Expert pointers on creating a holiday centerpiece:

        • A dining table centerpiece should be low enough for people to see each other across the table.

        • A buffet centerpiece can be flat on the back or taller than a dining table centerpiece, which should be designed on all sides.

        • Keep the chandelier in mind if the centerpiece is going to sit under it, says Nyla Kramer. Also, the number of people to be seated at the table and the table's shape are important in keeping the table balanced, she says.

        • Fall colors are always important, and Keith Mueller stresses the season's texbtures as well, using vegetables and grains in his designs.

        • Consider a centerpiece of dried flowers, suggests Darlene Ackemyer, so you don't have to worry about watering. “You might want to get something that will last into Christmas,” she says.

        • You don't have to break the bank, says Barbara Henry, who picked materials that could be found at the florist, grocer or garden store for less than $11.

        • Look outside your door — leaves, acorns, twigs, branches. Ms. Ackemyer described a table runner of fall leaves and twigs arranged down the center of the table.

        • Take a plate or favorite tablecloth to the designer if you want to coordinate with those colors.

        • Enhance napkins with something from the arrangement. Mr. Mueller often uses willow grass or small hydrangeas on napkin rings.

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