Make a Festive Christmas Centerpiece
My Christmas tree lot usually has discarded branches, free for the picking. I always collect an armful to decorate my home. Last year, I turned the branches into a Christmas centerpiece for our holiday table.
A Kid-Friendly Centerpiece
As a grandma of young children, I made this a durable centerpiece, with hardy decorations like pine cones, partridges, and Styrofoam snowballs. Battery-operated tea lights ensure no child gets burned.
Top 15 tips for Decorating the Christmas Tree
However, I did succumb to stemmed cut crystal, because I like their sparkle and elegance. You could swap out for more durable glasses around rambunctious kids.
How to Make Snowballs
What you need:
- Styrofoam balls
- White glue
- Epsom salt
Pour epsom salt into a shallow box, such as a shoe box cover. Using a paint brush, brush white glue all over the Styrofoam ball. Roll in epsom salt until the ball is completely coated. Let dry.
How to Make the Centerpiece
What you need:
- Christmas tree branches
- Artificial spray-on snow
- Snowballs (see instruction above)
- Pine cones
- Partridges
- Battery-operated tea lights
- Votive candle holders for the tea lights
- Battery-operated micro lights strung on wire (optional)
Trim branches to about 8 inches, discarding the woody parts. Next, spray branches with artificial snow. To look natural, spray in clumps and leave some parts green. Let dry.
Now lay branches along the center of your dining table, starting at each end and meeting in the middle. Remember, if you have a guest at both ends of the table, allow space for the place settings.
Cut some branches shorter to fill in spaces. Add more short branches in the center of the table where the branches meet, to hide the stems.
Arrange snowballs, pine cones and partridges in the branches. Add tea lights in votive candle holders. Finally, string micro lights, if you are using, along the length of your centerpiece, tucking the battery pack in the greenery.
Note: the links in the materials list are not the exact items I used, but serve as examples of what to shop for.
This Christmas, I’m working on a candy-themed table. But that story will be for another time. How are you decorating your table this year?
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