DIY Centerpiece Idea for the Holidays
An easy DIY centerpiece idea for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Fresh greenery and a basic cake plate are all you need! Use pinecones and ornaments to add the colors of the season.
Welcome to the November edition of 20 Minute Decorating…a series that features projects and decor ideas that can be accomplished in 20 minutes or less. As always, posts like this are right up my alley. I don’t enjoy anything that’s difficult or time-consuming, and I love it when I already have most of the items. In this case, the only thing I purchased for this DIY centerpiece idea were the little fabric ornaments. Everything else was gathered from around my house and yard.
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What you need:
- cake plate (sources at end of the post)
- 4 inch wide candle
- 2 types of greenery (fresh or faux, small snips)
- tape
- pine cones
- small ornaments
- scissors or pruners
Simple Assembly Steps:
- Begin by placing the candle in the middle of the cake plate.
- Place the first type of greenery around the edge of the cake plate, adhering the stems with tape as you go.
- Gently tuck in the second type of greenery.
- When both types of stems are in place on the cake plate, nestle the pine cones and ornaments into the greenery.
DIY Centerpiece Idea Tips
- I knew in my head that this idea was going to work…but I ran into a slight issue getting the greenery to stay on the cake plate! I began by simply laying the little stems around the cake plate circle, like the spokes on a wheel. They stayed in place until I started placing the pine cones and ornaments. It was then that I ran into trouble! With the placement of each pine cone or ornament, the greenery moved and fell off. I decided I had to adhere the greenery to the cake plate, without damaging it. The simplest option I could think of was regular scotch tape. And it worked! As I placed each sprig of boxwood, I stuck a piece of tape over the stem. (See the image below.) After I got a circle of boxwood adhered to the cake plate, I was able to tuck the cypress stems right under the boxwood.
- Because the candle is very close to the greenery, it’s important to make sure the greenery isn’t in the way of the flame…and please don’t leave this centerpiece unattended. Another option is to use an LED battery operated candle.
- Other options for the cake plate are a round wood slice, a charger plate, a large round platter or tray, or a round placemat.
- Even if you use fresh greenery for this DIY centerpiece idea, it’s fine to make it in advance of when you need it. It will stay fresh for several days. I made the centerpiece featured in this post a week ago, and it still looks great.
- This idea can be used for Thanksgiving, and then quickly adapted for Christmas by switching out the muslin ornaments for something red and festive.
This is an idea that you can take and make your own. An ivy garland instead of the greenery clippings would be beautiful. Instead of pine cones, substitute large nuts still in the shells. There are no rules, and anything goes!
Additional sources:
Before purchasing anything to make this centerpiece, make sure to look around your house for usable items you already have. I found my cake plate at TJMaxx. See some other options by clicking the images below.
Take a look at the 20 minute decorating ideas my friends are sharing!
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