Fabulous Fall Centerpieces

As fall approaches and the weather starts to cool, entertaining makes its move indoors. Elevate your next occasion with a centerpiece inspired by the harvest season.

 

For a low profile that encourages dinner conversation, set a block of floral foam into a shallow pewter dish and created a dome of sedum flowers, filling in the spaces with purple Queen Anne's lace, mauve hydrangeas, round star scabiosa, fuzzy foxtail grass, and spiked sea holly.

Birds' castoff plumage can add interest (and a shot of fall color) to an arrangement -- or make one all on their own. The striking graphic patterns on this collection got us thinking about new ways to use a bell jar. Stand feathers up in a little vase, and add a few acorns. Another easy fall combo to display under a dome: a bird’s nest and some dried oak leaves.

During the last months of the gardening year, the color palette is more limited than in spring and summer, so texture becomes key. In this tall display, impressive on a buffet or a drinks table, Kevin Sharkey paired feathery heads of rust-red amaranth with pale-green protea, a more muscular tropical flower. Both stand out among lanky millet grasses, and lady's mantle fills in any gaps like a wispy green cloud.

Pointy green-and-russet sweet gum leaves star in this earthy arrangement, with support from the vegetable garden. Kevin Sharkey added contrasting shapes and textures with prickly deep-purple artichokes and smooth green (unripe) persimmons. This would work well on a coffee table where people are hovering over a cheese board.

A basic cornucopia basket gets a glamorous makeover, thanks to sparkly paint and fabric. Fruits and vegetables in rich shades of ruby and amethyst spill out like jewels.

A quick trip to the market yielded this fall centerpiece, an informal arrangement of kumquats, squashes, and a bell pepper in a ceramic compote. Use whatever orange fruits and vegetables you find, such as baby pumpkins, carrots, persimmons, and, of course, oranges.

Lemon, mountain laurel, and rhododendron leave delightful impressions on homemade wax candles.

We anchored tapers inside mini pumpkins to make easy yet elegant centerpieces.

The jewel tones and cascading abundance of these arrangements are an ode to the season.

Dressed in sumptuous garlands and filled with a profusion of winter finds, modest baskets become centerpieces and decorations with a romantic old-world appeal.

Wrapped in dried cornhusks, votives cast a soft glow fitting for the harvest season.

Mum’s not the only word when it comes to autumnal arrangements. Kevin shares inspired new ways to approach the fall bouquet.

Elevate your Thanksgiving table with a centerpiece inspired by the harvest season. Give dried corn a subtle shimmer with gold and copper glitter. Arrange the cobs in a clear glass bowl with an assortment of gourds.

Mix yellow and orange chrysanthemums with crimson dahlias and rose hips to create this striking centerpiece. Assemble the arrangement in a ceramic pot or bowl and then place it inside a tin mold or basket.

This whimsical turkey centerpiece is made with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables: cranberries, brussels sprouts, eggplants, sweet potatoes, apples, peppers, carrots, dried corn, and a pumpkin. Carve Sahara oasis foam to form the base of the turkey's neck.

A quick trip to the market yielded this fall centerpiece, an informal arrangement of kumquats, squashes, and a bell pepper in a ceramic compote. Use whatever orange fruits and vegetables you find, such as baby pumpkins, carrots, persimmons, and, of course, oranges.

Staple birch bark to a pine box to create a rustic vessel for this arrangement. Use an assortment of flowers, foliage, and fruit to create a custom centerpiece in fall colors.

Transform a variety of dried gourds into tableware by hollowing them out and piling them high with pears and walnuts as centerpieces; fill others with candles in glass votives, and still more with salt and pepper.

The jewel tones and cascading abundance of these arrangements are an ode to the season.

Use branches from your backyard to create a beautiful seasonal centerpiece.

Pay homage to the last blooms of fall with ever-versatile pumpkins and squashes sculpted into vases.

Give fall leaves a sparkling touch by adding a bit of glitter.

A low container filled with pomegranates, red viburnum berries, tulips, roses, and ranunculus is just what's needed on your Thanksgiving table.