Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces
Fruit and greens [1]
Place pillar candles, evergreen branches, pinecones and clementines on a beveled-edge mirror for a nature-inspired tabletop arrangement.
Pretty in white [4]
For a simple tabletop arrangement, place mini white or orange-stripe pumpkins on white candlesticks and dishware. A bittersweet branch in a vase adds a punch of bright color. Fill in with gourds to complete the elegant display. (The little orange-stripe gourds are called 'Lil' Pump-Ke-Mon'.)
Cornucopia [7]
Small pumpkins and gourds spilling out of a cornucopia create a lush seasonal look on your tabletop.
Edible arrangement [10]
Everyone loves pie at Thanksgiving, so why not incorporate it into your centerpiece? Place pies on pedestals or cake stands at different heights. A birch trunk makes a pretty, natural pedestal. Fill in with leaves and fruits. Use small paper flags to label pie flavors.
Dressed-up fruits [13]
Add sparkle to autumn colors with this easy centerpiece idea. Choose a few pears or apples and decorate with adhesive decals in silver, bronze, and gold tones. Group together in a bowl or place along a table runner.
Harvest table [16]
An easy grouping of seasonal items and colors brings autumn to your tabletop.
Orange and white pumpkins plus yellow chrysanthemums in a sunny yellow container create an eye-catching centerpiece. Elevate some of the pumpkins for added flair.
Thankful tree [19]
Decorate your table or mantel with this simple centerpiece. Spray-paint a branch white and nestle in nuts inside a tall, clear vase. Tie on construction paper or foam leaves with the names of family and friends and what they are most thankful for this year.
Autumn glow [22]
To create a low centerpiece that encourages conversations even across the table, group fall-hue pillar candles of different heights on top of a wood cutting board. Finish the look with dried oranges, fall gourds and bittersweet. For coordinating place settings, top each napkin with a single fall leaf, and tie a velvety ribbon around the middle.
Naturally simple [25]
Pears, nuts, fall leaves and wheat grouped in a wire bowl form a pretty centerpiece that celebrates autumn's bounty. Accent the display with a solid-color table runner and chartreuse Hypericum berries grouped in small glass vases or cups.
Corn place setting [28]
Braided ribbon holds dried corn in a cloth napkin for a simple place setting.
Harvest holder [31]
Turn a small pumpkin into a candleholder by carving out the middle. Hot-glue mini pinecones and berries around the pumpkin top then surround with larger pinecones, gourds, mini pumpkins and moss. Corral the grouping with birch branches. To add more fall flair, hang mini pumpkins from a twig tree at each end of the table.
Small world [34]
An old globe becomes a unique display vessel when you separate the hemispheres. To create a seasonal look, place pinecones, acorns, seedpods, small pumpkins and bittersweet inside the "bowl." Elevate it on a short candleholder, cup or vase. The centerpiece is a pretty reminder to be thankful for our world and environment.
Flowers under glass [37]
Just flip unused flutes and wine glasses over flower buds for this easy last-minute centerpiece. Place on top of a decorative charger or tray. For a long-lasting arrangement, use artificial flowers.
Bountiful tabletop [40]
Create a beautiful table display that shows off the bounty of the season. Cylindrical vases filled with birdseed provide a sturdy base for branches from which small pumpkins dangle on bits of twine. Between the vases, hollowed-out gourds hold candles as well as berries. Finish the look by arranging berries, pinecones, gourds, branches and moss around the vases.
Easy maize [43]
Maize and wheat create a simple Thanksgiving centerpiece that harkens back to the origins of the holiday. Place dry floral foam in a galvanized pail or bucket so that it sticks up over the rim an inch or two. Insert wheat stalks into the foam. They should fan out around the edges of the container. Top with multicolor ears of maize. For festive place settings, attach a name card to an extra cob set on each plate.
Uplifting arrangement [46]
Put white gourds on pedestals for a fun last-minute autumn table topper. Repurpose old table legs and balusters as low pedestals (shown here), or try candleholders, cake stands, goblets or clay pots. A bright table runner ties it all together.
Quiet country [49]
A bunch of hydrangeas overflowing from a single vessel adds understated elegance to an autumn table. Emphasize fall's bounty by placing green and white gourds around the arrangement and flanking it with lanterns.
Easy fruit box [52]
Use a wooden box to serve as a centerpiece. Fill the base with dry floral foam, then tuck mixed evergreens throughout. Attach citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and limes, to floral picks, and tuck them into the greenery. For the clove patterns, use a pencil to draw spirals or other designs on an orange, then poke whole cloves into the skin at evenly spaced points.
Pretty place cards [55]
Focus on each guest with a handwritten place card that's decorated with a twig of orange-red bittersweet. Holiday-shape chocolates at each place setting will sweetly draw guests' attention.
Colorful bunches [58]
Fall-color blooms and berries in round glass vases brighten an autumn table in minutes. Try spicy-hue orange chrysanthemums, bittersweet, marigolds, poppies or zinnias.
Pumpkin vases [61]
Turn white 'Lumina' pumpkins into pretty fall containers. Remove tops and hollow out pumpkins. Insert containers to hold floral arrangements and water. Cattails, fall leaves, seasonal berries and orange tulips create a sophisticated mix.
Color burst [64]
Combine dried and fresh flowers for a Thanksgiving display. Light pink-and-green dried hydrangeas form a pretty base for bold hot-pink peonies and red bittersweet.
Corn candle [67]
For a last-minute Thanksgiving centerpiece, place candles inside clear-glass vases and fill with yellow corn kernels or popcorn kernels. Enjoy the simple glow.
Go nuts! [70]
Surround a sweet arrangement of roses (or other flowers) with different kinds of nuts -- Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts -- for an easy table topper that doubles as a snack.
Easy does it [73]
Create a centerpiece in minutes with three pumpkins (of various sizes) arranged on a cake stand. White 'Lumina' and orange-stripe 'Lil' Pump-Ke-Mon' look simple and sophisticated.
Family tree [76]
Make a family tree, literally, by hanging photo "ornaments" on a potted tabletop tree. Clip photos directly to tree branches or hang from twine or string. For added color, cover potting soil with red cherries or mini gourds.
Words of wisdom [79]
A crafts-store ribbon with messages of thanks decorates a table and recalls the reason for the season. Weave the ribbon around a centerpiece of gourds and topiary trees for a pulled-together look.
Let loose [82]
For a subtle fall-color display, arrange red, peach, apricot and orange flowers and berries in a footed compote. Here, orange chrysanthemums, Coreopsis 'Mango Punch' and ornamental black pepper (the red berries) mix to form a loose, casual bouquet.
Pumpkin mums [85]
Tuck fresh mums inside a pumpkin for an easy, natural centerpiece.
Thanksgiving glow [88]
Candles in fall hues set the tone for an elegant and relaxed dinner. Autumn touches of bittersweet, leaves and gourds also grace a centerpiece arrangement.