This week’s post is all about taking your decorating to the next level. A higher level literally. Let me explain. Sometimes when your tray doesn’t look quite right or doesn’t look full, the solution is to literally raise some of your decor higher.
Grab a Download at the bottom of this post for 15 items to raise your tray decor!
Use risers to lift your decor on your tray when your objects are similar or the same height.
When to use this tip?
1) Have a couple of decor pieces all the same height? Lift one with a riser so visually one is taller than the other. The idea is to make their heights staggered in order to create the illusion that one piece is taller than the other.
2) Have empty space like this tray on the second tier? Lifting an object here or there fills the empty space and makes your tray appear full without adding any extra filler decor which can make a tray look cluttered.
3) Do you have a tray with a lip or an edge? Lifting objects will prevent trays with a lip from hiding your decor like the pumpkins on this tray or hiding text on your mugs.
4) Your tray just doesn’t look right, but you can’t quite put your finger on what’s the problem? Variations in height will add more visual interest to your tray making it look better with this simple trick of the eye. It creates imaginary triangles. I’ll explain more below.
LET’S FIX ALL THESE ISSUES!
See in the picture below how adding risers changes the look of the tray by lifting the decor, making it appear different levels visually, and filling in the empty space.
In this second picture, I’ve used risers or other objects as lifts to raise some of the decor. I chose to use wood slices with a bark edge for risers on this tray because it coordinates with the fall theme.
On the top tier I added wood slices under the white pillar candle and under the white pumpkin. Then, on the second tier, I used wood slices as risers to lift the orange pumpkin and the “Boo” mug. Finally, on the second tier, I used the eucalyptus greenery to raise the pinecone, and a mini plant pot flipped upside-down to raise the decorative round orb in the back. You could barley even see the orb in the previous picture because it was blocked by the mug.
Notice now how the tray looks full compared to the first picture. Also, by lifting the items I listed above, I’ve created a triangle effect between the decor on the first tiered and then another triangle with the decor on the second tier.
Download the list of 15 items to raise your tray decor below.
CAN YOU SPOT THE TRIANGLES?
On the first tier, the candle, white pumpkin and the flower in the vase make a triangle. On the second tier, the “Boo” mug, the orange pumpkin and the round decorative orb make another triangle with their placement. The Triangle Trick is a floral design technique I learned as a teenager working in a neighbor’s floral shop. Works like a charm! Give it a try on your next tray.
