Thanksgiving centerpiece-how I create a centerpiece for my extra long table on a budget.

I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the last 21 years.  The turkey cooking torch was passed to me before I was even married.  I’ll never forget my very first Thanksgiving… I cooked the turkey using a Martha Stewart recipe that called for butter soaked cheesecloth draped over the Turkey while it cooked to keep it moist. The problem was, at some point, I removed the foil from the bird and the cheese cloth caught on fire.  I saw a small flame in the oven and when I opened the oven to see what was going on, the rush of air started the whole bird ablaze.  I doused it with a pitcher of water and it was fine.  The turkey was a little grey on the outside from the smoke but the inside was nice and moist.

Fast forward 20 years and now I have a little more experience and a lot more confidence…and a much larger crowd to cook for.  These days we average 28 people at our Thanksgiving table.

 A few years ago I made two tables using Ana White plans to accommodate us all (you can see the tutorial for the build here).  Since we live in Florida we always eat Thanksgiving outside. Now-a-days on our screened porch, but we used to set up tables in the back yard, right in the grass…and we would dress up like pilgrims or Indians.

Anyway, the point of this whole post is to tell you how I manage to make my Thanksgiving table look beautiful without spending a fortune for a 20′ long centerpiece.

When my tables are set-up long ways… instead of side by side like the above picture,  they are 22′ long.  So coming up with a centerpiece that looks substantial and beautiful on a table this long could cost an arm and a leg.  That’s why I pick most of my florals off the side of the road.

I start with wet floral oasis, soaked in water for a solid 15 minutes or more. I don’t put it into containers because that would be another expense, I just use aluminum foil under the oasis to help keep moisture in the oasis and the table dry.  The wet oasis allows me to make my floral arrangements a day or two before Thanksgiving and the flowers stay hydrated and lovely.

I start all my floral arrangements with greens.  For thanksgiving I start with magnolia leaves all along the bottom and randomly throughout, making sure to turn some leaves upside down to display the gorgeous brown on the bottom of the leaves.  Then I layer in other evergreens…different varieties for texture. These are cypress and Norfolk pine, both from my front yard.

I wrap floral wire around the bottom of pine cones, leaving a tail of wire to poke into the oasis.Then I poke floral wire through red apples and add those into the arrangement.   Some white fluffy looking flowers and some red berries from the side of the road.  I did google everything I used to make sure nothing was poisonous.  The red berries are Sumac and the white flowers are hogweed both Florida native weeds and non-toxic. 😉I added maple leaves, which were not easy to find, and then the only flowers I purchased, red and yellow roses. I bought the roses from a holiday street vendor and got 2 dozen for $25. The candles I already had in my stash.

I did three groupings of 3 oasis blocks. Each block of oasis is almost 9″ long, so each grouping was almost 27″ long with a space in between where I put a lantern that held three candles each.

My tables are only 33″ wide, which is quite a bit narrower than most tables. I made them narrow so I could use them side be side most of the year and pull them out end to end on holidays when I need to seat larger groups.  Otherwise, side by side they seat 16 or so people.

The narrowness of the table makes for a more intimate meal because it’s easy to talk across the table, unlike a typical banquet table that’s 48″ across.

That’s how I make my Thanksgiving table-scape. I pick weeds from the side of the road like a crazy person. I get a kick out of it.

I try to vary it a little each year though.  Last year I added in more edibles like pumpkins, squash, eggplant, and pomegranate.

This year I’d like to do something a little different, but it depends upon how much budget I have left after buying all the cheese, wine, nuts and all the special stuff I only buy at the holidays.  I’ll keep you posted.

Happy Thanksgiving planning!

Mimz