Well here it is. Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and I’ve put off writing about last minute holiday centerpieces as long as I can. Oh, the irony, but I’m sure my procrastination will lend this little post that all-important tone of authenticity. Not to mention panic!
So if you haven’t gotten around to figuring out your own table decor, no worries. Here are some easy last minute ideas for your last minute decorating. It's not too late to have a lovely Thanksgiving table.
Candles, more candles, and then some candlesticks
Light some candles and you’ve got an instant party. Put a bunch of them in the center of the table on a tray and you’ve got a centerpiece light show!
If you like a vintage look, glue glass candlesticks of varying heights onto the bottom of mason jars. (I use an all purpose, heavy duty craft glue called E-6000 to hold them together, and they will need to cure overnight.)
The candlesticks themselves are pretty easy to find at the Dollar Tree or thrift stores, and the candleholders can be used for other holidays as well. Make groupings of them in different sizes or use them together with other objects on your table. This is a shot of our Thanksgiving table a few years ago. :-)
A few other candle holder ideas: neatly cut a round chunk out of the top of an apple and insert a tea light.
(Hint: trace around the tea light to cut the correct sized hole) Arrange a bunch of these down the center of the table ... and look! How cute!
You can do this with other fun, unexpected veggies like artichokes, gourds, oranges, even cabbages.
And speaking of arrangements…
Use a pumpkin
Is it really Thanksgiving without a pumpkin? You make a vase out of a pumpkin by scooping out the insides (or get a kid to do it) and use it to hold a flower arrangement.
Keep the flowers fresh longer by inserting a can into the pumpkin to hold some water, or better yet, some florist oasis. I tried this one year and added a few apples and some cascading red grapes and it was quite lovely. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo to prove it, so here's one from www.jennysteffens.com
so you can see how great it can look.
And for a zippy, 10 minute centerpiece, just arrange a line of pumpkins down the center of the table and mix in pinecones, leaves, twigs, some votives or whatever you like.
You can layer these on top of a table runner or make your own runner by folding a tablecloth into thirds the long way and laying it over another contrasting cloth.
One for all
Or what about making EVERYONE an arrangement of their own? Get a bunch of orange mugs (another Dollar Store find!), one for every guest, and fill them with a few flowers and twigs, or maybe greenery from the yard. Put one at each place and then let everyone take one home to enjoy for the rest of the week.
And one last thought: the longer the table, the more décor you need so the people on the ends don’t feel left out.
Whether or not you’re decorating the table this year, I hope your holiday is filled with family and friends and the things you love best.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to you!
