5-Ingredient (or Less) DIY Centerpieces

Cut three birch bark tubes so that each one is about an inch shorter than the last. (Our tallest tube measures 7 inches tall.) Place an empty can or plastic cup that’s about its same height inside each tube. Pot a succulent in each, then surround the top with moss. Tie the tubes together with suede cord. Tubes: 7"- to 10"-tall birch bark tubes, $14.50 each, save-on-crafts.com; Moss: SuperMoss preserved sheet moss, $11 for 8 ounces, jamaligarden.com; Cord: Bead Landing Latigo Lace 3/16"-wide leather cording in chocolate, $8 for 3 yards, michaels.com

Pull apart a napkin. Keep the top layer only, and iron it on a very low setting to remove any creases. Trim the napkin to the size of a vase, then adhere it to the vase with spray mount. Seal it with a coat of aerosol hair spray, which will act as a fixative and help protect the napkin. Fill the vase with flowers (we used ranunculus). Napkin: Caspari Blue and White China 3-ply luncheon napkins, $6 for a set of 20, paperstyle.com; Vase: 5"W x 5"D x 12"H ceramic vase in gloss white, $12, jamaligarden.com 

Apply gold leaf to a few artificial pears following the package instructions. Spray the pears with an acrylic sealer made for gold leaf, and let dry. Fill a gold wire bowl with the pears as well as real pomegranates, apples, and greenery (we used bay leaves). Gold leaf: Gold Leaf Starter Kit, $14, joann.com; Bowl: Norm Architects Wire 4"H x 10"-diameter brass-plated steel bowl, $50, menudesignshop.com

Melt a chunk of paraffin wax following the package instructions. Add one of two unwrapped crayons to the wax to tint it the color you want. Carefully pour the wax into an empty can, and dip the bottom of a candle into it. Let the excess wax drip off, then let the candle dry on wax paper. Repeat with more candles, using different-color crayons, then group the candles on a serving board. Wax: ArtMinds paraffin wax, $5 for 1 pound, michaels.com; Candles: Pillar candles in assorted sizes in white, from $5 each, potterybarns.com; Serving board: Notch 26”W x 8”D x 1”H acacia server, $30, cb2.com