In between meal time, homework time and mom’s quite coffee time, does you kitchen table loo too bare? Embrace the fall season and keep the harvest colors close. Upcycle these readily available materials to make fall centerpieces.
Falling for Dried Flowers
1. Collect interesting vines, dried flowers and fallen leaves to create a fall bouquet.
2. Make two holes near the top of the can’s rim, across from each other. Thread a piece of craft wire through one end and secure it. Bend the wire so it looks like a small handle and secure the other end through the remaining hole.
3. Cover the outside of an aluminum can with fabric scraps or layers of fancy paper.
4. Store the bouquet in a large aluminum tin can.
Dress up Glass Jars
Glass jars collect like falling leaves. Some can be washed and reused for pantry staples. Others are perfect specimens for glass jar centerpieces.
1. Use wide-mouthed jars for large bouquets or to use as candle holders.
2. Embellish the exterior of the jar with a large rectangle of fabric. You can get creative by sewing in a working zipper or buttons, making it look like you actually “dressed” the jar.
3. Decorate with ribbons, sequins or long feathers (unless you’re adding a candle to the inside).
Gourd-geous Vase!
You see those mini gourds and pumpkins at the store and the local produce stand, but what can you do with them?
1. Carve out the center, from the top to make space for a small bunch of dried flowers. You can use a knife and sometimes an apple corer.
2. Make more than one and place them on an orange or yellow plate in the center of the table.
Fall: Inside and Out
Some people collect tea kettles, others collect baseball cards. Moms know that kids like to collect natural objects, including acorns and rocks.
1. Collect acorns, rocks and any other interesting fall objects. Use two or three small jars.
2. Tie a piece of colorful ribbon or a string of raffia around each jar. Or tie all three jars together for a simple centerpiece.
Autumn Aluminum Can Luminary
It’s hard to avoid filing the recycling bin with empty aluminum cans.
1. Draw a simple image on an aluminum can using a permanent marker. It could be a leaf, a pumpkin, a bat, an apple or an acorn. Punch holes in the can using a hammer and a nail.
2. Paint the exterior of the can with spray paint made for painting metal.
3. Add a candle or tea light.
4. Cut out a piece of felt or cork and glue it to the bottom of the can so it has a soft bottom.