Whether traditional or modern, formal or fuss-free Thanksgiving centerpieces set a memorable ambiance for November gatherings.
Make an edible bread cornucopia, 'horn of plenty,' for the Thanksgiving table using refrigerated bread or pizza dough, a plastic bottle mold and aluminum foil. Wrap the bottle with foil, make a tail at one end and then layer adjoining strips of dough on the foil. Brush cornucopia with melted butter, remove the plastic bottle and bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes on the lower rack, or until it turns a golden, shiny brown. Fill with sweet or savory nibbles, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, gourds, nuts, rosemary breadstick twists or even cookies, for an impressive centerpiece that’ll keep guests happily munching while they wait for the main meal to begin. Or, get inspired from the following ideas and have fun creating a centerpiece completely customized.
- Slice and fill real squashes with floral foam to hold classic fall flowers, such as mums, pom-pom daisies and dahlias.
- For a pop of color on Thanksgiving tables, a large turquoise or pink pumpkin goes a long way.
- For a cranberry-filled vase, place a smaller glass cylinder inside a larger one, then pour fresh cranberries into the gap between the two vases. For flowers, mix a few grocery-store blooms with dried millet and faux dill blooms, or silk and dried flowers.
- An old dough bowl or wood trencher makes a great low centerpiece when filled with seasonal pumpkins, gourds, pinecones and flowering branches.
- Fill a stoneware sugar bowl with seeded eucalyptus, chrysanthemums and pears.
- Use one or a nest of baskets, floral foam and some blooms to craft a themed stunner.
- Incorporate family heirlooms by using an inherited (or thrifted) antique teapot, surrounded by other vintage finds.
- Stack two cake plates on top of each other with bite-size edibles; add other, shorter floral arrangements in pitchers or vases, if desired.
- Add soft candlelight with rustic textures of wood and lots of fall color via an assortment of fresh and faux gourds, silk sunflowers and dried seed pods.
- Accentuate a beautiful vintage container, antique tins, teapots, pitchers and storage containers, for charming stand-ins for modern vases while adding a hand-me-down touch of family history to tables.
- Place a few blooms, in fall shades, in a clear water glass for a less complicated or casual look.
- Cut leaf shapes from colorful card stock and attach to bare branches gathered from the backyard; before the meal, ask guests to write what they're most thankful for on the leaves, or just leave them blank.
For centerpiece assistance, Simply Blessed Flowers florists, located at 9200 Lebanon in Frisco, offer 11 different fall-themed arrangements, including pumpkin-based.
