Creating a Centerpiece
Decorate your table on a dime
The dinner table isn’t just he place where some of my most cherished memories have been made, but it is also a focal point in our home. Our house has an “Open Concept,” so the kitchen and dining areas are are just as much a part of the living room as the couch itself!
This year we are hosting Thanksgiving in our home, and just like my mother, I want the table to represent how thrilled I am to have our family gathered around it. So my first thought was, “How do I do this without breaking the bank?” AKA, “How do I do this without getting a lecture from my loving husband?” So the wheels started spinning!
I already had gold chargers, a table runner, linen napkins, and jewel-toned glass plates. Since typical Fall colors are red, yellow, and orange, I knew I had a challenge in front of me. Not impossible though! The centerpiece I created, along with the table settings, can be done with any combination of items and will also be easily interchangeable throughout the seasons!
The Table Runner
I LOVE neutral table runners, because they can be used throughout the year and will go with just about any decor. Natural fibers are understated and add great texture. You can get an inexpensive neutral table runner from retail stores like HomeGoods, Target, or World Market. Mine is from Target.
The Centerpiece
Anyone can make a version of this centerpiece with items you likely already have in your home! What you’ll need:
Serving Tray
Vase
Dried Florals
Candlesticks
Candles
Seasonal Filler
I chose a gold tray, because my chargers are gold, and I didn’t want to buy new ones. Any metal or mirrored, square or round, serving tray will work! The gold tray pictured is from Hobby Lobby, and I used my 40% Off One Regular Priced Item coupon to purchase it at a discount. This coupon can always be found on their website!
Next, I added the candlesticks. I liked these gold brushed candlesticks, because they matched the tray and also went along with my jewel-toned theme. I used white candles, because they are simple and can be reused for any occasion. Both the candlesticks and candles were purchased at Hobby Lobby.
Now for the vase. Because my plates are jewel toned, I wanted to tie this color into the centerpiece. I found this teal glass vase, that not only brings the colors together, but also compliments the glass plates. Any vase could be used if you are putting this together with items in your home.
Because I already had so much color, I wanted the floral in the vase to be natural. The dried wheat also ties in the natural fiber table runner. For Christmas, I will probably change this out to some type of berry, and for Easter, I might use yellow forsythia stems.
Lastly, the Fall pumpkin filler is an extra touch to emphasize the season. I liked the gold and silver pumpkins, because my flatware is silver, while my chargers and placemats are gold. This centerpiece can be done without it, especially in between seasons, but for Thanksgiving I wanted EXTRA!. For Christmas, I will likely change it out to colorful ornaments or pine cones with greenery. Potpourri would also make a great filler!
The Place Settings
First of all, how dreamy are those gold rimmed, glass plates?! We received those as a wedding gift, and they are not only beautiful, but HUGE! If you want to go a little extra on your helpings during the holidays, no one will notice because the food looks so small! They are from Macy’s and come in a variety of colors, if you are wondering :) Like I said earlier, making these colors fit with Fall wasn’t easy, but still doable! I actually love the way things turned out!
Start with what you have. Take a quick inventory of things you already own and then start to build off of that. You’d be surprised what you can find tucked away in your cabinets! I already owned the gold chargers, plates, and linen napkins. All I added were the placemats and gold acorns! I chose these placemats because they can be used all year. (Notice how I try to buy staple items that are neutral and can be used throughout different seasons. This helps your money go much further). Placemats were purchased from HomeGoods and came in a pack of four.
How great are those acorns?! I found them at Hobby Lobby, on sale of course. They were in the same aisle as the Fall decorative items and were available in gold, silver, and rose gold. I chose gold, because it went with my theme. Other ideas would be to use a pumpkin for Thanksgiving, or an ornament during Christmas.
Gold Leaf Hot Pads
Yep! You heard it! The last item on the table are the gold leaves that serve as decoration and also hot pads for casserole dishes. I love a good functional decoration! If I ever get tired of the gold, I can always spray paint them a different color.
And there you have it! These colors worked well with the accents in my home, but you can do a version of this with many items you already have in your own home. If you are anything like me, you like to change things up each year, so decorating on a budget allows you to enjoy new things without the guilt of stashing last year’s decor in the back of the attic (that’s my reasoning, and I’m stickin’ to it!).
I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of love. Thanks for hanging out with me. ThCheers!