A fabulous holiday feast requires a fantastic centrepiece to match, so this fall season, why not create your own Thanksgiving table display using fresh flowers? Designing your own Thanksgiving centrepiece is a great way to save money on decorations, plus it’s an excuse to get creative and have some fun!
If you’re new to floral design and arranging your own custom creations, here are some tips to get you started.
What Are The Best Fall Season Flowers for Centrepieces?
The hallmark of fall season decor is rich, warm colours that complement the changing leaves and gorgeous scenery outside. Opt for flowers and foliage in red, gold, orange, plum purple, and bronze shades. Some of our favourites for Thanksgiving centrepieces include:
- Orange tiger lilies
- Pampas grass
- Red dahlias
- Yellow and orange Spider chrysanthemums
- Hydrangeas
- Dried lotus seed pods
- Wheat sheaves
- Leafy sprigs with red berries
You can also use artificial silk fall foliage, or create a focal point with a dried floral bouquet to bring beautiful fall season colour to your Thanksgiving centrepiece.
Stylish Fall Containers for Your Thanksgiving Centrepiece
Once you’ve got your fall season plants and flowers picked out, you’ll need something pretty to put them in! Avoid tall containers””those will block sightlines across the table, which isn’t great for facilitating conversation!
Woven Baskets
For a rustic, prairie-inspired Thanksgiving centrepiece, a simple woven basket can look quite pretty without feeling too kitschy or quaint. Try to find one that’s longer than it is wide. This way, you can fit in some extra decorative accents amongst your flowers, such as metal lanterns with flameless tea lights.
Hollowed-Out Pumpkins
We can’t get enough of those ornamental gourds! Hollow out some pumpkins in different sizes and cluster them together in the centre of the table to be filled with fresh-cut flowers and foliage. Pile smaller gourds and other cute accents like apples and pinecones all around them to create a colourful autumn bounty.
Pumpkins are available in more than just shades of orange, so get creative with your colour schemes. For a modern, sophisticated look, use all-white pumpkins for your Thanksgiving centrepiece. Dark green and yellow striped gourds add a bold pop of colour, while yellow pumpkins bring a cheerful, sunny glow that warms up the scenery!
Rustic Antique Containers
Repurposed metal containers with an antique finish bring a sweet sense of nostalgia that’s perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday. Give them a quick wipe down and a polish, and they’re good to go. Try to stick to metals with a warmer tone, such as copper, bronze, or gold-toned materials.
The Horn of Plenty
Also known as the “cornucopia,” this traditional Thanksgiving centrepiece features a horn-shaped basket or vessel filled with the fruits of your fall season harvest. Fill your “˜horn of plenty’ with fresh flowers and plants, plus a mix of other garden delights like grapes, gourds, Indian corn, and leafy fall branches.
Basic Principles of Centrepiece Floral Design
Similar to most container designs, when you’re putting together your floral Thanksgiving centrepiece, you’ll want to follow these basic rules of composition:
- Place taller, upright plants in the middle
- Use lush, mounded plants in the middle to fill things out
- Add trailing plants around the border to cascade down the edges
Again, try not to make the arrangement too tall to avoid blocking sightlines. As an extra embellishment, surround your container with an assortment of apples, mini pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, or tiny candle holders in pretty fall season colours. If you’re planning on using tall candlesticks, make sure the flames are far away from any flowers or foliage plants””you don’t want to accidentally roast your turkey a second time!
If you need any help picking out flowers and plants for your Thanksgiving centrepiece, visit our Floral Studio on the main floor of Salisbury at Enjoy. The pros in our floral department have expert design instincts and will be more than happy to share their expertise!
