Three Easy, Natural, and Free Fall Centerpieces

Some people see raking autumn leaves as a chore. I look at it as an opportunity to redecorate my home with some unusual (and free!) natural fall elements.

My first centerpiece couldn’t be easier to make. I literally tossed a small collection of leaves, crabapples, seedpods, and a couple of buckeyes that I gathered from my yard and neighborhood park (always make sure that you have permission to take anything from property that isn’t yours first) around a paraffin free candle on an old tray.

Since I’m working with natural and dried elements near an open flame, you’ll notice that I have the candle in a protective glass holder so I don’t accidently set my centerpiece on fire. I also make sure that I do not leave burning candles unattended.

This glass martini glass is so versatile – it’s one of my favorite containers. I like to fill it with all one element for a contemporary and easy table decoration. For fall, I fill it with seedpods from a neighbor’s tree. If you don’t have access to fall seedpods or a big martini glass, try filling a glass container with small pinecones for winter.

My last centerpiece came courtesy of trimming a few branches from the crabapple tree in my front yard. I filled a series of stemless red wine glasses with votive candleholders. I placed either fall leaves or crabapples in the space between the side of the wine glass and the votive candleholder. Then I filled the space with water to keep the elements from shifting around too much. If you don’t have access to a crabapple tree, try filling the glass with cranberries from your local grocery store.

If you live in an area that doesn’t experience autumn temperatures or have access to yard foliage you can purchase dried natural items at a florist or craft shop.


This article is cross posted on my Capessa blog Sustainable Style.