Spring is finally here and it’s time to get away from the dull, dark days of winter. With the many family celebrations ahead like Easter and Mother’s Day, people will be getting together to enjoy great food and great company. Take this opportunity to wow them by creating some spectacular centerpieces and displays, often with items you already have and a few other things are easily obtainable.

The key to any great display is levels. To create these levels, use boxes, crates, cake pans, most anything with a flat bottom large enough to support a serving container. Turn these upside down at random in the serving area and cover with a large piece of fabric in a spring color or deep, hunter green is also very stunning. Gather the fabric in different spots to create a puddled effect.

Purchase some green styrofoam discs. and cover with moss. You can either stick in some spring flower picks, or cut a hole about and inch and a half in diameter in the center and stick in a votive holder. Just make sure the votive holder extends at least half an inch about the top of the moss to reduce the risk of fire. Also when you position these, be sure guests will not be reaching over the candles to get to the food!

For your flower arrangement, take a bunch of bright green Granny Smith apples and/or limes, and fill a large glass vase or bowl. Tuck in some dried or silk green hydrangeas and make a glorious arrangement. The fruit helps keep the flowers in place while reinforcing the "greening up" of Spring! Place apples and limes tucked in moss at random around the table also, to give it that extra special touch.

If the basic green idea doesn't appeal to you, use colored hydrangeas. or make a "rainbow" for your table! This can be done in a couple of ways, either by using a tall, clear vase and layering colored stone (like the kind you would use in fishbowls), gems, or sand in it, then sticking in some dogwood or pussy willow stems; or by selecting silk flowers in purples, blues, greens, yellows, oranges, and reds and making a mounded bouquet. Start with a half-sphere of floral foam and the purple flowers. Make a circle around the base with the purples, the next row up use blues, and so on. When finished, place it on a plate with tufts of cotton batting for clouds.

For a one-of-a-kind showstopping centerpiece, start with a child size umbrella. Open it up and set it at an angle, so that it looks kind of like a half of a tent. Underneath it stick lots of silk flowers and stick in tufts of cotton batting. You can even add a small pair of rubber boots too! Or use them to hold napkins, silverware, etc.

Another idea is to use excelsior grass and make little bird's nests. Fill them with jellybeans or chocolate eggs, and place one at each table setting. If you go with the rainbow idea, use the batting and make small clouds at each setting instead. or use some miniature muffin or candy papers and fill them with a gold wrapped chocolate to simulate a pot of gold!

A fresh and lovely, Spring table has been born. Who couldn't be happy when surrounded by such beauty? After spending the winter in the dark, gray doldrums (can you tell I live where winter is unbearable?!), it's time to brighten up your table and your spirit with some great spring tablescapes!