of floral bases. It still took up most of the space on the table, but it did allow me to have my cake and eat it too (so to speak.)

Because my dining table is small (it only seats six comfortably), my centerpiece is ginormous, and I have to have a second table for the “kids” (two of whom are in their 20’s) in the kitchen, I serve buffet style.

While I wasn’t able to cut down on the extent of shrubbery on the table, I think in the end it was a was a satisfactory solution to my centerpiece conundrum.