DIY wedding centerpieces can help you keep the costs down if your wedding budget is tight. They can also make for a more personalized and unique display while offering you some fun along the way; first designing them, and then putting them all together, hopefully with the help of family and friends. They will be a lot of work though, so think long and hard as to whether or not you need this extra burden before your big day.

The best make your own centerpieces are those that can be prepared well ahead of time. Ideally you do not want to be making flower arrangements on the eve or day of your wedding.

This means you should stay away from fresh flowers or foodstuffs and go with something else. Below are a few tips to give you food for thought when making your own.

If you want to use a floral centerpiece, stick with silk flowers. These can still make amazing displays and you can learn how to arrange flowers using online resources if you do not have any prior experience.

Keep the idea simple especially if you are making more than 10 of them. If you have to go through 20 steps to make one display, by the time you get to your thousandth step on your 50th one you will be going stir crazy.

Use attractive and different containers to add interest to them. Jugs, vases and bowls come in any number of colors and shapes these days so choose an unusual piece and use it to hold a few simple long stem flowers, a number of flower heads or colored water with floating candles.

Consider using fruit to add color to your wedding centerpiece. Fruits are also quite cheap and easy to put together. Either stack normal fruits of the same color in an attractive bowl and intersperse with contrasting colored flower heads or make a display with tropical fruits. You could also slice fruits into vases of water and use them to anchor a few flowers.

If you are thinking of doing your own wedding centerpieces make sure you have a practice run well in advance. You might have an idea that seems perfect in your mind’s eye but looks awful in real life. Invite a few of your bridesmaids round, give them a selection of items to use based on the color or theme of your wedding and see what you can all come up with.