NORTH SIOUX CITY | The most memorable part of a gathering is often the food or drink, but why can’t it be the centerpiece? According to David Borrink, designer at Petal Pusher, it can be if you make it yourself.
“There is satisfaction in knowing that you created something to bring warmth to your seasonal décor,” he said. “That way when someone comes over and says, ‘Oh, I love that centerpiece,’ you can say, ‘Oh, I made it.’”
An easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself centerpiece requires a basic grapevine wreath that can be purchased at a craft store, wire, a cutting tool and grasses, flowers, and seed pods that can be found outside. If the maker wants the project to last year after year, simply use silk flowers and grasses instead of ones found outside.
“It’s nice to use things you have in your yard or things you can find on a country drive to give it a more rustic, natural look,” Borrink said.
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Look for grasses with frayed tops and seeds to give texture and flow to the centerpiece. Coleus leaves add interesting color while mums are a good seasonal flower to include. Burnt orange, butterscotch, deep red and brown are good colors to look for, while dark purple adds a nice contrast, Borrink said.
“It’s really customizeable to the tastes of the person who is making it,” he added.
If the grasses or plants leave a mess, spray them with an aerosol hairspray to help keep them from falling apart.
Once everything has been gathered, choose one item and place it on the wreath. Wrap and secure with wire by twisting. Cut off the excess wire.
Overlap the second item over the first to hide the wire and repeat the wrapping and securing of the wire.
Repeat around the entire wreath until the whole circle is covered in grasses and flowers.
Finish by hot gluing seed pods to different locations around the wreath.
Once the centerpiece is finished, lay it on the table with a decoration in the middle, such as a potted plant, a pumpkin, or a group of candles.
“Never leave a candle unattended,” Borrink noted. This is especially important due to the dry plants in the centerpiece.
“If a person is bold enough to go into a ditch and get some seed pods and put them in a bowl or vase in the center, I love that,” he said.
This is a good project for DIY newbies because it doesn’t have a certain way it has to look when finished.
“It will turn out how it turns out and you can tell people that’s what you were going for,” Borrink said. “I always tell people to experiment and practice.”
The project also doesn’t take too much time to put together. He estimated it to take around 30 minutes.
Borrink added that it might be easier to just go buy a centerpiece but making use of flowers that will soon freeze and using creativity is a win-win.
“I always like having things I make as part of the holiday décor,” he said.
