Suggestions for Interesting, Homemade Centerpieces at Your Next Dinner Party

Is there anything worse than hosting a dinner party without a good centerpiece on the dining room table? Come on, is there? For my money, I can't think of anything worse than inviting all your friends over for a nice, fancy dinner and then realizing you don't have anything clever or appealing to act as a centerpiece. In fact, this is such a fear of mine that I often wake up to cold sweats in the middle of the night with this very feeling stuck in the pit of my belly. Luckily, for all of us, I sat down the other day and constructed a list of interesting, easy to make, homemade centerpieces. Dinner party throwers, worry no more. Jetlag Democracy is here to quell all your apprehensions. Here is my list (feel free to mix and match any of these ideas as you see fit):

-Dandelions in a mason jar: Yes, this suggestion is as rustically beautiful as it seems. Of course, this idea is season specific so you might have to wait until next spring to utilize it. Perfect for luncheons as well as casual dinners, this centerpiece is sure to get the neighborhood talking about how awesome your gatherings are. And to think, it was just a little dandelion. Somewhere, Robert Frost is smiling.

-Old CD's dangling from a chandelier: Not just for Hondas owned by Puerto Ricans anymore, hanging your old CD's from things is a great homemade way to make dinner parties shinier than ever. With the development of iTunes and the iPods, CD's are a thing of the past. Sure, you'll still buy them from time to time, but once you've imported the songs to iTunes, what do you need the actual CD for? Just get some fishing line and hang these beauties from the chandelier. It will make for a terrific edition to any dinner party.

-An old boot with flowers in it: This suggestion probably won't fly at a really posh or elegant dinner party, but if your friends happen to be "artistic types" than this centerpiece could blow their collective minds. Just find an old boot, preferably a waterproof, fishing boot, and get some cheap flowers (roses work well-they create a great contrast). And voila, you've got an awesomely creative centerpiece.