By Diana Saufley

Fall will be here soon with cooler temperatures on the horizon.  So, it’s time to start warming up your home for the holidays and visits from guests.   For the fall décor blog series, I want to help you find ways to celebrate the holidays with festive décor for your tables.   People frequently say that they just cannot put an arrangement together.  However, it really isn’t difficult and most everyone can come up with something simple or spectacular.  It just takes a little planning, a few items and patience.  For this week, let’s concentrate on fall and Halloween ideas for your tables.

I like to fill up vases, candle holders, bowls and platters with various festive items that welcome guest to the table and serve as conversation starters as well.   The size of an arrangement should be about 1/3 the size of your table if it is a table used for guest to sit and eat.   If it is a coffee table or side table it can be larger in height or width since guest won’t have to peer over or around it to visit with the other table guest.   But it should not overpower the size of the table either.

 Here are decor ideas for vases, candle sconces or holder, bowls and platters:

• Fill a hurricane vase with moss rocks (available at craft stores), fake or real leaves (see the dead ones in your yard have a new purpose), and some nuts which make a great fall centerpiece.  Place a candle in the middle first if you like and fill around it, or stick a group of twigs or birch branches into the middle instead of a candle.
   
• In a candle holder or sconce, fill in around the candle using decorative candy corn for Halloween fun!
   
• Uncooked popcorn kernels are one of my favorite fillers to use in candle holders.  Using things in unintended ways is a conversation starter.  It also makes cleaning the candle holder a breeze since the wax clings to the popcorn.
   
• On a platter, scatter moss rocks and fake cranberries around a few gourds or pumpkins.
   
• Get two clear glass containers that fit one inside the other (they don’t have to be the same shape) with a little room between two.  Put a votive candle in the smaller container then place that container inside the larger container.  Fill between the two containers with nuts, popcorn, candies, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, colorful beans, fake leaves, or combinations of several items or whatever you like.   Light the candle to see how this warms a room and makes a fall season statement.

There is no magic formula for make a spectacular arrangement.  Working with the materials and having the patience to assemble and re-assemble until it looks just right to you, is all it takes.  If you aren’t sure, ask someone else for their opinion of it when it is completed and then readjust if necessary. 

All arrangements do not require a lot of expense.  Arrangement items can be inexpensively purchased or found in your own yard.  Moss rocks will work well year round, cinnamon sticks can be purchased and used to flavor a hot cup of cider and then dried again for floral use.  Bags of colorful beans and raw popcorn kernels used as fillers provide easy and inexpensive options throughout the year. Recycle, renew and reuse items used in your arrangements.