Fun Tabletoppers

Some presents have real presence! Make a "box" of moist florist's foam, cover with tightly-clustered carnations, and finish with a wide satin ribbon to create a fragrant centerpiece -- or the perfect hostess gift.

Red-and-white peppermint sticks are hot-glued around a glass cylinder vase, tied with a red-and-white grosgrain ribbon, and finished with a candy ball. It's a jolly presentation for usually formal red roses.

Poked into a cardboard base that's sprinkled with fake snow, green Plexi-glass rods hold aloft peppermint balls in a contemporary sculpture. If you leave the mints in their wrappers, use a dab of hot glue to hold the candy aloft.

Carnation domes embellished with glass-ball ornaments and topped with a finial of marabou feathers rest atop candy-filled vases. Think of a holiday hat Dr. Seuss could have created.

Stripes are always the perfect complement to florals. Here, striped candy balls disguise the stems of a Christmas-red flower bouquet pushed into dampened floral foam.

A Styrofoam sphere covered with matte silver ball ornaments and snow-white marabou feathers -- and perched on a discount-store candlestick -- looks like a bouquet for a stellar snow princess.

A carnation-clad snowman watches over fanciful gumdrop trees and packages wrapped in geometric papers. Tightly-clustered white carnations cover stacked Styrofoam spheres to create Frosty. His buttons, smile and eyes are gumdrops -- and he proudly wears the traditional carrot nose.