DIY Thanksgiving Dining Table Centerpiece Idea
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Making a beautiful Thanksgiving table centerpiece is easy, but this table decoration works especially well for round tables where a cloth table runner may not fit correctly.
Easy Thanksgiving dinner table centerpieces usually include a bouquet of flowers and greenery from the grocery store and candles or a cornucopia filled with some natural elements like wheat, eucalyptus, nuts, apples and pears. Or perhaps a wooden bowl filled with a gourd or two with mini pumpkins.
I like all of these ways to make easy Thanksgiving centerpieces, but this year I wanted to use my bubble glass candle hurricane with one of more pillar candles on the table. By itself it looked plain. I had to find something to make the candle feel more rustic and fall like.
I would have liked to use fall foliage from my yard for a centerpiece arrangement for my table decor, but since I live in the south, the leaves on the trees have not turned colors yet.
So what did I do? I DIY’ed my own fall paper leaves to make my Thanksgiving table decorations around the glass hurricane.
Before we moved to the lake house, we had a dining room with a rectangular table that sat 6. For holidays and birthdays when my whole family would come, my dad made a large removable plywood top that went over the existing table top to seat twice that number of guests comfortably.
When using this extended table, I placed the turkey in the center of the table with two candle arrangements on either side of it.
Since we moved to Lake Murray, we no longer have large gatherings or a dining room or that dining room table anymore.
I have an eat-in kitchen with a round dining table. I have gotten used to the more cozy feel of eating around a round table in my kitchen for all holiday meals, entertaining and celebrations.
I have had this round table with a metal base for years. Two years ago we decided it would be nice if it had a larger top, so we removed the original top and replaced it with a new permanent larger diameter, more rustic style table top that we DIY’ed.
The only time I like the color brown in decorating is in the fall when I set the Thanksgiving dining table.
Fall tables were made for mix and match place settings. I love the mix of the rustic woven plate chargers, melamine plates, fine Spode Transferware and even fancy monogrammed silverware. They all work beautifully together.
Each place setting has a black and white plaid napkin, a silver glass votive holder and for an added pop of color a little paper pumpkin.
Make a Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece
To make this DIY table centerpiece, I went to my china closet and chose a few items to compile into a Thanksgiving tablescape centerpiece.
The bubble glass hurricane I bought at Target a few years ago. It has a wood base, but for Thanksgiving I wanted it to have a more rustic feel and placed it on a woven dinner plate charger.
To make the paper oak leaves, I used the crinkled brown paper bag placemats I made for last year’s Thanksgiving table setting. A pumpkin colored pillar candle, and acorns that I found outside. I did buy the orange oak leaves. They are made of parchment paper used to line a charcuterie board.
It is such a simple centerpiece to make that even your kids or grandkids who like to do crafts will have fun helping you create. You can even use the cut-out leaves to make dinner table place cards. If you would like a mix different shapes of leaves, you may also like this maple leaf template.
Step-By-Step Tutorial: Making Paper Oak Leaves
supplies needed:
- Brown paper bags, kraft paper or construction paper
- Cheese board parchment leaves
- Scissors
- Pencil
- White chalk
Time needed: 30 minutes
How to Make Paper Oak Leaves for the Table Centerpiece
- Gather Paper Bags and Paper
To make the paper oak leaves, I used brown paper grocery bags, construction paper and parchment leaves. You can also use scrapbook paper.
The crinkled circles in the photo below were table placemats I made last year. I am cutting them up to make some textured leaves.
- Print Oak Leaf Template
Print: Oak leave pattern .pdf
Depending on your printer settings, the .pdf oak leaf pattern may not print the exact size. You may have to adjust your settings.
Using scissors, cut the leaf out. This will become your tracing template. - Trace Oak Leaf Cut Out
Lay a few layers of paper on work surface. Place leaf template on top and trace around it with a pencil.
While holding the layers of paper together, use scissors to cut the leaf. Cutting 3-5 sheets of paper at once will speed up the cutting process.
- Outline the Oak Leaves with Chalk
Once leaves are cut out, outline each leaf with chalk and draw a few vein lines in the center.
- Place Around Your Centerpiece
Arrange the oak leaves around the base of the candle and hurricane. I used acorns around the glass hurricane.
If you don’t have any acorns, consider using pinecones, dried berries, nuts or grapes. If you don’t have a round charger, perhaps you have some trays that would look nice to create the centerpiece on.
Free Printable Oak Leaf Pattern .pdf
Here is the link to the oak leaf pattern I used to make the centerpiece – Oak Leaf Pattern Printable .pdf
If you enjoy setting your dining room table, don’t miss seeing the other DIY Thanksgiving centerpieces and Thanksgiving decor I have created in this post – 25 Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas.
Thank you so much for making it easier to decorate our homes. Your free printable‘s and ideas save us so much money. This way, no matter what your budget or what Your lifestyle is like you guys make it easy for us to still be able to do things we may not have Ability to do otherwise. This year everybody is getting something homemade. May you and your family have a life full of Blessings. Gina 🙏❤️
This is so beautiful! I love the hurricanes! I hope you will come link up over at my weekly link party https://www.ourtinynest.com/2022/10/26/wednesday-link-party-319/
Hi Nicolle – Thanks for the invite. I will link up at your link party.
Your table is lovely! Another item you might like in place of the silver candle holders are leaf holders for the candles. I got mine in bronze color from Amazon. They are inexpensive and would look great with your color scheme!
This Thanksgiving table is wonderful. Budget friendly and simple! Came out great Diane. You have great ideas and a nice website-Meagan
I love how simple all of this is, Diane! Affordable, easy, and simple is my jam. Thanks for sharing!!
Your centerpiece and table setting are lovely! The leaves are great. All the different textures look wonderful together and the brown transferware is just right.
Beautiful table setting! I love the paper oak leaves too! Great idea
Kelly
https://www.raiderladies.com/
Was reading some of your past posts and this one really touched my heart! What a wonderful gift from Lynn Lipsey so that each of your daughters will have that calendar to hang for years to come at Christmastime!!! Very, very thoughtful of her!!
I’m new to you…and I have been poking around in your blog for a bit! I love so much of what I see. Thank you for sharing! Happy New Year! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Diane, thank you for all you do and share with us! You inspire so many and are very generous with your ideas and projects. Happy New Year and I look forward to what 2019 will bring from your blog!
Beautiful, and how really kind of Lynn to give you the needed calendar. And a reminder to all to try and save the same treasure for each girl & boy.
Merry Belated Christmas! Well no, it’s never really too late to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your inspirational blog. I truly look forward to reading your posts.
Happy New Year!!
Thanks Diane, this post was perfect!
Thank you Diane for all your inspiration throughout the year, I cannot wait to see what 2019 brings! Merry Christmas to you and yours .
One of the 1st blogs I ever subscribed to – your personality shines through, . Best wishes from New Zealand!
Diane,
Thank you for sharing your life, home, and talent with us all year.
Blessings to you, your husband and family.
Merry Christmas and a very happy new year to you and your loved ones. I enjoy reading every blog you write. Keep on keeping on in 2019.
Smiles
I have the very same Avon countdown calendar. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it! So glad you were able to get another one.
I so enjoy your helpful and inspiring blog!! How wonderful that you received another mouse advent calendar from one of your readers!
I’m always amazed at the kindness of others.
May your Christmas be a merry one!!
What a special gift for your daughters to continue your family tradition ?. That advent calendar is so sweet ?
Merry Christmas and looking forward to more in 2019 ?
Diane- I am always amazed at your many and varied projects. You past as a window dresser
Is the perfect training for you home design
blog. I am inspired (but don’t always follow
through?). Love just looking at the beautiful
rooms. May your Christmas celebrations be
joyful and you and your family have happy
and healthy New Year.
Sue
PS I love your home on the lake.
Thank you, Diane, for a wonderful year of ideas and projects to make a house a home! Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Healthy New Year to you and yours!
I always love reading about your latest ideas. Here’s hoping for many more in the New Year. Merry Christmas to you and your family! ;)
Happy Holidays, Diane! Your blog is one of my favorite gifts to myself! I always enjoy sneaking in a few minutes when your updates come in to spend some “me time” with my favorite blogger! So “Thank You” from your readers/fans! You give us a lot of pleasure too!
Diane, it is always a joy to open my emails and see your blog! Reminds me so much of anxiously awaiting a new book from my favorite authors…..your blogs are always full of terrific ideas as well as getting to read about your family! I thoroughly enjoy opening my email from you! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy 2019!
It must be wonderful hearing and seeing the difference you make. Hope your Christmas is Merry and your New Year Blessed.
Always enjoy reading your blog and love following along as you make your lake house your own.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Diane – thank YOU for sharing your ‘labor of love’ blog with the world. It is always so uplifting! Wishing you and your family a Blessed Christmas!