2 great DIY centrepieces for your holiday table

A little imagination is all you need to create beautiful centrepieces for dinner parties at any time of year. Read on to get some great Valentine's Day and fall inspirations, too.

Here's a stunning dining table seasonal centrepiece that you'll use year after year. You'll need these materials, some of which you probably already have:

• An inexpensive, beveled mirror, 60 to 90 centimetres (two to three feet) long and 30 centimetres (one foot) wide
• Platter "feet"
• Two to three wide-bottom candles, depending on the length of the mirror
• Plumber's putty
• Greenery and flowers

If your dining table is long enough, use a mirror that's one metre (three feet) long and 30 centimetres (one foot) wide; the narrow size will enable guests to see each other and chat over dinner. Plumber's putty and feet can be purchased inexpensively at any hardware or home repair centre. Here's what to do:

1. Turn the mirror over and glue the small, round platter feet at each corner. This will keep your centrepiece from sitting flush to the table.
2. Turn the mirror back over and stand each candle on its surface, at equal distances from each other. If you're using a metre (three-foot) long mirror, attach three candles, equal distance apart, starting with the middle candle.
3. Apply plumber's putty to the bottom of each candle and secure it to the mirror by pressing firmly but carefully. Repeat with each candle.
4. Cover the mirror with seasonal decorations. Try pine trimmings, roping, holiday decorations and poinsettias for Christmas. For Easter, nestle coloured eggs among the trimmings.

At the end of the holiday, dispose of any fresh trimmings, carefully remove the candles, wipe the mirror with a solution of 50 per cent water and 50 per cent white vinegar, dry and store safely until the next holiday.

Add hearts to a Valentine's dining table without a lot of cost or effort. You'll need:

• A small plastic pencil sharpener
• Thin bamboo skewers

Here's what to do:

1. Cut two lengths of waxed paper 45 to 60 centimetres (18 to 24 inches) long.
2. Place a larger piece of newspaper on your ironing board and then lay one sheet of waxed paper on top.
3. With the pencil sharpener, shave pink and red crayons and the scatter the shavings randomly over the surface of the waxed paper, making sure there aren't any clumps or hard pieces.
4. Lay the second sheet of waxed paper over the shavings-covered sheet, then place another piece of newspaper on top.
5. Run an iron on a low-medium setting (no steam, please) over the newspaper until the crayon shavings are melted and the waxed paper sheets stick together completely.
6. After the paper has cooled, use a template to trace hearts in several sizes. Cut them out and attach a bamboo skewer to each heart with a couple drops of glue.

Add the hearts to your floral arrangement so that they appear to be sprouting upward. The hearts will be translucent in the light — candlelight, of course, for an intimate Valentine's dinner.

When your friends and neighbours ask you where you bought these lovely holiday table centrepieces, you can proudly say you made them yourself.