How to a Simple Natural Holiday Table Centerpiece

Are you looking for a SIMPLE and beautiful all-natural way to decorate for the holidays? This easy to make table centerpiece adds a cozy, rustic feel to any room. It can be set up in minutes using items you can gather from your yard and have around your home.

Table centerpiece diy

In this post, I will show you how I put together this SIMPLE centerpiece for my dining room table along with a few ideas that you may like to use when making yours!

Your options are endless and full of possibilities when working with all-natural elements. It can be made for little to no cost using earth-friendly materials and can be used in any room you choose.

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Pinecones make a great addition

Here in the north country, we have a few varieties of pinecones on the ground year-round. Word is, if the trees are loaded at the top with pinecones during the autumn then it is going to be a harsh winter. I can testify that what I’ve seen so far is pretty much spot on. Thankfully this fall we didn’t have many pinecones on the trees but time will surely tell now that winter is upon us.

Walking in the wooded area on our property pinecones are usually hidden under mounds of pine needles and twigs. My kids will tell you about the summer I had them pick up 100’s of them and hand clean them so I could bake them and craft with them. God bless them because they never once complained even when their hands were covered in sticky sap and sticking to everything they touched.

Gathering all natural items

Even though I still have plenty on hand I couldn’t help myself but to go for a walk and gather some just for the project. I also gathered a few small sticks, three different types of greenery, and some acorns. Wanting to add a touch of color for Christmas time I grabbed a few dried slices of orange and cinnamon apple.

I dehydrated a few over the summer so I was thankful to have them on hand and thought they would make a perfect addition. You could use dried flowers, eucalyptus, or even some whole fruit to your display. (I will share posts soon on my dehydrating projects! I recommend using this amazing dehydrator.)

Table centerpiece with candles

Adding in some candles is a great way to bring a touch of warmth and coziness to your centerpiece. I happened to have a new pack of votive candles that a friend had given me leftover from a wedding. Finding a few mini glass jars that would make the perfect upcycled candle holders for my display.

I’m all for using items that I have on hand and repurposing any item I can! I was thrilled to find jars that didn’t already have something canned or dehydrated in them. If you can’t have real candles they do make battery operated tea lights and sprigs of white lights.

Chosing a table centerpiece base

I used a long narrow wooden tray which would allow us to still be able to use the table without having to move the tray each time. Pick your base according to how big of space is that you’d like filled. Here are a few ideas of what you could use.

Flat basket – wicker, wooden, or tin
Long cutting board
Long Wooden Charcuterie Board (this one is on my “wish list”)
Set of large bowls or plates
Table runner or long piece of fabric
Wood bark serving tray
Piece of wood or large wood slices
Flat planter basket
Lazy Susan
Placemats laid down the center of the table (like this eco-friendly Bamboo set)
Rustic Wood Baguette Dough Bowl ((Gorgeous!))

DIY TABLE CENTERPIECE FOR CHRISTMAS MATERIALS

Materials that I used

Wooden tray
Sprigs of white pine and cedar
5 scent-free votive candles
4 half-pint glass jars and 1-pint size
Strand of pip berries for color (Here’s a 6ft strand of cranberry garland
Variety of pinecones (15)
6-8 acorns
2 small bundles of sticks tied with jute
8 dried fruit slices (orange & cinnamon apple)
*for flameless candles I found these beautiful set of LED candles

Tools

Scissors

MAKING A DIY TABLE CENTERPIECE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

How to assemble

Place the pip berry strand down the center
Place cedar along the ends of the tray
Add some sprigs of white pine throughout the tray
Place the candles in the display
Add the pinecones on the ends and a couple by your center candle
Place the dried fruit on each corner
Add in your acorns and twigs towards the middle
Use your greens to fill in any holes

Tips

Keep greenery down short so they aren’t above the candles for safety
See my post here on how to “Bake Your Pinecones” first to de-bug them
Soak any greenery from outside in cold water and let dry (bugs or allergens)
If you plan on keeping your centerpiece on the table for meals be sure to the height of the centerpiece is low enough to see across the table

SHOP OUR TOP 8 CRAFT & DIY SUPPLIES

Here are our FAVORITE art & craft supplies that I always try to have on hand. These items will be used in countless craft and DIY projects that we will be sharing with you! I have added the shopping links to the products below so you can have these items on hand as well!

“MUST HAVE” CRAFTING SUPPLIES

1. Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint (extra bottles of white for the look of icing)
2. Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint by Plaid (even though it’s very inexpensive we have never had a problem with coverage)
3. Mod Podge Water-based Sealer, Glue & Decoupage Finish (gloss version) & (matte version)
4. Sculpey Polymer Clay – I could do an entire post just on the different things my kids create each week with this amazing clay!
5. Sharpie Permanent Markers– I use these often in my business and now find us using them quite a bit for our projects as well!
6. E-6000 Glue – Using this in a well-vented space for sure! But it works very well.
7. Burlap Roll 5 inches wide – Burlap is compostable which is just one reason why I use it in a variety of projects.
8. Jute Twine String– Biodegradable & environmentally friendly and used in dozens of household projects