Create a Beautiful, Fall Centerpiece and Table Runner
Fall is such a wonderful season. The air is crisp, the colors are gorgeous, and the food is delicious. Pumpkin everything, and turkey for thanksgiving makes autumn a favorite season for so many people. Fall decorations are beautiful, too. Today I am going to show you how to create a beautiful, fall centerpiece and table runner that is also affordable.
I would love to say that autumn is my favorite season. And at this time of year I almost believe that. But then I remember that at the beginning of every season I breathe in the fresh, outdoor air and love just about everything about what’s going on outside.
So truth be told, I really am in love with every season. Sure, I’ll tire of winter as it stretches on too long, or I’ll be sick of the hot weather at the end of the summer while I begin to long for the cool, crisp days of fall, but I really do love every season. Each one has something so beautiful to enjoy.
But – it’s fall right now and so that’s the season we are talking about. I LOVE EVERYTHING about this season, especially all the pumpkin desserts and lattes. (Yes, I’m one of those.) I love sweaters and drinking copious amounts of tea. I love soup weather. And I also love all the pretty decorations in fall. And there are plenty of great ways to decorate for Autumn.
Confession: I’m not a huge holiday or seasonal decorator. I like simple, but my decorating style wouldn’t even hit that threshold. The extent of my decorating for fall usually is a couple pumpkins, and the one homemade sign I made years ago. That was about it. You won’t find my decor style on the front of any magazine any time soon….or ever for that matter.
But for some reason, unbeknownst to me, I just HAD to decorate a little more this year. I suddenly wanted to add a little flair to my home that screamed “IT’S FALL AND WE LOVE IT ALL!”
Of course, I didn’t go crazy because I wanted to stay within a budget, but I decided to add a little more to my pumpkins and sign. I decided my table needed something pretty on it. (Oh, and I even purchased a potted mum for my tiny porch. )
Here in Canada Fall is well underway, and we already had thanksgiving last weekend which would be a perfect reason to make a centerpiece, but if you are from the US you still have weeks until your thanksgiving. Why not consider making a frugal fall centerpiece?
Here are some ideas you can use to make your own beautiful fall decor for your table. Hopefully they can inspire you to make your own with the resources you have on hand.
PRETTY FALL TABLE CENTERPIECE AND RUNNER
First of all, I bought a bag of those smaller decorative pumpkins and gourds at the grocery store. That’s the only thing that cost me with this centerpiece. I then grabbed a mason jar and filled it with acorns.
Okay, full disclaimer: I didn’t fill it with acorns. I roped my kids into that job. They didn’t need too much convincing because they didn’t have to go far. Our front lawn is covered in acorns thanks to our neighbour’s maple tree hanging over our house.
I also grabbed a handful of overgrown grass and tossed it in vase I had. I added a candle that I owned as well.
but before I put all of this on the table, I found a piece of long brown paper I had from the kids and their crafting projects. I ran it down the table and taped it to both ends of the table. Originally I was going to write messages like, “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Happy Fall” on it, but decided to collect some leaves and put them on the runner instead.
If you have the time, press the leaves in a book for a few days. This will prevent them from curling up. I only left mine in a book for about a day and it wasn’t long enough. While they were flat when I put them on the table, it didn’t take them long to start to curl up again. Yet I had a few leaves that had been pressed longer and they stayed flat.
If you don’t have brown kraft paper, take a look around your house and see what you have. Do you have a piece of fabric? White paper? A table cloth you can fold to make smaller?
After I put the paper on the table, I took an apron I had and folded it up so that you couldn’t tell it was an apron. I put this on top of the paper in the middle of the table. Then I put all my decorative items on top – the pumpkins, acorns, candle, and vase.
It really was that simple! And it didn’t take a lot of money.
The key is to use some of what nature has to offer at this time of year. There’s so much beauty outside, wouldn’t you love to bring some of that into your home to decorate for the fall season?
Decorating doesn’t have to break the budget. It doesn’t have to be a ton of money. It just requires some creativity. Using things around your house in combination with what you can find outside can create a beautiful, unique look.
Looking for some more inspiration for this time of year? Check out these posts:
Easy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
What to do when you have too many Apples
So why not add a little bit of fall decor to your home this year? There’s something so cozy about a home that is decorated for the seasons. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money or a lot of time. Just something simple and frugal can add so much to your home.
