Ideas for a Fruit Tray Table Centerpiece

Use edible fresh fruit or realistic-looking immitation fruit.

A centerpiece is the crowning glory of any table, and few things brighten up the dining room or kitchen like a tray of fruit. Fruit symbolizes bounty and abundance, reminding onlookers of all things sweet and refreshing. Bright and colorful, fruit creates a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere for any occasion. Place a bountiful fruit centerpiece out for your next event.

Long Fruit Arrangement

Instead of piling fruit high on a small tray or bowl, line the fruit up along a long narrow tray. This arrangement is ideal for a rustic table setting. If you don’t have a long tray, purchase a 1-by-2 natural wood board about two-thirds the length of your table. Stain it a rich color for the presentation. Alternately, replace the tray or board entirely in favor of a trail of scattered silk leaves or flower petals down the center of the table. Place oranges, apples, pears or whatever is in season along the length of the tray, board or trail. Brighten it up a little with votive candles in glass holders interspersed throughout the row of fruit.

Cut Arrangements

Your centerpiece can double as an appetizer or dessert if you make a decorative cut fruit arrangement. Slice certain fruits, like cantaloupe and honeydew, into flat disks, then cookie-cut them into flower shapes. Cut other fruits, like apples, oranges and tangerines, into wedges. Soaking cut fruit in lemon juice and water prevents browning. Spear fruit with a skewer, and cap the tip with berries and grapes. A piece of florist foam on the tray, disguised with leaves or herbs, makes a good holder in which you can stand the skewered fruit.

Tiered Trays

A tiered tray adds height and grandeur to a fruit arrangement for a fancier display. You can use a tray made with tiers, or create your own. Lay a large platter down, invert a flower pot or bowl on its center, put a medium-size dish on top, another pot or bowl, then top it with the smallest dish. Use leafy greens or herbs to decorate the tiers, and lay an assortment of fruit on them.

Tropical Island Scene

Convert fruit into a tropical island sculpture scene. Slice the bottom of a pineapple, hollow it out, cut a rounded door into the bottom and you have a pineapple hut. Stand it on a tray covered with brown sugar, which resembles beach sand. Clusters of green grapes resemble bushes, and melon balls cut in half with a zigzag pattern resemble tropical flowers. Use your imagination to convert fruit into scenery.

References

• Ideas for Inexpensive Centerpieces: Edible Centerpieces
• Top Party Ideas: Luau Fruit and Flower Centerpiece
• “Tabletops: Easy, Practical, Beautiful Ways to Decorate the Table”; Barbara Milo Ohrback; 1997