A cluster of towers made from stacked patterned ceramics forms a graphic, sculptural centerpiece that will look fresh all evening long -- no green thumb needed. If you don't have a few extra sets of dishes lying around, you can buy great inexpensive rice bowls at an Asian outlet or pick up mixed sets at flea markets.

Game pieces, vintage keys, and animal figurines are all spray-painted to coordinate with the tableware, ensuring that what could've looked hodge-podgey becomes modern and Swedish-chic.

This playful tower of farm animals displayed in an apothecary bell jar is a showcase turned centerpiece of the things you love. Similar glass cloches, Jamali Garden Supplies.

Paper doilies can add high drama (without the schmaltz) and stylish elegance (without the stuffiness) to your reception tables.

Create this chandelier with a waterfall of ruffles out of doilies for a visual high. Make garlands, and tie to a large and a small wreath form. Hang with ribbon, placing the smaller ring lower than the larger. (Use pushpins or adhesive hooks to secure to ceiling.) 24- and 12-inch doublerail wreath rings, Maine Wreath Co.

This fun, inventive spread, featuring embroidery hoops as muse, couldn't be a better example of refined whimsy. It's an effortlessly chic look that's easy to execute and difficult to resist.

For bohemian yet tailored table decor, look no further than these dangling embroidery hoops fitted with beautiful fabrics. The trick is to use translucent fabrics that are in the same palette, and hoops that vary in size and dangle at different heights (for an organic effect). Bamboo cylinders, Jamali Garden Supplies.

You'll be blazing a new design path with this clean and contemporary tablescape that takes its cues from the striking beauty of abstract art.

A big, vibrant pop of color in the form of bright candles you design yourself casts a warm glow over an otherwise clean, minimalist table. White pillar candles, Jamali Garden Supplies. Acrylic tray, Professional Plastics.

You wouldn't want to gild the lily, of course, but a leafy branch? An altogether different matter. "Gold can add glamour, but it's easy to go over the top with it," says designer Matthew Robbins, who created the arrangements here. Juxtapose opulent gold branches (in the form of faux bay-laurel twigs) with the humble grace of wood (apply gold Rub 'n Buff and drill holes) for a decadent yet simple centerpiece.

Limbs from a Japanese maple tree inserted into a tall vase are almost as good as the real thing. Keep branches tall and stems visible, and place a leaf beside each name card for pure visual poetry. (Crab-apple branches are another option for fall; use quince and birch in winter and olive branches in summer.)

A pared-down centerpiece, like this whitewashed papier-mache fruit piled on a cake stand and trimmed with silver millinery leaves, is as chic as it is unexpected. Bonus: These faux wonders -- a great substitute for fresh blooms -- won't wilt, so you can display them at home for years to come, either as shown or in a footed glass urn. 

"Patrician" Champagne flute, designed by Josef Hoffmann, from Neue Galerie Design Shop. Hemstitched linen napkins, Takashimaya New York.

Ripe fruits symbolize abundance and fertility -- and make delicious favors. Tomatoes look beautiful and enticing in this rustic Italian display.

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.

A table arrangement of grains celebrates the bounty of fall. In addition to wheat, which symbolizes a fruitful life, this textured display includes other dried grasses (available at crafts stores), so it can be made weeks ahead. The final flourish? A luxurious satin bow.

Dress tables with sculptural shells and corallike pieces. Large conch and murex shells with cattleya orchids nestled in their openings and smaller marlin spike shells surround a vase filled with tiny shells and a pillar candle. Painted manzanita branches stand in for real coral. Capiz shells (sold with predrilled holes) are tied to napkins with ribbon -- a small branch rests on top.

Toast to your new beginnings with this Champagne-themed centerpiece from Martha Stewart Living. Ball-shaped ornaments displayed in glass flutes mimic the rising bubbles. (We mixed vintage balls with clear ones.) Gather flutes in varying styles, and cluster them on a cake stand to craft a truly effervescent centerpiece.

Nothing conveys a sense of comfort and warmth like candlelight. The printed patterns on these candles glow when lit. Candles from imageglowcandles.com.

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.

These informal, inexpensive lanterns are ideal for a garden wedding, as the jars protect the flame from breezes. Wrap a piece of flexible greenery around the jar just below the lip, and twist a piece of floral wire around the ends to secure. The jars here are decorated with ivy, willow, and myrtle.

The how-to for this centerpiece couldn't be easier -- just layer pieces of punched vellum around glass votives. It works with both round and square containers, and the candles can be arranged on tables of all shapes. When lit, the punched areas filter light beautifully and add an aura of romance. 

Punches used: Nos. 6, 14, by Martha Stewart Crafts; Effervescence Border Punch, Diamond Border Punch, by Fiskars, from Widget Supply, widgetsupply.com.

Light up your reception with this sand-and-shell centerpiece from Martha Stewart Living. Use candle adhesive to secure slender tapers to the bottom of a clear glass vase. Carefully pour in a few inches of sand, and then arrange shells on top. Besides refracting the candlelight for added ambience, the vase will protect the flames from breezes.

Establish a gentle ambience with centerpieces that glow like moonlight. Enchanting for an evening reception, these votives are made with clear glass cylinders (we used several sizes), white lace, and white candles.

These molded candle arrangements draw from the natural beauty of fall, making them excellent centerpieces for an autumnal affair.

Replace the centerpiece at kids' tables with this enticing display. We used chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla frostings and mixed milk to match. Be sure to place flattened paper cupcake liners in between doughnuts so they won't stick together.

Millinery birds perch on branches blooming with handmade paper blossoms. Blue vases (positioned between seats so conversation can flow) match the color of the plates, which also have a blossom motif. You can get branches from a florist or your backyard. Gravel inside the vases keeps them steady.

These climbers from Martha Stewart Living include flowers made from Sabulosum cone scales, buds from the tamarack tree, and leaves, which are really single Norway spruce cone scales. The finished vine can be tightly coiled around a candlestick.