How to Make a Christmas Table Centerpiece
This easy project shows how to make a Christmas table centerpiece using a colander, evergreen foliage, and additional decorations, such as battery-powered lights. You'll create a slightly raised circular decoration to set on tables for a festive touch. No glue or adhesives are required, and everything can be reused or recycled after the holidays. A DIY video is included at the end to help with the instructions.
Servings 1 centerpiece
Cost $20
Equipment
- pruners (secateurs) or heavy-duty scissors
Ingredients
- 1 colander must be able to sit flat once turned upside down
- green florist wire
- evergreen foliage sprigs of conifer, holly, ivy, and other evergreens
- dried decorations oranges, pine cones
- artificial holly berries optional
- battery-powered candle
- battery-powered Christmas lights wired lights work great
- green string
Instructions
Preparation
- This project uses fresh evergreen foliage foraged from your garden or a nature walk. You can also use trimmings from your Christmas tree. Anything that won't wilt quickly will work - cuttings from pine, spruce, holly, ivy, and evergreen shrubs. Alternatively, you could make this project using synthetic evergreen foliage.
- Using pruners (secateurs), trim the pieces of fresh evergreen greenery to about six inches. You'll need a few large handfuls of them, depending on the size of your colander. If possible, use a mixture of different colored and textured foliage, such as pine, holly, ivy, etc.
- If needed, use wire cutters to cut the florist wire into 6" segments. Bend them in half to resemble hairpins. You'll need less than twenty if you fill the piece out using the bouquets shown below. If you attach smaller pieces, then you'll need more.
Make the Christmas Table Centerpiece
- Turn the colander upside down and thread one of these pieces of florist wire through the holes from the inside out. Use the wire to secure the greenery to the side of the colander.
- It's more effective to make small bouquets of different types of evergreen and tie them together with string first. It takes about six bouquets to cover my size colander. Alternatively, add single evergreen pieces to build the piece up. Keep adding greenery until the colander is completely hidden.
- Use more florish wire to attach pinecones and other decorations. It may be easier to wrap each piece with wire first, then attach it to the foliage or colander.
- If necessary, trim the evergreen foliage around the top of the piece to make space for the candle.
- Wrap the piece with battery-powered lights. Tuck dried orange slices behind the lights. You can also decorate the piece with artificial holly berries.
- Place the candle feature at the top. It's best to use a battery-powered candle or tea light for safety. Now, turn the lights on, hiding the battery pack for the lights under the colander.
Video
Notes
This Christmas table centerpiece project uses fresh greenery and holly and can last up to a couple of weeks indoors. After that, the leaves dry out and may not look great.
At the end of the holidays, you can save, recycle, or compost everything used in this project. Use them again next year to make another handmade holiday feature!