Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

I told you guys last week that I was in charge of the Thanksgiving centerpiece and I took this responsibility very seriously.

I wanted to have a little fun and go beyond simply flowers and pumpkins so I created a great vignette with veggie vases and candleholders. It was surprisingly easy and made a great statement on our Thanksgiving table.

I started with a heaping pile of veggies and flowers. I used a few different types of squash, artichokes and pomegranates but you can use just about anything that’s sturdy enough. I saw people doing this with turnips and cabbage; anything will do!

Quick tip: I purchased everything at Whole Foods because I was there anyways, but don’t bother paying organic prices for these. You’re not exactly going to each the veggies!

From there, I had to level the bottoms to make sure each stood up straight and clear out vase space. For the gourds, I used a handy-dandy apple corer to clean out the middles. For the artichoke, I just used a knife since I wanted to keep the outside leaves in tact. And for the pomegranates I actually just used a little glue! I didn’t want to have the mess of their red juices, so I just lightly glued the buds to the top of the pomegranates.

Once each vase was all ready to go, I played with flowers and candles until I had the best arrangement.  My family’s style tends to be a bit more modern, so I stuck mostly with one type of flower in each veggie. But you could make this even more rustic with wild flowers and foliage. Or make it better suited for Christmas with pine branches and berries. The possibilities are endless!

A couple other tips:
* Because I cut the bottoms, I placed the “vases” on plates so they didn’t get their juices on the table cloth. I bet this would also look adorable grouped together on a tray or even a piece of rustic wood from the scrap yard. 
* If your opening is a little large for your candles or too deep for the look you’re going for, just stuff with tin foil until you get it just right.

Have you ever tried this before? Any other great tips?