10 Creative Ideas for DIY Wedding Centerpieces

If you’ve ever planned a wedding or are currently in the middle of planning one, you know that costs add up…fast. Even if you’re not an avid DIYer, it can be quite tempting to get your DIY on when it comes to decor. Luckily, I’ve got your back – here are 10 (easy!) Creative Ideas for DIY Wedding Centerpieces.

10 Creative Ideas for DIY Wedding Centerpieces

1 – Cacti & Succulents

I love cacti and succulents for events because not only are they beautiful, but they last a long time without water. They’re a great way to add greenery to your DIY wedding centerpieces without the fear of wilting. For my Dusty Rose Wedding and Santa Fe-inspired Wedding, I used faux plants I had on hand, but you could definitely use real ones in the same ways. They can be placed in pretty much any container you like. I used gold terrariums and a bed of pebbles in a geometric wire bowl.

2 – Lanterns

Lanterns can make gorgeous multi-functional DIY wedding centerpieces. Put candles in them to provide each table with some warm romantic lighting, or get creative and fill them with other things. In the Moroccan-inspired Wedding I styled, I did both – put candles in some smaller lanterns, and florals flowing out of larger ones.

3 – Driftwood

For a beachy or organic look, try driftwood. I love the unique aesthetic each one brings to different tables since they are naturally all different. They’re also easy to add florals and greenery to, depending on your theme. I went for more of a seaside look for my Softly Shipwrecked Wedding, and used air plants in my Industrial DIY Wedding centerpieces.

4 – Balloons

Lots of people use balloons in their wedding celebrations, but few use them as centerpieces! This unique idea is easy and inexpensive, yet has a big impact. Decorate the string with florals and ribbon for a more formal look. (P.S. You can see nine more ways to use balloons in your wedding HERE.).

5 – Charcuterie

The last thing you want at your wedding are hangry guests. Making personalized Charcuterie boards the functional centerpieces of your tables is a great way to make sure your friends and family have something to snack on before their meals arrive, as it can take catering companies a bit of time to get everyone served. I did this on a smaller scale for my Shibori Outdoor Tablescape.

Alternatively, skip the big dessert table and use trays of treats as your centerpieces, as I did for a Confetti Bachelorette Party.

6 – Painted Letters

Weddings are all about LOVE, so why not spell it out on each table? The great thing about these centerpieces is you can easily paint them to match your color scheme. You can use ceramic letters like I did for my Lush Velvet Wedding, or wooden ones like I did for a Red and Pink Watercolor Shower. It doesn’t have to be the word “love”, however. Perhaps the couple’s initials or monogram? “I Do”? Get creative!

7 – Painted Wood (mixed pastel)

Speaking of painting wood to match your wedding theme, you aren’t limited to letters. There are so many inexpensive wood cutouts available in all sorts of shapes that you can use to create your DIY Wedding Centerpieces. For example, I used simple circular wood cutouts painted pink and added vinyl lettering, painted feathers, and faux florals for my Modern Mixed Pastel Brunch.

8 – Wishing Tree

An amazing Tibetan tradition I’ve learned about is that of the Prayer Flag Tree – a tree wrapped in colorful prayer flags set out each year to pray for good luck in the coming year. I was so inspired by this, I styled an entire shower inspired by Tibet, and for my centerpieces, I created “Wishing Trees”. This is the perfect interactive centerpiece for a wedding, where guests can write their best wishes for the couple and add them to the trees.

9 – Painted Palms

A really great way to add flair to any centerpiece is with painted palm leaves. It’s so easy to spray paint dried palms in the colors of your choice, making this a very versatile supply! For my Black and Gold Art Deco Wedding I painted them black and gold and added them to floral centerpieces with art deco table numbers.

I also used brightly painted dried palm leaves for my Disco-themed DIY Wedding Centerpieces. It’s as simple as placing them in a vase!

10 – Themed DIY Wedding Centerpieces

If your wedding has a pretty specific theme, centerpieces are the perfect place to get creative. Use a variety of objects that tie into the theme, and elevate them or contain them in a container of some sort in the center of each table. You can use my centerpieces below from my Travel-Inspired Wedding, Garden-Themed Wedding, Country Music Wedding, and Craft Brewery Wedding for inspiration.