I love entertaining. I feel like a grown up now that we host Thanksgiving each year. I love any excuse to make new centerpieces or to try a new recipe. (I also appreciate the motivation to really clean the house…) This year, I have been loving sticks and branches. First of all, they’re free. Second, you can do just about anything to them; and third, when you’re done with them they make great fireplace kindling. Big, beautiful centerpieces for Thanksgiving are the way to go!
I just got done spray painting hundreds of them black for a Halloween party. For Thanksgiving I went au natural.
I began by gluing moss to some vertical bases that Handsome Hubby made me several years ago for some centerpieces I did for a wedding. (HH is brilliant and made sure he designed these bases to let me use them over and over again, in several different ways.) After I glued the moss to the base, I took my (FREE!) sticks and branches and wired them onto the base as well. With the natural wood of the sticks, I wanted to add some bling as a nice contrast, so I raided HH’s tackle box for some fishing line and strung a few crystal beads from the branches.
I wired on votive cups also. I wasn’t going to go nuts. I was going to keep it simple. However, the bare sticks with the clear crystal and clear glass really needed something. Turned out the something was, um, leaves.
Grant and I spent about 20 minutes in front of a neighbor’s house and picked up the gorgeous red leaves that had fallen from their tree…. And then I spent a solid 2 hours hot gluing the leaves onto the branches. I think the effect was worth it.
Then I thought I needed something to mask a flower bed that is full of dirt, rather than flowers. I got big branches, glued more leaves, and was fortunate enough to have beads already strung on fishing line from a Mother’s Day Brunch I did 3 years ago.
It looks kind of sparse in the photo, but it looked fine for the dinner.
Of course, what good are floral arrangements if there is no one to make them for? I love my family! They are so fun. How cute is my dad?!
I hate my camera. I’ve been putting it off, but I think it’s time I finally read the instructions about the different settings.
Weather was crisp but pretty…
By the way, I am definitely one of those people who likes to use real glasses, real plates and real utensils (as opposed to plastic) so it just cracks me up that my Uncle actually brought his own red plastic cup to my house. He brought a plastic cup. Brought his own. I’m still laughing.
Handsome Hubby takes his turkey carving duty seriously.
My sis and her husband, my parents, HH and Grant. Why do little kids at this age smile just by baring their teeth?
You know…. my dad will just put up with so many posed photos, then he is just done. Done, I tell you.
Having family around, relaxing after a great meal, is so wonderful. I guess if we did it more often it wouldn’t seem as special.
By the way, my sticks looked great by candlelight….
It’s been a long day and I better get to bed. I have to get up in the morning and transform these arrangements into kindling. Happy Thanksgiving! 
Your “sticks” are amazing! I love it. Truly gorgeous!
Hi Viv,
I love those centre pieces. Just love them and am planning to copy them for my next shindig! Hope you are well!
Absolutely beautiful. I love this idea. Your tables looked wonderful. Glad you had such a fun day with your family!
This is truly the most gorgeous table that I have seen, I love it sooo much, great job!
Ahhh I love the stick centerpieces. Looks great! It’s fun seeing pics of your family. So tell me, where do you live that you could have Thanksgiving outside?
Love it! I hope the dinner tasted as good as the decor looked!
Those center pieces are gorgeous! I love your vision.
Wow! I am super jealous of your creativity. You had a beautiful set-up for dinner. I wish I had 1/2of that creative bone. I could do great things with it I think.
I hope you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with your family.
Once again you did not disappoint! Your tables were beautiful! I, thanks to you, have a new love for sticks too! I’m trying to think of something to do for Christmas with them…
I’m so glad Peanut has finally outgrown that picture taking funk, it only took her almost 11 years!
Lady, you always have the most creative and pretty arrangements!
And. Srsly?! It just makes me laugh a little bit that you had to GLUE leaves ON the branches!!! LOL
Gorgeous!!! You never dissapoint. I love that you do it all yourself, I sure hope you are getting lots of work from Girl Friday because seriously you can do amazing things with ANYTHING! My camera has been making me mad lately. I’ve had it a couple years & all the sudden it just feels like it gets slow & not as crisp. What is up with that?
They look fantastic! You do such an amazing job!!
~Becca
You are just the hostess with the mostest!!! Looks like a great celebration…cute decor, wonderful family and yummy food. You can’t beat that. I laughed that he brought his own plastic cup too…hilarious!
so festive and fun!!!! WELL DONE!!!! i bet everybody loved it and that they had a great time!!!
Those turned out so well! And, I don’t look at it as you were stealing leaves from your neighbor’s yard. I look at it as you were saving them the trouble of raking!
Happy belated Thanksgiving!
I’ve been SO into sticks this year too…I used them at my Eclipse party and I decorated with them for fall at my house. I also have some I’m using right now for Christmas and they are covered in little crystals…looks like ice. I love them!
Your centerpieces turned out GORGEOUS!!! I really love them. Looks like you guys had a great time.
heehee, I saw some sticks the other day and the first thought that popped into my head was “Oh, Viv would love those sticks”! Everything looks gorgeous as usual. 🙂