If you have ever seen those beautiful centerpieces and thought you can’t do it yourself? Think again! They are incredibly easy to make and just take a few “ingredients” and time. We had an acre of land, so branches and moss were all around us. As a child, I loved to make Christmas wreaths, centerpieces and Advent Wreaths with my Mom. I loved to try and copy her as she steadily worked. As I got older, Mom gave me the freedom to let me make my own decorations. Today, I will focus on making a Christmas Centerpiece.
Ingredients you will need for the centerpiece shown here:
- Floral Block or Round
- Floral Cutter/Garden Clipper
- Sharp Knife
- Greenery – try to find at least 3 different types/colours (We would get ours from the forest)
- Moss, if you like (We would get ours from the forest)
- Berries/Holly or Berry “Picks”
- Floral Wire (optional) or even green twist ties (the kind you put on your fruit/vegetable bags at the grocery store)
- Lantern or Large Pillar Candle(s) or even flameless candles
Optional Ingredients you can use:
- Snow spray
- Other Christmas sprays or picks for decorations
- Taper Candles
- Christmas Balls
- Christmas Jingle Bells
- Candy/Chocolates
Steps I did to make the centerpiece:
- Soak the floral block in water so it is easier to put the branches into the block
- Put the soaked block into a dish/container with sides so you can fill with water to keep the block hydrated
- Cut the greenery/branches into the length you want
- Make sure you look at the overall width/length you want your centerpiece to be and cut accordingly
- With a sharp knife, trim the end to a sharp point to go into the block
- Cover the floral block with the moss. This help to hide any “gaps” so you don’t have to use quite as much greenery
- Put the lantern or candle(s) where you want them to go. This gives you a reference for where you want to put the greenery to
- Starting at the bottom of the block, insert the sharp end of the branches into the block and start working your way around. It may help to put it on a turntable (if it is small enough) or have it on a work surface where you can easily move around
- Once the greenery is all inserted the way you like, add the lantern or candle(s)
- Add the berries/holly for effect.
- You can insert the holly as you would branches but be careful, they are prickly.
- If you have Berries or Berry picks, you can always use the floral wire to make you own “picks”
- Secure the lantern or candles to the centerpiece
My Dad would make my Mom candle “picks” by heating up the non-pointy end of a thicker finishing nail that is at least 3 inches/7.5 cm long over the flame of another candle or gas stove flame. He held the nail with pliers so he didn’t get too close or chance getting burned. Once the nail was hot, he would hold the candle in one hand over newspaper and with the other hand he would hold the pliers/hot nail and insert the hot nail into the bottom of the candle slowly. Once inserted as far as needed, he would let the candle set for a couple of hours. My Dad always knew that the size/length of the nail had to be long enough so that the was no chance of the candle accidentally falling over while the centerpiece was being transported or while the candle was lit. I was never allowed to do this process as it was dangerous for children. I always watched though. I was fascinated. Nowadays, there are flameless candles for a much safer option.
You can also make centerpieces without greenery.
I hope this upcoming Christmas season you take time to do fun, family friendly things like making centerpieces.
I have some links below should you wish to see/purchase any of the items similar to what I used. Another great option is to check out your local dollar store.