Any unique ideas for homemade centerpieces?

I really want to stay away from the typical flower arrangement. It has nothing to do with costs, but my fiance and I are just crafty people and we really want to make something cool. We were thinking of using photographs in some way, any ideas on what to do? This is a very formal, white tablecloth style, so it needs to be elegant but unique

Any unique ideas for homemade centerpieces?
Here are some interesting centerpieces that I have seen using photographs. I think that it is a really neat idea - and it's something the guests can look at and enjoy...


http://janetsboutique.com/images/PucciaP...


http://www.something-special.net/Picture...


http://www.pretaparty.com/images/phone_c...


http://shootingthekids.dpblogs.com/files...


Here are a few other unique centerpieces that I've seen.


http://www.eventdecorbykristin.com/cente...


http://www.classyoccasions.com/images/re...


I hope that this gives you some ideas. Good luck with your centerpieces! ♥


http://www.classyoccasions.com/images/DS...
Reply:I have no idea how much this would cost, or how much time it would take, but your mentioning using photographs made me think of it. Get a picture of the two of you together - if you don't have one of you in your wedding clothes, just use a close-up face shot of the two of you looking into each others eyes. Go to Hobby Lobby or wherever and find the goo that you can use to do photo transfers onto glass or ceramics. Maybe use a simple glass vase and put the picture on the side - one on every table, with a small bouquet; or on a tiny dish you can put at each place setting with a mint or whatever in it. This can be your "party favors". Add a line something like "Thank you for joining us in celebrating our union." or whatever.
Reply:Well if you want to use photos you could try using photos of the 2 of you growing up. You could even make them look more elegant by making them black and white or antiqued. You could use Gimp or photo shop to do this and it does not take much time at all.


You could put several pictures in small frames surrounding a glass bowl with floating candles to illuminate the photos.


Just one of many ideas you will receive.


Good luck on your special day!
Reply:For my wedding I was doing a sort of cinderella themed %26amp; my mom %26amp; I made miny castles out of white construction paper %26amp; cardboard. We glued it all together %26amp; then decorated the castle with really pretty beads that my aunt gave me from a wedding dress shop she works at. We glued them around the castle %26amp; sprinkled glitter on them. We also put our engagment picture on the front %26amp; topped the tips of the castle with small plastic doves we got at a craft store.


We made a base for the castle to sit on as well that we put fake flowers around. They came out beautiful %26amp; were well worth our hard work!! I got sooo many compliments on them! All my guests fought over who was taking them home lol. I made sure to steal one for myself that I still have %26amp; cherrish now!!
Reply:I had to skip the flowers because calla lilies are not in season in my country for my wedd. date :( So I decided to make this one instead: 3 round mirrors for the base, with tealights and acrylic diamonds scattered around. The centerpiece sits on the center of the mirrors and is a set of three boxes (large, med, small) covered in satin fabric and bows to coordinate with my wedding colors. Hanging from the ceiling (fish line) oval chandelier pendants and tiny white flowers. It looks so gorgeous!
Reply:We are making our own to look like a lit up gift. Check out the site below for ideas, but it is nice because you can customize it with your colors and add a little more sparkle to the event. In addition you could place flower petals or any other creative idea you have. Good luck!
Reply:how about some crystallized branches with pictures hanging from the branches via monofiliment (fishing line) so they appear to be floating








the how to for the branches is on the save-on-crafts.com site.





i think it's a great way to get height and formality with a sense of fun and whimsy at the same time
Reply:Here is what we did...I found a bunch of love sayings that we like, typed them up all pretty and framed them. We had 11 tables, 3 frames per table from the dollar store is $33. Many people commented on them, and a lot of them were taken home with the guests.





A cousin, in an email to me, came up with a great love saying. We added it to our list, placed it on her table. It made her mother cry because it touched them so much.
Reply:I wanted to use antique old books stacked unevenly - 3 to a table, with a single rose set horizontally on top. Does not fit my theme unfortunately as it is lovely and cheap, you can buy books at goodwill and other thrift stores or craigslist or ebay in bulk.
Reply:Oh I loved Chesney's centerpiece...


Basically a rose submerged in a small vase with a candle floating on top. Very elegant.





Another one I saw was having mini weddign cakes on each table, or even wedding cake toppers as centerpieces. I think it would be cool to get toppers from antique stores.
Reply:You can cover a vase with your color cloth, and put the picture on it with a glue gun, then add ribbon around the picture to act as a frame. Out of the top of the vase can be your flower. Be creative and have fun.
Reply:I used flat mirrored candle holders with one huge candle pillar surrounded by tiny candles and rose petals sprinkled about. The candles were lit.





Or could just use a vase of roses with a photo album propped up against it. Target sells really nice sterling silver plated albums.