For special occasions like a family dinner, or when you have business associates or friends over, little finishing touches can add a lot to the dining table where you sit down to share the meal, as well as conversation and each other's company.

Table centerpieces are the favorite decoration, and in a pinch, you can always use the silk arrangement that you keep in the china cabinet, or get a fresh flower arrangement from the local florist.

Some people however, like to exercise their preferences or creativity, and assemble their own centerpiece creations. Candelabras are extremely popular, but when considering these, keep in mind the material they are crafted from. Silver is wonderful, but cleaning something with whorls and deep troughs in the design can be very difficult. The alternative is silver-plated candelabras, but although they do look nice, just don't have the same shine as "real" silver.

The candelabra should not dominate your table. This doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the number of candles for a small dinner party of eight. It just means you need to choose a style that is lower in the pedestal, so that guests are able to see across the table. You can still have five graduated candles with a peak in the center, which provides plenty of light and warmth to the room and the table atmosphere.

To enhance the light from your candelabras, place them on round mirror bases, than have felt on the reverse side, to save the table surface if you aren't using a cloth. Multiply your light and the glitter of crystal and silver, by placing miniature crystal figurines around the base of the candelabra, or for the very low models, on either side. Not only will the glitter dazzle your guests, but it will earn you a reputation for inventiveness!