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| Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler |
| This easy-to-make centerpiece includes flower heads that will dry nicely in place, like sedum, Russian sage and goldenrod. Indian corn, mini pumpkins, gourds and pinecones finished the look. | With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving not too far behind, many start to think of all the preparations that go into planning the celebratory meal, including the centerpiece. But you don’t have to spend a fortune on your table decorations – and there’s no need to wait until we’re closer to Thanksgiving to start decorating. Here’s an easy, inexpensive and beautiful centerpiece you can put together with just a few candles, some natural materials from the garden and a cup of coffee in your hand. Making this seasonal decoration has become almost a ritual at our house. The kids like making suggestions as to what we should include in our collection of natural autumn materials, and they enjoy being “assigned” the job of combing the neighborhood for the biggest, most colorful leaves.
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| Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler |
| Start your decorating by placing your candles in a pattern on the table. | Here’s how to make this centerpiece for your own fall table: 1. Start with the candles. I like tall pillar candles – 3-5 in a row – on my long, rectangular table. If you have a circular or square table, cluster 3 candles together instead. Choose bright fall-themed colors (like orange, red or glowing yellow) that will contrast with the predominantly somber hues of the garden this time of year. 2. Add a few focal point pieces. Find a few natural items that can be colorful focal points in your arrangement, like small pumpkins, squashes, pinecones or gourds. (If you don’t have any in your garden, you can purchase some for a few dollars at a fall farmers’ market, a garden center or your supermarket.) 3. Fill in around the focal point pieces.
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| Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler |
| Place the larger focal-point items around the candles. (Play with the positioning and number until you come up with a combination you like.) | Tuck in clusters of seed heads (taken from your garden) so that the cut ends are tucked into the center of your arrangement. Everything should fan or radiate out from the middle of your centerpiece. If you have a long arrangement, feather out your seed heads at both ends for a graceful look. How long your arrangement will last
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| Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler |
| If you’d like to include some fresh flowers in your centerpiece, bunch the stems together with a rubber band, place in a small glass (or jar) of water, then hide the container with more natural materials. | depends on the materials you use. If everything is nicely dried from the start (or if the materials will still look attractive as they continue to dry), your centerpiece should last for weeks. Of course, autumn leaves will last only about 2-3 days before they shrivel and crisp up in the dry, warm indoors – but these are obviously easy to replace as needed. Little pumpkins and gourds will last for a few weeks. As the season progresses and your natural materials need replacing, you can keep changing the look of your centerpiece, mixing and matching based on what your autumn garden has to offer. (My bet is that you and your family will find out that’s half the fun!) Enjoy your decorating – and all the nature-filled goodness!
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| Warnings |
- Never leave burning candles unattended – especially when they’re surrounded by dried (or drying) plant material! It doesn’t take much to start a fire.
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| Tips |
- Before you light your candles for the first time, trim the wick to about a quarter inch to ensure better, cleaner burning. Then burn the candle for at least two hours to get the melting wax to pool properly. If you’re worried about the wax dripping onto your table, make the arrangement on a very large platter or serving tray.
- Use this same centerpiece formula season after season. During the winter holidays, use red, green, white, blue, gold or silver pillar candles. Surround them with evergreen trimmings and berries from your garden. Accent with ball ornaments or more naturalistic nuts in their shells, as well as apples, pears, pomegranates, citrus and other colorful fruits. In spring and summer, use either pastel or brightly colored candles, and use flowering branches, seasonal flowers, berries, fruits and vegetables as accents.
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| Share |
- We’d love to see your seasonal centerpieces! Share your creations with the rest of our Learn2Grow community. Be sure to post pictures of your nature-inspired table decorations.
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