Collectible Centerpiece

Place your collection
center stage.

Centerpieces and embellishments created from collections and found objects are easy, fun, and personal. Whether they're found beachside, at flea markets, in the attic, or at the back of the closet, a clutch of mismatched items gives your table a hint of your personality and interests. Collections also can take center stage as a great way to display some of your favorite things.

Here are a few suggestions for easily gathered centerpiece items:

• Interesting bottles, both old and new, that hold individual blooms
• Jars of home-canned fruits and vegetables
• Stones, pebbles, and rocks that have been scrubbed clean
• Small sailboats and other beach toys
• Seashells or other vacation memorabilia
• Old family photographs
• A small arrangement of vintage hats and gloves
• Miniature garden items, such as watering cans, tools, and wheelbarrows
• Well-loved dolls, teddy bears, and stuffed animals
• A collection of miniature chairs
• Mismatched but similar candlesticks of varying heights
• Any collection of small items -- Eiffel towers, pitchers, ceramic shoes, figurines, antique toys, rabbits
• Salt cellars, finger bowls, or other old-fashioned dinnerware pieces
• Musical instruments and old sheet music
• Old books, topped with antique reading glasses