Weddings are full of flowers, but sometimes the littlest arrangements make the biggest impact: Guests will be delighted to find cut flowers tucked into their napkins. To keep the blooms from wilting during the cocktail hour, slip the stems into little vials of water (available at floral shops). To fold the napkin, lay it on a flat surface, and fold in half widthwise so the folded edge is near you. Fold the top layer back down halfway. Turn the napkin over, and fold the edges into the center. Finish by folding the napkin in half.

It sounds like the word for a sphinx's riddle, but anaglypta is actually the name of an embossed wallpaper the Victorians used to mimic costlier pressed plaster or tin. These days, it makes an easy centerpiece when affixed to flower-filled cylinder vases in varying sizes. Cut the paper -- available in many motifs (ours are from FYHome) -- to cover the vase, overlapping slightly. Wrap the piece around the vase, securing both ends with strong double-sided tape. Flowers by Naomi deManana.

A white-pumpkin shell becomes the vase for an arrangement of roses, daffodils, ranunculuses, calla lilies, tulips, and hypericum berries in fall colors -- yellows, peaches, and shades of orange. Smaller pumpkins and votive candles in orange-glass holders fill out the centerpiece.

Lemons and grapefruits tied in yellow taffeta ribbons and piled into a glass compote make a bright, casual arrangement. The bows are secured by pins, and sheer yellow organdy drapes from the bowl. A coordinating menu card is trimmed with taffeta ribbon.

Shiny pails of flowers, as sweet and dainty as flower girls' bouquets, are all the decoration church pews need. The galvanized buckets, which can be found at hardware stores, are filled with moistened floral foam, which keeps the hydrangeas fresh. Loop a thin but sturdy ribbon, such as grosgrain or seam binding, around the top of the pew, then string it through the bucket handles, and tie. Cut ribbon ends diagonally.

A little goes a long way with this table decoration. Fresh German chamomile is placed in a jar, then enclosed in a white paper bag for an exuberant centerpiece that is also economical. The top of the bag is trimmed with scalloping scissors, folded, punched with holes, and laced with yellow ribbon. Thread a tag with the table number onto ribbon before tying.

Knitted ring pillows lend warmth to winter weddings. To make: Stitch together two 5-inch felt squares, leave a 2-inch opening. Turn inside out; stuff with batting and stitch closed. Knit a same-size square; hand-sew to top of pillow. Sew a 12-inch ribbon to center; trim ends on the diagonal.

Glass cake stands sparkle with bands of beads used for chandeliers. Here each tier displays a different method for hanging the beads, all of which combine satin ribbon and double-sided tape for easy application. Use the embellished stands to display treats at a wedding or shower.

For each band shown here, you'll need double-sided tape and single-faced satin ribbon, both cut to the circumference of the stand. Lay the crystals out beforehand to determine a spacing that works for your stand.

Personal photographs make a reception space feel like home, and you don't need a hammer and nails to display them. Gather pictures of the bride and groom as children, plus relatives' wedding portraits; arrange on ribbons with calligraphed labels. Hang by the seating-card table for all to see.

Have wine bottles do double-duty as table numbers. Cover-weight paper printed with large, graphic numerals can be adhered over existing labels with double-sided tape for a clean, contemporary look. It's a clever touch that will have guests drinking to your good fortune -- and your good taste. Cotton-linen table runner with black-and-white floral pattern from Anthropologie.

Perfume your ceremony or reception site with a garland of sweetly scented lilies. The sturdy flowers are abundant in spring. For a long space or a double-layer strand, have your florist wire several garlands (it's best done the day of the wedding). Hang lengths of up to 16 blooms each in sections; each swag shown at the left is an individual garland, as are the two vertical sections. Be sure to leave extra wire for hanging; you can hide this wire with wide satin bows. Lily pollen often stains; you may want to remove the yellow anthers.

Paper butterflies alight on the rims of champagne glasses, staying still just long enough for guests to find their seats.

For a twist on silverware rolled in a napkin, package utensils at a buffet in printed 9 1/2-by-4-inch envelopes. Rubber Stamp Champ will create a custom stamp from any black-and-white image (or ask for our cutlery design). Purchase an ink pad and envelopes, and get ready to make an impression.

Looking for a ring pillow? Try your sewing box. A pincushion makes a charming one that's just the right size for little hands. A vintage pincushion like this is particularly nice, but you can use a new one, too. Then all you need is a long decorative head pin, ribbon, and your rings. Thread ribbon through rings, and tack ends to cushion with pin.

Store-bought accents are an easy, inexpensive way to dress up a plain wedding cake. This wired faux boxwood garland from Bell'occhio, for example, is easily bent into swags and a wreath topper. Have your caterer create a basic cake (ours is covered with textured fondant icing and piped royal-icing details), and affix the garland with dabs of royal icing. Form a wreath with more of the trim, keeping extra on the end to wrap around a wooden skewer; insert the skewer in the cake's top tier. Add a dainty ribbon bow -- and leave it at that.

Set up a lively guest book table with patterned paper in bright hues. Guests pen notes on origami paper, then seal them with a sticker. These banners are also made from origami squares -- no fancy folding required.

Although modern wedding cakes come in every shape, size, and flavor (vegan chocolate, anyone?), the stands that support them have mostly stayed in the bland category. Why not break the mold and create your own? It'll be a piece of cake!

A handmade ring pillow will look lovely from all angles when its sides are crafted from pretty ribbon. To give the cushion a tufted effect and to provide a spot for the rings to nestle, add a button by stitching all the way through. Attach the rings by tying them to the button with a thin ribbon.

Here's a quick and inexpensive way to add style to your reception space: Use gift-wrap runners. Trim paper to any width; it should hang 18 inches over table ends. Cover tops of favor boxes with the same paper. Wrap ribbon around box, and secure ends beneath place cards. Attach cards and ribbon to box lid with double-sided tape.

Used with a ruler, this handy implement (available at art-supply and craft stores) lets you quickly cut long, straight lines through paper or fabric. It's ideal for projects that call for lots of even cutting, such as the table runners and box tops above. Place paper on a self-healing mat to protect your work surface.

For the reception, re-create the beauty of etching with ease. All you need is a rubber stamp, white ink, and glass candleholders -- frosted glass holds ink best. One stamp can form a single motif or an allover pattern. (For a custom design, such as your monogram, have a stamp made at an office-supply store.) To use a large stamp on a cylindrical container, carefully roll it from side to side. Allow a day or two for ink to fully dry.

Warm up tables with wooden accents. All you need is wood veneer paper to turn plain glass vases into perfectly matched pieces that can hold flowers or candles. Lay paper down the center of the table for a runner (allow a 2-foot overhang at each end). At each place, store-bought favor boxes (fill with any little treats) are embellished with ribbon and a place card. Buy a few extra boxes, and use the lids to hold table numbers: Turn lid upside down, cut slits in opposite sides, and slip in numbered card. Wood paper and boxes from Lenderink.

Turn kids' metal beach buckets into custom centerpieces by painting them in the wedding colors. First, sand and prime each bucket, then coat with water-based enamel; let dry overnight. For stripes, tape off a pattern, paint exposed areas in a contrasting color, and remove the tape while the paint is still wet. For a table number, tape on a stencil (available at art-supply stores), use a pencil to outline the number, then remove the stencil, and paint. Use pails as planters for small trees with hydrangea petals scattered over the soil, or as vases for flowers.

Here's an easy centerpiece idea that stacks up well against pricier options: clusters of flower-filled cafe au lait bowls. You can find inexpensive ones at home- and kitchen-supply stores (ours are from Anthropologie and Sur La Table); or collect mismatched vintage styles from flea markets. Place floral foam in the bowls to anchor the blooms, then group them on reception tables, stacking some atop inverted ones for visual interest.

Embossed velvet leaves, made with a rubber stamp and an iron, dress up a silk ring pillow.

Guests will cheer you on when you zip away after the ceremony in a car covered with pom-pom garlands. These decorations are easy to make with tissue paper and twine, and they stay on the car with suction cups, which won't damage the auto's exterior.

Fabric flowers make a pretty, wilt-proof way for guests to find their seats and then sport as corsages or boutonnieres. Simply use floral tape to attach a brooch pin to the stem of a fabric flower (these are from Dulken & Derrick). Have a calligrapher pen names onto strips of card stock, then punch small holes on one end, and slip pins through.

Ripe apricots become place cards at a summertime wedding or shower. Write names on strips of thin art paper; use a pencil to curl ends in opposite directions. Hang paper from bamboo toothpicks (available from kitchen-supply stores) inserted through apricot tops.

Harvest baskets filled with peaches, nectarines, and Gala apples also make for an abundant, economical centerpiece; stuff basket bottoms with kraft paper, and pile fruit on top. For table number, glue a basswood stake between two basswood rectangles.

A personalized banner creates a stately reception decoration when it's hung from greenery set on a mantel or tall table. To make, you'll need a 6-by-40-inch sheet of lightweight paper. Trim top of banner so it gently curves in, creating an arc shape, then trim bottom so it curves out. Write couple's names. Cut banner ends on a graceful angle; roll ends to curl. Punch a hole near each end. Thread floral wire through holes; twist around trunks of cypress topiaries set 2 feet apart. Tie on ribbon bows to cover wire. Tape coordinating ribbons on the pots.

Substitute dried leaves for petals in your flower girl's basket. If fall foliage isn't abundant when you wed, you can order pressed leaves online (from drynature.com). We lined this pint-size basket with a cotton fabric. Using scissors, cut a large round of fabric and a slit on opposite sides to accommodate handles, then place in basket. Wrap silk ribbon around, and tie in a bow.

Vases of varying sizes, shapes, and materials can be unified with mere paper bags to serve as fresh, bright centerpieces at a casual wedding. Slip the plain white lunch bags over the containers and cinch the tops loosely with ribbons tied in bows.

Large, open peonies settle into nests of twisted fern vines. Inside each basket is a shallow plastic bowl of water (for extra stability, use a wire grid to hold stems in place). A smaller nest atop the napkin at each place holds a more closed flower; its stem sits in a water tube concealed within the nest.

A runner made with crepe paper is a terrific low-cost decoration for square or rectangular tables; all it takes are two pieces in coordinating hues and a pinch of effort. You'll need crepe paper on rolls, since they don't have fold lines; we used rolls 20 inches wide.

A pouch folded from colorful paper is a pretty alternative to a traditional basket; add a ribbon handle and bow, and it's ready for the flower girl's important role. We used vellum, so any moisture on flower petals won't damage the basket. It's so easy, your young attendant might like to help you make it.

Make graceful holders with swirls that enhance a card's design. These are actually pieces of inexpensive radio wire -- cloth-covered wire, used in vintage radios, that is available online in a variety of colors (look for solid, not stranded, wire). Give it a new twist for a wedding, and it can hold aloft menus, table numbers, or place cards. The wire bends easily and is sturdy enough to keep its shape. The shorter stands rest on a table, and the tall version can be placed in a centerpiece. Copy our designs or create your own.

The striped ribbon on this easy-to-carry accessory inspired the stripe in the pomander itself (and is used as a sash on the flower girl's dress). To make the pomander, wrap a 3-inch ball of floral foam with two 18-inch pieces of 22-gauge floral wire, crisscrossing to divide ball into quarters; twist ends together, and curl into a 1-inch loop. Soak foam in water. Cut flower stems to 1 1/2 inches. Insert two rows of colored roses around ball, then add cream or white roses to fill. For handle, tie 18-inch length of ribbon to loop.

Enamel pails overflowing with fresh green and white hydrangeas are charming for an informal reception table. The buckets do double-duty as table numbers with the addition of numeral stickers. Self-adhesive vinyl numbers are available on the Internet in many sizes, colors, and typefaces. Tiny pails that echo the shape of the centerpiece are filled with pistachios and prop up the place card at each setting. The rim of each pail has been colored with black permanent marker to match the black numeral and the text on the place cards.

The soft light of paper luminaries sets a romantic mood. Two bags, one fitted over the other, form a box. The lanterns, strung on electric Christmas-tree lights and hung along branches, are tied with ribbon and sway gently in the evening breeze.

Personalize the entrance to the ceremony or reception in an instant with store-bought wooden initials. To display, loop wide satin ribbon around each letter. Knot ribbon at least one foot above letter, leaving ends long enough to create a bow (for letters that aren't easily looped, hot-glue ribbon to letter's back, and tie into a knot); hang on an over-the-door hanger. Tie ribbon ends into a bow and trim with pinking shears. Attach self-adhesive felt pads to backs of letters to protect door.

For big-impact table decor on the cheap, consider carnations, which come in so many colors. Long used as inexpensive filler, the familiar flowers have a chic style all their own when clustered in modern, minimalist vases that offset their ruffled softness. Plus they're readily available throughout the year. Arrange them by color (we like this spectrum of fiery orange to pale yellow) for an array that really makes the gradient. White Ceramic Cubes, Jamali Garden

, 3, 4 3/4, and 5 3/4 inches.

Here's a centerpiece idea that won't have you burning through your budget: In lieu of pricey floral arrangements, display sleek tapers in a variety of shapely glass candlesticks. Inexpensive ones are available at many home-decor stores in lots of styles (most of ours are from CB2 and Areo). Mix them in varying heights and designs to create a table that truly shines.

Baskets brimming with fruit imbue a reception with rustic charm. We filled Nantucket baskets in various sizes with warm-toned fruits: pears, apricots, and two kinds of apples. Small baskets laden with blond cherries are arranged at place settings for guests to take home; tiny bows are a graceful touch.

Create a soft, plump pillow using flowers instead of fabric. Cut a block of floral foam to size and poke 'Kermit' chrysanthemum stems into top and sides. Push a U-shaped piece of green floral wire through foam; bend tips flush against bottom of block. Cover bottom by pinning paper over. Tie rings to wire with ribbon.

For a cool-weather wedding, why not give programs their own woolly wraps? Felt pouches bring a cozy touch and bursts of fall color to the ceremony and make pretty mementos for guests. Cut two rectangles slightly longer and wider than program from felt, and stitch together on three sides. Make holes in top corners with a Japanese hole punch, and thread embroidery ribbon through; knot on one side. Slip program inside.

Boxes topped with flowers make a beautiful centerpiece; a table number is embroidered onto ribbon encircling the largest box. Inside, the stems sit in water bottles stabilized by crumpled paper. Favor boxes, which contain nonpareils, double as place cards.

Magnolia blossoms are beautiful harbingers of spring, but they're fragile and can be glorious one day, gone the next. Our wilt-free solution? Mix real leaves with gorgeous paper flowers.

This modern nod to luminarias -- paper bags with votives inside -- updates the look with chic stripes printed onto vellum and wrapped around straight-sided square glass vases.

You'll need to use oversized vellum; cut it to 8 1/2 inches wide so it will fit your printer, and then trim again once it's printed so it will fit your vase with a slight overlap. Attach with adhesive dots or double-sided tape, and add a tea candle or two to the vase.

Canson's "Vidalon" vellum is available at New York Central Art Supply. Square vases are at Jamali Garden Supplies.