Ever since I declared September 1 the beginning of Autumn, I’ve been putting out little festive fall touches all over the house. I have my favorites, like the scarecrow above, that always receive the same place of honor, but there is one aspect of my autumn decor that changes every year…The Centerpiece.
Having a large family means table space is a precious commodity, but I’ve found that having a centerpiece of some kind is one of those frivolous things I’d rather not do without. A centerpiece makes a table inviting and festive. (Plus, it’s incentive to keep the table cleared of clutter so you can see the thing!)
I change the centerpiece out every season, but my favorite season to create a centerpiece for is Fall! The burnt browns, luscious reds, and brilliant golds make for stunning decor no matter how simple or extravagant the design.
My centerpieces are of the simple persuasion. I don’t have endless amounts of money and hours and space with which to create some monument to the season, but I do have a few bucks, a couple of minutes, and about a square foot in the center of the table that I can spare.
This is the centerpiece I created last year.
You can read a bit more about it from the link, but basically, it’s a pedastal, a candle, some potpourri, a vine, some leftover leaves and gourds I picked up alongside the road.
This year I decided on something simpler and more mobile.
Simply a cornucopia my mother-in-law didn’t want anymore and several $.99 picks from Hobby Lobby. Could it get any easier than that?
Yep, it sure could…
How about a wreath and a candle? Wreaths make for easy and elegant candle rings. This wreath I bought at a thrift store, spruced it up with some new ribbon and now it hangs in my kitchen, but it has often served as a candle ring as shown here.
Speaking of thrift stores, keep your eyes peeled for decorating treasures. This ceramic leaf came from Goodwill for a mere $2!
It can stand alone or add apples or gourds or whatever else you have lying around and turn it into this.
Baskets are one of my favorite fall decorating items! A basket can make anything look nice and they come in such an interesting variety. Once again, think thrift store. You might have to dig through a whole huge bin of baskets, but they are bound to have a treasure at just the right price!
This basket, like the wreath, currently resides in the kitchen, but it could easily grace the table as a centerpiece. It’s stuffed with raffia and then has one leaf garland cascading out of it. Simple!
And finally, what could be simpler than a canning jar (this is a half gallon wide mouth I use for raw milk) filled with sticks from my yard?! I had some eucalyptus laying around that I added to it, but really all you’d need are a bundle of sticks the kids gathered from the yard tied up with baling wire or raffia or ribbon, throw them a jar and call them a centerpiece!
This little number has a place on my piano where I can enjoy it from my living room rocker. It never ceases to amaze me how such simple things can make me smile.
It’s for that reason exactly that I have a centerpiece. It is such a simple, yet enjoyable bit of decor. The little bit of space it takes up is well worth the amount of joy and homeyness it creates.
Lucy Marie says
Those are all great ideas! I especially love the canning jar with sticks. So simple yet so lovely.
Audra says
What awesome ideas! We are on a tight budget and I have struggled to find frugal decorating ideas. You have inspired me!
Kara says
I love all your ideas! Fall is my favorite decorating time, other than Christmas. I have that exact same cornucopia, but you did a better job with yours! I also have sticks/eucalyptus, raffia, but in an old vase. I love your jar idea! Now I’m really motivated to get all my fall stuff out, even though fall weather won’t be arriving around here for a few more weeks!
Here’s mine:
http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2009/09/fall-festival-feathering-my-nest.html
Heart2Heart says
Amy,
Great ideas for your center pieces. I just picked up a cornacopia basket Target had on sale for 75% off of 2.50, so with a few left over fall leaves and some mini pumpkins, it makes for an amazing and creative centerpiece for our dining room table.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
M. Mcgough says
It all looks great! I particularly like that leaf dish I have been wanting something like that for a while.
Tracey says
Thanks for some beautiful yet simple ideas! These are the kind of centerpieces even my crafty-challenged self can make!
Fruitful Harvest says
Wow Amy~ What great decorations!
I love the reeds in the jar that you placed on the piano.
The goodwill leaf plate was a score…I love that place!
I too love a good gourd!
On another note:
I can’t help but giggle at my table situation!
You mentioned table space being a precious comodity in a large family…so true!
Remember when I mentioned my large dining table being outside under the patio(for my sister bridel shower back at the end of July?)
While it was still outside I had every good intention of refinishing it(it ain’t gonna happen).
You should see us now that the wheather is cooling down we are now forced to eat inside around the bistro table meant for 2! That is only inside to keep people from hitting their heads on the light fixture. We can only manage to squeeze 4 of us around it! I will be having a Garden Harvest Party on Sept.29 and since we will be outside (even if its cold) I have just left the large table outside!
I can hardly wait to bring my large table back it! I have enjoyed the extra space in the dinning room…it makes our house seem bigger!
Thanks for all the great table decorating ideas and the link to more!
Blessings,
Georgiann
Holly says
What great decorations. Its funny, I remember seeing lots of those “treasures” at my grandmothers house when I was little. I never paid much attention to them as a child. As an adult, I adore seasonal decorations and admire those like you who find the time, and have the craftiness, to make them a part of your homes. Thanks for sharing your pictures.
BTW, I found your blog through the BlogFrog network and wanted to say welcome! SO nice to discover your blog.
Holly (co-founder TheBlogFrog)
Hoosier Homemade says
How pretty! I have a leaf bowl similiar to yours and I put apples in it too.
Thanks for joining in the fun at Fall Fest!
~Liz
Monica says
All of your centerpieces are beautiful!! I love that you got most of them through thrift stores and thrifty finds. This really gives me some ideas for my home.
Jena says
I’m loving your blog! I’ve read back to your last few posts and am so interested in your lifestyle. I feel a lot like you said you used to feel: if the strategies used in large families work for them they must help in small families too! My hope is to put a lot of those techniques in place as much as possible before we have little ones so it will be that much easier. Anyway, I’ll be back for sure!
Lilyofthevalley - Tanya says
Beautiful! I should try my hand a something like that. Makes a home look so homey. 🙂
Just Jennifer says
those are all really pretty 🙂
Alicia says
I love all your centerpiece ideas. I may have to make a couple. You made it look so easy and simple.