A Homespun Winter Table Centrepiece – using sparkling foraged finds

“What no glitter at all!” she said with eyes as wide as dinner plates and an expression that said it all. “But I thought we were doing arts and crafts all day and everyone has glitter to make things sparkle” she finished with a deflated sigh. My eight-year-old niece had come to play and stay and had no sooner parked herself at the craft table than looked like she might up and leave. She had a point of course so I dug deep to find a pot of long forgotten gold glitter glue I may have had since the mini adults were children. And whilst she merrily caked her master piece with the sticky stuff, I set to adding a dab here and there to a cluster of foraged pine cones. This week join me as I take a look at another lovely readers recent request. How to create a homespun winter table centrepiece. I share interesting reading as to why we have them and show you how to make one yourself using foraged, free and almost certainly, materials you already have in your stash …

I discovered recently the origins of the table centrepiece can be traced right back to Ancient Greek and Roman civilisations often used as an opportunity to display one’s wealth and good fortune. Later during the Middle Ages focus shifted more to the food being served with little thought given to table decoration itself. Fast forward to modern times and we appear more likely to mix the two. Personally, I think more of my winter table centrepiece as a welcoming focal point and less about my wealth as I am demonstrating here today with an extremely old tube of glitter glue and simple pine cones.

When considering my seasonal table decorations, these tips help. Colour, texture, lighting. I include smell carefully. In summer there may be a sprig or two of lavender or a delicately scented rose. In winter perhaps a hint of rosemary or even eucalyptus. Rarely will there be an over powering scent. If however, the homespun table decoration is to be moved when we are eating, a scent in the form of candle or essential oils will often be included.

Let’s start with colour. I have always had a blue and white kitchen of sorts. As such I tend to favour blue and white jugs, plates and crockery. You can have any vessel as the base to your winter table centrepiece. A zinc or neutral tray, perhaps a patterned or plain serving dish, a simply woven basket or even a cardboard box with the sides cut down. If it is a beautiful base, you’ll accentuate its beauty and if not, it will be disguised. This string of muted gold Christmas tree beads often ends up unused and boxed away since I have just the one and it’s not long enough to stretch around the branches of our tree. Plonked simply on the platter, the beads help break up a busy pattern.

Now to texture and how it unfolds. My gold glitter glue dabbling, resulted in these sparkling pine cones, each one stuck atop half a champagne cork using my trusty glue gun, (although this one is on my Christmas wish list). Were my Christmas table to be brimming with family and friends this year, each pine cone perhaps with added greenery, would become a name place indicating to all where they might like to sit awhile. Since there will be just a few of us this year and any seat will work, my mini forest was included in my winter table centrepiece.

A further scattering of unadorned pine cones was added for good measure together with one of Ruth’s candles as I began to address lighting my winter table decoration. This candle takes temporary centre stage for my photo shoot where I assumed the role of responsible adult since all my faux candles are currently minus working batteries. For safety, I recommend using faux candles for yours. And if you wish your winter table centrepiece to smell faintly of Christmas, you could sprinkle your pine cones with this or this or perhaps a blend of your own favourite Christmas smells.

I added little rustic birch hearts with the faintest dusting of fine glitter together with delicate fairy lights which sit subtly on top of all the decor. If your lights have dark cable or are the chunkier variety, add them earlier on in the creating process to detract the eye from unsightly cables. Torn hydrangea heads and a few dried petals are fully in keeping with my homespun winter table centrepiece to soften harsh edges: Any seasonal greenery would look just as splendid and I tucked away the little battery pack out of sight under the platters edge.

And that paper star garland you saw me make here offers a final homespun nod to my table decor. I have a Christmas tree paper punch which would have worked well too or maybe you would add vintage baubles or glass beads instead of paper. Endless possibilities to choose from here, just look at what you have around you with different eyes.

And this cosy winter table decoration will likely see us through the darker days ahead. Treasures will no doubt be added as others are taken away; its simple beauty remaining largely unfussy. A tip if you should go on to create your own homespun winter table centrepiece: Address colour, texture and lighting as suggested earlier yet when you reach for something you often use, change it up. Rethink your choice. You may be surprised at what you can create when you empower yourself to try something different. After all, I don’t do glitter do I? Until next week…x