Christmas is just a few days away, and at the last minute I decided to make a couple of centerpieces for our dining room credenza and the living room coffee table. Using mostly items I had on hand, augmented by a few new purchases, I was able to complete two centerpieces in a matter of minutes. Stick with me, and I’ll show you how you can too.

As the base of these arrangements, I decided to use terra cotta planter saucers. One I had on the patio, that was crusty with hard water spots, and the other was purchased new. I like these saucers for a couple of reasons. First, they come in an array of sizes and have sides to keep the arrangement contained, and second, the terra cotta gives an earthy, casual look that juxtaposes nicely with the refined elements inside the arrangement. Of course, you can create the same centerpieces using a basket, silver tray or even a shallow ceramic bowl.

After washing the saucers, I began layering the elements. For the first one, I used a small ceramic nativity scene that I already had. To give the arrangement some height and visual interest, I added a white ceramic house from the Dollar Tree and a bottle brush tree, both items that I already owned. Next, I started layering evergreen picks to surround the main pieces.

After the picks were in place, it was time to fill in the gaps with pinecones and moss. I had most of the pinecones in my stash, but also purchased one bag of smaller cones to fit the proportion of the arrangement. Last, I added some moss to cover the stems of the greenery and fill in any gaps.

I guess I should say at this point that each of these elements can be hot glued to the saucer to keep the arrangement more stable. If I were giving this as a gift, that is what I would do. But since these will reside in our home and I want to be able to disassemble them at the end of the season, I just walk carefully when transporting them from room to room. So far, no accidents!

I just love how the nativity scene arrangement turned out! It is small, and the rustic elements of the saucer, pinecones and moss, balance out the white ceramic pieces. The house can actually accommodate a tealight if I want it illuminated it at some point, which might be nice during a candlelight dinner. But for now, I love it just as it is.

For the second arrangement, I used the old saucer from our patio, and purchased two gold glittery deer from Hobby Lobby. One is sitting, and the other is standing, which again adds visual interest and height variation. For the backdrop on this arrangement, I added two tall bottle brush trees. To me, they create the illusion that the deer are in the forest.

I didn’t photograph as many steps, but in the same way I did with the first centerpiece, I filled in around the main elements with greenery picks, moss and pinecones. Not trying to be too self-congratulatory, but I love this arrangement, too! So much so, that I may go back and see if I can snag a couple more sets of the glitter deer to add to my mantel.

These arrangements were super simple and make a nice addition to my holiday decor. You can achieve similar results with items you may already have on hand. Most people have pinecones, greenery picks and moss in their decorating arsenal, and I know you probably have some dusty saucers laying around.

The main items you use for the centerpieces don’t have to be deer or a nativity scene. Obviously, different sizes of candles would work, but I think there are more creative options out there. I have a little vintage metal red truck with a Christmas tree in the back that would be super cute incorporated into one of these saucer centerpieces. Surrounded by varying heights of bottle brush trees, it could be turned into something cute for a kid’s bathroom or kitchen. Any of these would make an appreciated hostess gift as well. It’s time to let your imagination run wild and make a last-minute saucer centerpiece. I know you can do it!

Good tidings,

Diane