3 Easy DIY Thanksgiving or Fall Centerpieces

It’s that time of year when gathering round the table happens more often then usual; at least at my house anyway! Growing up my mother would dust off her best china and set the dining table for our family feast. I don’t have a dining room, and my children are 5 and under, so formality happens only on very special occasion. This year I’ll be traveling to visit my family, but I spent a few hours brainstorming some easy and inexpensive centerpieces that I could pull together anywhere. Read on as I share three DIY Thanksgiving/fall centerpieces for your holiday tables.

Nature is the best resource! All three of the table centerpieces have that in common…pulling from Mother Nature for free beauty. For my first centerpiece I selected two glass vases of the same size and design. Use any two that are alike. Fill them half full with water and add a branch of colorful leaves to each vase. Yours don’t have to be the same as mine, just make sure to cut them approximately the same size.

For the very center, I placed a candle in a Huricane glass and filled it with mini birch wood logs. For a little added dimension place the Hurricane glass on top of a sliced log. Simple and inexpensive yet beautiful and sophisticated. Don’t worry, if you don’t have access to these natural elements, I’ve linked some sources below. If your leaves have already fallen, invest in some real looking branches and place them similarly in a vase of water. You’d be surprised how many people will be fooled!

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Shop Faux Fall Branches

Thanksgiving and fall read harvest in bounty to me. For my second centerpiece I filled a dough bowl with a variety of mini pumpkins and squash. To give it that overflowing feeling I placed sagebrush clippings in the bottom. This time of year the sagebrush is covered with these yellow flowers and it grows like a weed all over the Utah Valley. If this plant does not grow in your area, eucalyptus would be a great alternative.

After you have your plant base set, add the mini pumpkins and squash and place a few more sprigs throughout the bunch.

I love using a contained centerpiece because it is easily removed and placed somewhere else. I’ll be enjoying this centerpiece on my kitchen island for the next few days! I brought my dough bowl back from Africa a few years back, but I’ve linked some great alternatives below.

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My last centerpiece is a bit more involved, but it’s worth the effort. My mother used to serve the Thanksgiving feast at the actual table; family style. She still managed to get a few candle sticks out, but the food was the centerpiece. dKeeping this in mind, I thought it would be fun to elevate the Thanksgiving/fall centerpiece, leaving room for the food below!

I started with an old piece of reclaimed fence I had lying around. I’m sure if you look in your garage, you will find something similar. I cut it down to a size proportionate to my table. You choose the size accordingly. Then I cut 2 pieces of rope to the same size and looped them around my light fixture. I knotted the two ends together to create tow separate loops and hung the board between the two ropes. You might have to play around with the board to find the perfect balance!

After my board was securely hung, I added a few branches from my neighbors weeping willow tree. If you don’t have access to a weeping willow you could pick up some eucalyptus from a local florist.

I then stacked my sagebrush clippings on top of the weeping willow branches.

I placed 3 votive candles on the board; one centered, and the other 2 on each side. I added 2 mini squash on either side of the centered candle and 2 mini white pumpkins at each end of the board.

The final touch were these beautiful dried roses left over from my Anniversary back in April. They were so pretty I couldn’t let them go to waste. If you don’t have any dried roses lying around, fresh roses would be stunning as well. Roses of the orange, yellow, or white variety would be particularly beautiful.

This fall centerpiece looks beautiful placed on the table as well if you don’t want the hassle of hanging it!

I”ll leave you with a couple ideas for your place settings to go along with the three fall/Thanksgiving centerpieces. Each place setting starts with a natural woven placemat. I added a silver charger AND a vintage silver serving tray , tarnished and all! Place a folded napkin of choice on the tray and top it off with a white plate.

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To finish the look I added a touch of greenery, leaves, or squash depending on the chosen centerpiece. Basically pull one element or color from your centerpiece and repeat it on each setting. This is what I chose for the colorful leaf centerpiece.

Shop the Silver Chargers

Here is my coordinating table setting for the contained dough bowl centerpiece.

And finally the table setting for the rustic floating centerpiece. I added a sprig of the weeping willow.

Shop Napkins I love

If your serving a soup, offering a large tea cup as an alternative to a bowl is a fun way to add character.

Shop White Dish Sets on Sale

I hope I’ve inspired you to create your own Thanksgiving/ Fall centerpiece to dress up your table this year! Remember, easy and inexpensive doesn’t have to look cheap! I hope you enjoy this season with the ones you love!