okay so if you’ve been following the in-law dining room project — hi, welcome back, it’s been a minute. life happened. but we’re back and we’re finishing things, and today i want to talk about the centerpiece situation because it genuinely might be my favorite budget win yet.

Watch the Video

The Original Plan (and why it didn’t work out)

one of the last finishing touches for the dining room was a centerpiece. i had the perfect bowl picked out the kind that looks expensive and intentional and ties the whole room together. it was $80. just for the bowl. no florals, no foam, nothing just the bowl.

and then it sold out.

so instead of waiting around or spending $80+ on something i wasn’t even sure i could find again, i went to Target and Michaels and spent $18 total on a bowl that looks almost identical.

you can barely tell the difference. i’m not even exaggerating.

Original Bowl

What I Used To Make the Dupe Centerpiece

here’s the full breakdown of everything that went into it:

The Bowl

found this at Target for $18 LINK similar shape, similar feel, honestly just as good. if you want to see the original $80 version i was going to get, i’ll link that too [ADD LINK HERE] so you can do the side-by-side yourself.

The Florals

grabbed everything from Michaels LINK I went with faux stems that matched the vibe i was going for in the room. soft, neutral, a little organic-looking. the kind that photograph beautifully and won’t die on you two weeks later.

The Florist Foam

this is the secret weapon LINK . if you’ve never used florist foam for a faux arrangement, it’s a game changer. it holds your stems exactly where you put them and keeps everything looking intentional instead of just… dropped in a bowl.

florist foam to make flower arrangements

Back up Bowls If Sold Out

How I Put it Together

honestly it took maybe 20 minutes.

cut the florist foam to fit your bowl snugly
start with your tallest or most structured stems first to set the shape
fill in with softer, smaller stems around the edges
adjust until it looks natural uneven is actually better here
step back, move one stem, call it done

that’s it. no special skills required. just patience and a willingness to move stems around until your eye stops twitching.

The Result

it fits the dining room perfectly. it looks intentional. it looks expensive. and when i tell people the whole thing cost under $30 with the florals included, the reaction is always the same — genuine disbelief.

this is exactly why i don’t stress about “the perfect piece” selling out anymore. nine times out of ten, there’s a better version waiting at Target.