How to Make a Tropical Centerpiece

Determine if you'd like a tall flower arrangement or a short centerpiece that your guests won't have to peer around when talking to one another. Use a glass cylinder vase or a dramatic, black tower vase to make a centerpiece with eye-catching height. Use a glass bowl or footed, wide-mouthed vase to create a short arrangement.

Enhance the tropical feel by covering the sides of a plain glass cylinder vase with thin wood sticks affixed with double-sided tape or a hot glue gun. This will create a bamboo look reminiscent of a tiki hut.

Pour water into the vase or bowl until it is two to three inches from the top, so it won't overflow when you add the foliage and flowers. Prolong the life of the arrangement by mixing two to three drops of bleach into the water.

Choose flowers that coordinate with the color scheme of the room or outdoor decor. Select an assortment of tall, coral or pink Heliconia stems; white, red or pink Anthuriums; purple or white Dendrobium orchid sprays; or orange or yellow Protea stems for a woodsy look.

Arrange the flowers in different levels and color variations, using scissors or gardening shears to cut the stems to the desired height. Place the tallest flowers in the center and ensure one-sided flowers, like bird of paradise blooms, are facing out.

Add tropical foliage to the vase to add a touch of green and fill in around the flowers. Consider varieties like the two-toned Calathea makoyana leaf, bamboo orchid stems, a bird of paradise leaf, or airy palm leaves or fronds.

Display the tropical centerpiece on a bamboo mat or a banana leaf, available through florists or Asian markets. Complete the look by adding a cluster of tropical-themed embellishments around the base of the flower arrangement, such as an assortment of whole tropical fruits, loose flower blooms or shells.