Don’t Do it Yourself: Thanksgiving Table Centerpieces

Okay, friends, I don't know if you struggle with doing the center of your table like I do. Karlee, my sister, is super duper good at it, and I'm just not. So I'm borrowing her so that she can help us all.

I will walk into Hobby Lobby,  T.J. Maxx, Home Goods or any of the places that sell cute home interior items and  I will browse all the things and then leave with nothing, because I don't know what goes with what and what I should buy and what I shouldn't. And so, enter Karlee. Because she knows how to put the things together. And I now have a lovely new centerpiece, thanks to her. Karlee is going to tell us what is required when we're putting together a centerpiece.

Karlee:

Well, I think we started just trying to figure out what works for your general vibe in your house. And orange and yellow and red, and very fall and pumpkin, was not exactly going with the whole thing. So that was where we started. And then it was just layering. It's like anything else, layering the different textures, the different pieces, to make it just feel complete. And so, yeah, all of this is from Hobby Lobby, except for, obviously, this was yours to start with. So that's the other thing that's fun about it is you get to use what you already have, and integrate things that you have, and then you can reuse. And so we did lots of greens and golds, and then we did some fun, little blue with the berries, and just different textures of leaves. And I find that it's less expensive, more affordable, to layer these things all together yourself, or myself, than buy the ones that are pre-done. Because they charge a premium for those. And so you can get exactly what you want, as far as colors and textures, without just buying what's straight off of the rack.

Karlee brought in two bags with options for me. She had the traditional fall colors and then the one I chose in greens and blues. I love blue!  And so the one she created for me is WAY  more my speed. I'm so happy about it! I couldn't have done it myself. 

Karlee:

 So we started with a new runner that's just gray and neutral, and just real earthy vibes. And then we just layered on... So we have a big garland, this little lamb's-ear garland. And then I bought just a big bunch of eucalyptus and then cut it apart so that I could spread it out. And then just one little bunch of these fun, little berries. I found a box of these pumpkins that are blue and white and green, and no orange to be seen. And then we did a tiny bit of metallic, just to layer underneath because she had these pretty mercury glass things that we wanted to mix in. So you've got metallic leaves and metallic in the hurricane vases and you've got the little concrete pumpkins with gold stems that Karlee told me to buy last year. 

So we just got the real pretty leaves and greenery and then you just lay these in. And you've got the pretty, little pumpkins. I'm wiring it together for her so that, when she brings it out next year, it's all done and it's just ready to lay on the table. It's all one piece. So we're working on that right now. But strategically place your little pumpkins to cover your wires. And she had these cute, little felty pumpkins from last year and some wrapped in string.

They're very cute. So lots of textures, and a simple color scheme, and it all came together.

So everyone needs a Karlee because she is just so talented and turns my whole lot of nothing into this gorgeous centerpiece in like seconds! 

Karlee:

We might be starting a new business, huh?

Yes, I think she needs to take it on the road. So if you are looking for assistance like me, and can't make this happen on your own and you want to borrow her brilliance, that is an option.

Karlee:

We'll see, about brilliance. The other thing we didn't say that was really fun, that we thought about after we'd got it all installed, was the fact that, come winter, she can just pull out the pumpkins and add in some more evergreen-type branches or sprigs, maybe a little more sparkle, and it's Christmassy. Without having to buy a whole new thing, which also helps with the practicality.

I'm super budget conscious, so I love the idea that we can stretch our dollar and make it work. And I think it'll be so cute with some little evergreen things.

Karlee:

Really pretty, yeah. And then, if you didn't have a dish, a real pumpkin in the middle would be easy and pretty inexpensive to just swap that out with one bigger greenish, whiteish pumpkin.

Lauren:

Do you want to know what else Karlee can do?  It's really important to have talented people in your life who share their gifts with you.

We have round two of tablescape options, courtesy of talented Karlee. So, of course, at my house, we did all the blues and greens, which is more my vibe. So then Karlee came up with alternate, more fall colors, clearly.

Karlee:

Yeah. Well, I actually came up with two and let you choose. And this was plan B. This was the reject option for your house. But I think it's awesome. I think it's so pretty and fall-ish and natural.

Lauren:

And she did more of the layering... that I didn't know you were supposed to do. And then I guess you found... These are another set, like my blue and green ones.

Karlee:

Again, with the layering.

Karlee:

Right, little straw. So reusable.

Lauren:

Yeah, but super simple.

Karlee:

And this is my kitchen island, obviously, but it could go a dining room table, or breakfast table.

Lauren:

Yeah, smaller, shorter than mine. Mine took up more space. So I think it'd be real fun on a round table even. But then we found a real pretty pumpkin, up the street, at the church.

Karlee:

That's right. And just like we did at your house, you could do something different in the center. If you had candles or if you had a cake stand or something, you could obviously play with the center part. Or a faux pretty pumpkin you wanted to use.

Lauren:

I like that. I like the faux. Knowing me, I would let the pretty pumpkin rot on my table, and then I'd have to get a new table. Then go invest in the Hobby Lobby one.

Karlee:

Yeah, year-to-year would work.

Lauren:

Yes. Unless you're natural and you want to get the... Fake, real. So there you have it, option two.

Karlee:

I like it.

Lauren Sargeant:

Thanks, Kar.

Karlee:

You're welcome.