Recently, I posted fall decorating ideas in the blog entitled FALLing in Love, which contained among other things, our fall dining table centerpiece. If you missed it, you can read about that here: hhttps://tumbleweedtidings.com/2017/09/20/falling-in-love/.

While dining room centerpieces that run the length of the table are lovely for company or holiday dinners, what if you don’t have a separate dining room and use your table for everyday meals?  A permanent installation just isn’t practical.

Enter the portable centerpiece! Today I’m going to share a portable centerpiece option that works equally well in bringing in seasonal touches, but can be picked up and moved at mealtime.  This is not only easy, but once you’ve mastered the art of portable centerpieces, you can apply these principles to almost any season or occasion!

First, start with the vessel of choice. This can be a large tray, platter, basket or other container suitable for holding décor items.  When selecting the base, keep in mind that you will be picking it up and moving it often, so something with handles or something to grip on to works best.

Second, assemble the “ingredients” for the centerpiece, such as greenery, candles, and seasonally appropriate accessories. For the sake of this demonstration, I am focusing on a fall portable centerpiece, so the accessories are pumpkins, pinecones, greenery, hydrangeas, and other fall inspired items.

Finally, start layering your centerpiece. Start with some greenery, moss, or other filler around the outside edges.  Next, add the seasonal accessories.  Lastly, fill in the tray with candles, pinecones, or flowers.  Try to stagger the heights of the objects to make the centerpiece more interesting, using books or risers if necessary.

Another thing to remember is that this portable centerpiece may be viewed from all sides if it is left on the table or sits on your kitchen island, so make it equally pretty from front to back.

Once you’ve got the basics of the portable centerpiece down, it is easy to look around your house and in closets for the perfect items to use. From sprigs of holly and sparkling ornaments for Christmas, to hydrangeas with an apothecary jar full of shells for summer, or the pumpkins and pinecones used today, the possibilities are endless.

For each of these portable centerpiece examples, I used a combination of artificial greenery, hydrangeas and hydrangea leaves from the yard, pinecones, and live pumpkins.  Once the arrangement is all pulled together, it’s hard to tell where the line between real and artificial begins and ends.

So be adventurous and have some fun. I can guarantee that you have some trays or baskets, items in your seasonal décor arsenal, and fresh options right outside your front door to create a portable centerpiece for your kitchen table or island today!

Good tidings,

Diane