5 Simple Ways to Add Interest to a Fall Centerpiece

I love Fall! When I think about adding interest to my Fall centerpieces, I am referring to ways to add excitement or a touch of whimsy or adding something unexpected. By layering fabrics, choosing a slightly different color palette, using different colors of wood, adding a few antique trinkets and repeating shapes your centerpieces can really “pop”!

Getting Started – Gather Your Elements

One of my first steps is to gather a variety of elements that I may want to use in my centerpiece or display. Once I have collected them together, I may need to edit my choices. The elements for this display came together rather easily.

Can't make an Autumn centerpiece without a few pumpkins!

A few antique or vintage accents will really add interest to your display. They will give people something to talk about while admiring your display.

Pumpkin Sign – Before

The wooden pumpkin sign was something a neighbor had given me when she was downsizing in preparation for a move. While there is nothing wrong with the sign the way it is, I thought it needed a little something extra.

By using the different types of wire in this box, I was able to transform the sign from “just ok” to “WOW”!

All of the steps and instructions on how to use the different types of wire to add whimsy to the pumpkin sign can be found here:

The Pumpkin Sign – After

Slightly Unexpected Color Theme

I found this piece of fall themed fabric while I was going thru my Mom’s things during the downsizing/moving process. If you are not familiar with my story, I recently completed a long process of moving from a farmhouse in Illinois to our current home in Florida. I have detailed the process in a series of blog posts that start here with Thyme to Let Go – How I Downsized the Family Homestead.

While I did have to cull the fabric collection quite a bit, I did manage to keep several pieces of material, lace, and other bits and bobs that I can use in my displays. The piece of lace pictured below was from my wedding dress which was actually originally my Mom’s wedding dress which I had altered and enhanced with this lace.

Anyway, back to the color palette … The piece of fall themed fabric was actually a pillow cover. I removed the side seams with a stitch riper to make the fabric oblong instead of square. The colors are more muted than what one would traditionally think of as fall. Instead of a bright orange like the pumpkin sign, the fabric has more coral and peach shades of orange. The greens are more subtle shades also .

Layered Fabrics

I simply layered the oblong piece of fall fabric over a square of burlap. The piece of appliqued lace is draped over the top.

A Low Centerpiece

Once I had my pumpkin sign “refreshed” and my fabrics layered, I was ready to make a low centerpiece. I had transformed a bundle of fall grass into pine picks for a project last year. The pine picks were perfect for the Fall centerpiece I had planned for this project. I had previously used floral spray paint to give the fall grass a new look. The instructions for the process can be found in my "Imagination & Spray Paint to the Rescue " project here on HomeTalk.

Fall Grass – Before

Pine Picks from Fall Grass – After

The Centerpiece

To make the centerpiece, lay the pine picks with their pointed end to the middle. Add faux leaves and extra pine cones to the center as a focal point. I added a small piece of artificial hops to add texture. I added a couple of pieces of a cream colored wispy vine to add motion. The cream color also helps pull out the cream color of the tallow berries in the pine picks. I just needed to make this long enough to fit in the wooden tray. I could extend the centerpiece by adding more pine picks if my vessel was longer or if I was doing the centerpiece right on the table without a tray .

Add Antique Trinkets

Tucked in the end of the centerpiece is a weathered orange garden tool. I used a piece of green jute woven ribbon underneath the garden tool . The green of the ribbon ties into the green in the fall fabric.

A pair of skeleton keys are crisscrossed on a piece of muslin ribbon.

The pumpkin sign is hanging from a wrought iron hook.

Different Tones of Wood

I have the centerpiece displayed on a primitive scrub top table. On top of the table is a cream colored wooden floor grate. I had both these pieces in my farmhouse in Illinois. I absolutely love this table!

I used a green shutter to act as a backdrop for the pumpkin sign. The candlesticks look like they are wood but they are actually resin. The tray that the centerpiece is resting in is a mustard colored wood.

Repetition of Shapes

By cutting of the stems of the orange hydrangea, I was able to make poufs that I could place on top of the candlesticks. The poufs resemble the mini orange pumpkins. I could have used slightly larger faux pumpkins instead of the poufs . I like the added texture that the silk hydrangea bring to the display.

The pumpkin shape of the sign is repeated in the use of the artificial pumpkins. I added a small sphere made of rattan to add another bit of texture.

The Completed Display

By using elements I already had on hand, this display only cost me my time. The $30 estimate I provided was based on someone having to purchase a few of the things, like ribbon or wire. The items are available at your local craft store.

Antique accents can be found at a number of venues such as a flea market, estate sale or an antique store.

A wooden tray could be substituted for the wooden floor grate.