DIY Fall centerpiece

It is officially fall and it is time for decorating! Historically I haven’t been into seasonal decorations but as I work on turning my house into a home, I realize little things can make a tremendous difference. Seasonal decorations are fun, easy and can be affordable if you do it correctly. I focus on one area of my home, the kitchen because it is the room that we use the most outside of our family room. It is always a treat to see a nicely decorated kitchen table, my son enthusiastically supports my decorations and sometimes helps - especially around Halloween! Before I get ahead of myself, today I’m focused on general Fall decor. And for under $30, I was able to make a very nice Fall centerpiece for my table using items from Walmart.

For my centerpiece I found artificial flowers in the floral department and a very nice assortment of vases. I am a fan of the heady orange and rust colors of the Fall and this is reflected in my arrangement. I choose a dark maroon colored vase that I was able to acquire at the low price of $9.99.

It is made specifically for artificial flowers, it is NOT made to hold water. Although it looks like it is made from heavy clay, it is not and surprisingly it is quite light in weight. Although I am currently using it for a Fall arrangement, I can see myself using it throughout the year by simply changing my choice of flowers.

This time, I found a very nice arrangement featuring chrysanthemums accented with fall colored leaves and berries. It was priced at $4.99 and given the size of my vase, I was happy with only utilizing one bunch. I did want to accent the chrysanthemums and I found yellow grape berry bushes for $.97 each.

I used four bunches to complete my arrangement. The key to making a beautiful floral arrangement is to actually “arrange” the flowers. I started by placing the chrysanthemums in the vase and gently pulled on each branch until I was satisfied with the placement. Next I did the same thing with each bunch of grape berries. This process is far from scientific, I just arranged the flowers until I was satisfied. I looked for a bit of symmetry and a balance of color. I am quite happy with the final product.

In total, I spent around $20.00 for a floral centerpiece that will be in place until the Christmas holiday season. The next time you visit Walmart take a look at the floral section, I bet you’ll be surprised and inspired by the things you see!