Hello short cutters.

We are on to our next challenge.

These 14 days are full of tips to make your decorating life a little easier.

We’ve discussed the one thing every lamp needs and how to transform a builder-grade door for under $10 and an easy way to makeover furniture and a unique hardware DIY.

And today?

We are talking tables and things that make them look pretty and still let you send your children to college.

Here are simple centerpiece ideas you can create by shopping the vegetable aisle and your yard.

I’m not sure how it happens, but somewhere around the first week of September, my table sits me down and has a talk and explains that it knows that I’ve been busy this summer and it was willing to give me a pass.

But the free ride is over.

No more tray filled with boxwood trying to pass itself off as a superstar.

Fall is here.

Time to get centerpiece serious.

Simple Centerpiece Idea #1

Fill a large over-sized container in the center of table with greenery.

Clip greenery from your yard.

The goal is to have greenery with at least three different textures.

If you stumble across a pinecone or two or random dried things with beautiful texture, toss those in too.

Then layer pumpkins in the very center.

Simple Centerpiece Idea #2

Place a decorative runner in the center of the table.

Hollow out several faux pumpkins.

Stagger the height of the pumpkins using books or pedestals.

Place a mason jar in the center of each pumpkin and fill with hydrangea.

Clip magnolia leaves from the yard and tuck around the base of the pumpkins.

Layer in pears or other random vegetables.

Simple Centerpiece Idea #3

Place a row of chalkboards in the center of the table.

Hollow out several cabbages to use as vases.

Place a mason jar in the center of each cabbage and fill with fall foliage from the yard.

Shop the vegetable aisle.

Make friends with the artichoke.

Bring them home and layer them on the chalkboards with squash, apples and twine pumpkins.

Simple Centerpiece Idea #4

Start with log vases.

If you don’t have log vases handy, stack wood slices and add a mason jar or small glass vase on top.

Fill with brightly colored flowers.

Stagger the height of the vases using books or pedestals.

Clip magnolia leaves from the yard and tuck around the base of the log vases.

Layer in lemons or other random vegetables.

Simple Centerpiece Idea #5

This is my favorite centerpiece for conversation.

It’s low, so pumpkins and flowers don’t get in the way of a really good story.

Start with a garland of faux greenery.  It doesn’t have to be fancy because we’re covering most of it up.

Add in magnolia leaves to the faux garland and then tuck in pumpkins and other random vegetables.

Did you notice a pattern?

Here’s my centerpiece outline.

1. Start with something you can fill—a cabbage, a vase, a container or a pumpkin.

2. Stack whatever you’ve filled on different levels to vary the height.

3. Shop the yard, cut greenery and fill it up.

4. Tuck random vegetables and or other produce friends around to fill out the rest of the centerpiece.

Then wait for a little more fall….and repeat. 🙂

PS  And now a word from our 14-Day decorating short cut challenge sponsor.

You can read the reviews of my first book, So Close To Amazing, here.

You can pre-order it here.

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