Spring Centerpieces

Hollowed-out eggshells make naturally beautiful vases for tiny flower arrangements.

A watering can holding cut spring blossoms will continue to nurture flowers long after the bouquet is gone.

Adorn your spring party table with a mother hen centerpiece filled with pretty hyacinths.

Brilliant violet Muscari latifolium and tight blooms of Ranunculus get a boost in a lush, dense display. The flowers look equally fetching in a smaller-scale display.

Exuberant crepe-paper daffodils and tulips are a breeze to make -- and you don't have to worry about the arrangement wilting.

This nest cradles an exuberant mix of blooms from spring-flowering bulbs -- the botanical counterpart to newly hatched birds.

Let your china inspire you. Here, 'White Parrot' tulips and 'Saphir' muscari echo the hues of a willowware bowl.

A grouping of Easter egg votives makes a lovely centerpiece for your table.

Unless you get down on the ground to scrutinize small woodland flowers, it's easy to overlook their exquisite shapes and patterned petals. But clip a few stems of each for a pair of antique lab beakers, and details suddenly become clear -- the mini-orchard stack of epimediums, the variations on bell-like fritillarias.

These whimsical striped eggs look adorable stacked in a white compote.

Beneath this profusion of peonies, the container all but disappears. This clutch of Paeonia 'Blitz Torte,' 'Firebelle,' 'Diane Parks,' 'Pillow Dreams,' 'Senorita,' 'Port Royale,' 'He's My Star,' and 'Extra Sweet Pink' demonstrates that different cultivars mingle beautifully.

These "vases" are merely plain brown lunch bags with their tops rolled down; inside each is a jar filled with flowers.

Lilacs' subtle color variations are perfect for creating painterly, layered arrangements. Gather blooms in two or more hues, and group them by color gradation in a heavy vase.

Enliven your next buffet with an arrangement of eggcup bouquets displayed on cake stands. Choose small-budded flowers in similar hues, such as tulips, lily of the valley, paperwhites, and daffodils. Trim the stems so the blossoms will peek over the rims of the eggcups. Place a small round metal floral frog in each eggcup to help shape and weight the arrangements. Fill the cups three-quarters of the way with water, and then add the blooms. Arrange the mini bouquets on and around stands. Water daily for a long-lasting centerpiece.

Embellishing pillar candles with blades of grass highlights a plant that's rarely appreciated up close -- and unifies an assortment of candles.

A few of these simple arrangements make a wonderful nature-inspired scene perfect for the table.

For an Easter centerpiece, arrange several eggcups of spring flowers on a tray.

Mingle dainty Spanish bluebells with fluffy chive blossoms for a textured centerpiece.

Bright, blooming tulips will look dazzling on your table.

Inspired by the jeweled treasures crafted by Peter Carl Faberge around the turn of the 20th century, this "egg" is decorated with spring-blooming hyacinths and pearl-headed pins.