For many people, party planning stops after inviting the guests and setting the menu. One more step in the process can move your party from nice to memorable – designing your space to complement your party.

Fresh flowers offer the best starting point. Inviting, easy, and inexpensive, they give you the best bang for your design efforts. Visit your local grocery or warehouse store and select one or two bouquets of similar flowers – either type or color. If you have color in your linens, look for flowers that will work well with them.

If arranging flowers seems challenging to you, go for very simple. Let the flowers determine the design. In this picture, just two stems join a handful of oranges to make an elegant and simple arrangement. Use any hard fruit or vegetable or even objects such as stones or marbles to hold the stems in place and add to the design.

Scatter your flower arrangements throughout your home. If your vase collection is limited, use any glassware you have to hold flowers. Whether you choose a casual approach or more design-focused, fresh flowers tell your guests that you spent some special time thinking of them and planning for their welcome.