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Brian Woodcock

77 DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces for a Picture-Perfect Display

Set the stage for a gracious gathering with a wow-worthy centerpiece for your table.

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Turkey time is here! As you're putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving menu and checking (and double-checking) your Thanksgiving grocery list, don't forget about the main attraction of the day. And, no we're not talking about the roast turkey. It's the Thanksgiving centerpiece! Put your DIY skills to work and create a beautiful Thanksgiving table. A wow-worthy centerpiece deserves a place of honor with your Thanksgiving table settings and thoughtful DIY placecards.

These extra touches will make guests feel like you've gone out of your way to create something special just for them. Much like the rest of the Thanksgiving quotes and Thanksgiving craft ideas we share, these handmade beauties come together quickly and easily. They're also inexpensive, rivaling the most gorgeous projects you've seen over on Pinterest, and at a fraction of the cost. That's just one more thing to be thankful for!

1

Layer Pinecones, Leaves, Fruit and Gourds

fall table place setting with orange dry leaves and pumpkins vertical format centerpieces thanksgiving day view from above
Svetlana-Cherruty//Getty Images

This centerpiece lets fall's bounty take centerstage, with a mix of fresh and dried fruit, pinecones, and autumn leaves. Extend the theme onto place setting by placing smaller leaves in the center of dinner plates.

SHOP DRIED FRUIT SLICES

2

Fill a Copper Pitcher

seasonal flower bouquet arrangement in a copper pitcher
Becky Luigart-Stayner

A seasonal flower arrangement takes center stage in a vintage copper pitcher.

SHOP COPPER PITCHERS

3

Make a Cloche Display

use vintage flower frogs to hold photos upright, then place beneath glass cloches and bell jars

Use vintage flower frogs to hold family photos upright, then place beneath glass cloches and bell jars. If your frog doesn’t have tines, fashion a holder by wrapping craft wire around a 3/4-inch dowel a few times, leaving a 1- to 2-inch tail that you insert into a hole of the flower frog. For a more organic feel, incorporate earthy elements such as moss, rocks, and pine cones.

SHOP CLOCHES

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4

Bring Out the Turkey Vases

turkey vases filled with wheat

These festive vessels are perfect for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Fill them with rustic wheat and dried flowers for a finishing touch. Check out resale sites like Chairish and Etsy for vintage pieces with extra character.

5

Craft a Rope Cornucopia

rope cornucopia with fruit
Annie Schlechter

Fashion a DIY cornucopia out of just 2 materials, rope and hot glue. For a striking display fill with monochromatic bounty such as red grapes and apples, and pomegranates.

To make: Fold the end of a long length of 3/4-inch manila or jute rope over on itself about 4 inches. Start wrapping the long length of rope around the folded piece, forming the cornucopia, arching it and making it wider as you work, holding everything together with hot glue. When you get to the desired size, do one last pass between and on top of the last two rows then add a circle of rope on the bottom to act as a base and keep it from rolling.

SHOP ROPE

6

Layer in Chinese Lanterns

chinese lantern flower bouquet
Michael Partenio

Beautiful Chinese lanterns take center stage in this floral arrangement. Combine the stems with leafy branches and fluffy marigolds in an antique pewter pitcher.

SHOP FAUX CHINESE LANTERN BULBS

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7

Arrange Wildflowers in a Pumpkin Vase

holiday table setting in autumn style
Irina_Barcari//Getty Images

Gather a sweet grouping of wildflowers into a hollowed out pumpkin for an easy-but-show-stopping centerpiece. Place smaller gourds on guests' plates and accent the rest of the table with smaller arrangements housed in mercury glass bud vases.

SHOP PUMPKIN VASE

8

Make Sophisticated Painted Pumpkins

whitewashed green pumpkins on a thanksgiving table

Five minutes and done! Paint a green or tan heirloom pumpkin with off-white acrylic paint for an easy DIY distressed look.

SHOP PAINT

9

Use a Vintage Vessel

blue transferware tureen filled with yellow and white flowers

A vintage blue-and-white transferware tureen stuffed full of white and yellow flowers, with hints of greenery, looks great on buffet or as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece. Bonus: Decoupage a white pumpkin with blue and white toile wallpaper (you can use color copies, too).

SHOP SOUP TUREENS

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10

Add LED Lights to Leafy Garland

thanksgiving dining table elegant place setting very shallow depth
Liliboas//Getty Images

Add a bit of extra sparkle to the center of your table with LED lights, arranged in a garland of faux autumn leaves. Vary the height of the centerpiece by placing small pumpkins on pedestals throughout, then tie guests' napkins with a tag that reads "thankful" for a finishing touch.

SHOP FALL LEAVES GARLAND

11

Use a Copper Milk Can

tall coopper milk jug with greens and berries on a tray

A copper milk can filled with greens and berries makes a bold statement as a centerpiece. Add a few orange taper candles to the table and you are ready to celebrate!

SHOP COPPER MILK CANS

12

Layer Turkey Salt and Pepper Shakers & Candlesticks

turkey salt and pepper shakers

Feather your table with these turkey-shaped salt and pepper shakers. Add fall-colored taper candles for a beautiful centerpiece.

SHOP TURKEY SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS

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13

Craft an Ombre Pumpkin Centerpiece

red and pink ombre painted pumpkins centerpiece with maroon flowers

Paint small white pumpkins in differing shades of red and pink to create a lovely ombre effect down the center of the table. Add single maroon flowers in bud vases here and there for a light floral touch. Bonus: Wrap the ends of cinnamon sticks in red twine and slip place cards in the stick's natural crevice to create place cards.

SHOP PAINT

14

Go Neutral and Sophisticated

neutral tones place setting with whitewashed pumpkins, dried gourds and diy button napkin rings

Neutral tones, including whitewashed pumpkins and dried gourds, are layered on top of a smattering of green eucalyptus leaves to create this sophisticated, neutral-toned centerpiece. Bonus: Thread twine through wood buttons and use to tie up linen napkins.

SHOP NAPKINS

15

Make Lace Pumpkins

orange pumpkins decorated with lace as a centerpiece with napkins tied into bows on orange and white plates

Not just for wedding dresses! Hot glue lace and sewing trim on orange pumpkins and sprinkle them down the center of the table. Orange flower and bittersweet add a soft touch. Bonus: Form napkins into a bow shape and slip a gold napkin ring over the center.

SHOP LACE

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16

Go Green

thanksgiving table with green gourds and acorn squash napkins wrapped in twine with acrons attached and a natural leaf place card painted with gold leaf

A scattering of green gourds and acorn squash laid down the center of the table and accented with orange and red flowers creates quite a pretty site. Bonus: Hot glue acorns to lengths of brown waxed twine and use to tie up rolled napkins. Apply gold leaf to a portion of a preserved maple leaf and use a gold paint pen to mark with guest's initials.

SHOP FAUX GREEN PUMPKINS

17

Add Layered Elements

thanksgiving table with a floral centerpiece in a vintage trophy and a table runner with embroidered family names

A plain cotton or linen table runner gets a personal touch when embroidered with the names of family and friends who have attended Thanksgivings past. Display and array of colorful flowers in a vintage trophy and add a scattering of small pine cones and tea lights to complete the scene.

SHOP LINEN TABLE RUNNERS

18

Add Height for Interest

thanksgiving centerpiece pumpkin vase
Brian Woodcock

Create visual interest easily with wood slabs. Just stack in a few underneath your fall flower arrangements and sprinkle some smaller pumpkins and nuts around for an even more layered look.

SHOP WOOD SLABS

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19

Go for Bud Vase Centerpieces

thanksgiving centerpieces bud vases
Brian Woodcock

Who says your centerpiece has to be lush and overflowing to be beautiful? Here, individual bud vases in a variety of colors make for a lovely-looking table.

SHOP GLASS BUD VASES

20

Create Foliage-Inspired Florals

thanksgiving centerpieces 
Brian Woodcock

Bring some autumnal beauty indoors with this arrangement inspired by the yellow, orange, red, and purple leaves on the trees. A vintage trophy (with a flower frog inside) makes the perfect vessel for a big bunch of blooms.

SHOP VINTAGE TROPHIES

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