Thanksgiving Craft: Dinner Table Centerpiece

Why should kids have all the fun? Thanksgiving is a time when us grown-ups get a major piece of the fun pie!    Today, I want to wet your appetite for ‘Thanksgiving Crafts’ that will help you decorate the home for the holidays:

We are going to create a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Creating a Fall-themed dinner table center piece is a project that can be prepared early. This way you get to experiment before the big holiday, and enjoy your fall foliage for a nice, long time.  Then, on Thanksgiving day weekend, you can simply spruce it up what is around, or re-make your favorite center piece.

What’s nice is that many traditional Fall & Thanksgiving decorations also complement the Halloween-theme, so you get 2 for the price of 1, as far as home decorating is concerned, if you make one with me today.

Craft Needs & Materials

What you’ll need for this Thanksgiving craft is:

A. A bag of creative spirits

B. An equally large sized bag of found Fall foliage, berries, nuts, seeds and branches.

C. Fresh fruit and faux flowers, or faux fruit and fresh flowers.

D. A vase or other Fall-inspired ‘container’ or display tray.

E. Optional: candles

How to Make your Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Step-by-step Tutorial:

Step 1. Group your items: large items vs.. small, and group colors. Based on what you have, decide on an appropriate color scheme: pastel purples; or bright orange & green?

Step 2. Layer the edges of your tray or container with Fall foliage.

Step 3. Decide on a focal point for your display, and start adding items with this focal point in mind.

Step 4. Place large items first, smaller later, to create the shape and design you want.

Tip: Depending on the size of your table, consider adding squashes and gourds. Note that just one exotic fruit, such as a star fruit can give your whole display a lift.

Tip: Handmade paper flowers in the right color can be a great way to create splendor.

Step 5. Judge! If it does not feel right yet, adjust it.
If your focal point does not stand out sufficiently, consider adding a big fall-colored bow. If it looks too messy, replace some of the smaller items with large ones, and/or group the smaller items together. If it looks too plain, add some twigs or other lovely detail.

Remember that repetitive use of the same item looks better than lots of different things on display. E.g. 9 bright red apples will look stronger on a display, than 3 red, 5 green, and 1 non-descript-colored apple.

Step 6. If your centerpiece looks right, and you just love it, take a picture. If you take pictures of all the ‘trial’ Thanksgiving dinner table center pieces you’ll make this Fall, and you are sure to identify a true winner for your actual Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Dinner Table Centerpiece Ideas

Now before you begin, have a look at these creative and easy centerpiece ideas. See how they are implementing the tips in our centerpiece creation tutorial? Note that ‘container’ is a loosely held concept… It can be a jute bag over marmalade jar, a basket, a plate or some oversized branches.

Now it’s your turn…

Have fun, and … dare to be different !

Over to YOU (Linky Party)

That’s probably enough ideas to get your creative juices going. Show me what you have made. You can find our current linky party at the home page: Your DIY Tutorial (linky party). I’d love to feature your work!!!

photo credit: Better Homes & Garden, a.o.