Easy Seasonal Centerpiece

It is Fall here in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota and the trees are starting to show their brilliant colors.

Instead of the traditional floral arrangement on a dining room table , buffet table, or counter  consider a simple, elegant arrangement of seasonal produce.

Think about Fall's unusual fruits and foliage, and let them inspire you. Search your local farmer's market or grocery store for gourds, nuts in the shells, and bring out your faux fruits and or veggies. Use treated or silk oak and maple leaves with real dried twigs.  When arranged on tiered cake stands, these harvest-time items make a centerpiece that takes only minutes to create and you know how we like that idea!

Tools and Materials:

• Cake stands, assorted sizes
• Glass bowls
• Assorted fall foliage, such as oak leaves and branches - preserved or silk
  
• Assorted fall produce such as gourds,nuts, faux fruit &/or vegetables

Harvest Centerpiece How-To:
Stack two or three glass cake stands on top of each other to create tiers. You may wish to place a small glass bowl on top of the highest cake stand to complete the tier. Start placing the leaves and branches on the cake stands. Arrange an assortment of  perhaps faux pears, grapes, artichoke, nuts and gourds on top of the leaves.  Dried gourds would work well also. That is the fun creative part - so do what looks best to you.

There are two stands in this photo.  Some acrylic stands look good and milk glass ones are still easy to buy up at garage sales.  This also works with the tiered desert trays, although unless they are large and with widely spaced tiers, you can't get as much stuffed in. Abundance is the key term. I would also place something around the bottom of the stand or a loosely wrapped velvet or richly textured fabric. 

A little hot glue, or melted paraffin (if you want it off later) to secure each tier would be a good idea for us. If it is buried well enough you can always duct tape it together.  Duct tape comes in seasonal colors, too.

Have a fun time  - you may need to practice at home and re-create it at the staged home or just make one for holiday entertaining at home.