There’s nothing more representative of autumn and the holiday season than the “horn of plenty.” This time is about togetherness, thankfulness and, of course, delicious food. What type of decor is more on-point than a Thanksgiving centerpiece bursting with autumn fruits and veggies? Whether you’re a full-on DIY fan or you simply have an eye for putting things together, Modernize has pointers on creating the perfect cornucopia for your fall table.
Making the Basket
Via eHow
The supplies that this project requires depend on how you want to customize it. If you’re aren’t much of a start-from-scratch type of person, you can always buy a cornucopia basket and leave the customization for the contents. However, if you’re feeling crafty, you can roll chicken wire into a cone shape for the frame and cover it with burlap. Another option is to buy the ready-made basket and cover it with burlap, achieving the rustic feel without having to mold the chicken wire into a cone shape.
If you want something that’s both Halloween and Thanksgiving friendly (it’s nice to get some longevity from seasonal decorations), make a chicken wire basket, spray paint it black, wrap it in black ribbon and add a few orange flowers or leaves. Make sure to fill it with colors besides orange–like white, red and yellow–so that it can smoothly transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving.
Filling it Up
Via HGTV
Even if you buy a basket from your nearest home decor or crafting store, you can still get creative with your cornucopia. There are dozens of traditional options for stuffing your basket, and even more if you’re willing to go off the beaten path. Common food items (or non-edible, decorative versions of food) include gourds, cranberries, apples, Indian corn, and pomegranates. But you don’t have to stop there. Fall leaves, wheat stalks, twigs, pinecones, and even flowers can add to the rich beauty of your centerpiece. Raffia is also a great addition, both for wrapping around the outside of the basket, or for mixing inside.
Other Creative Cornucopia Ideas
- For a less traditional cornucopia, you can fill your basket with mostly fall flowers rather than food.
- Cornucopias can be kid-friendly—fill waffle ice cream cones with candy or fresh fruit for a kids’ table treat or centerpiece. Wrap it with orange ribbon to make sure the theme gets across
- Ask for help. Your kids will love helping you make a cornucopia. Have them cut fall leaves and pumpkins out of construction paper or collect items from outside, such as twigs and pinecones. You can even let them pick out little gourds from a pumpkin patch.
- Pick a theme. You can use all of the traditional elements and make a beautiful cornucopia, but if you want something a little more stylized, choose a particular direction. You can choose an all-outdoors theme with fall leaves, pine cones, twigs, and flowers. You can go purely edible and make your cornucopia an actual snack by forming the basket out of homemade bread. Or you can choose a color, yellow for example, and fill it up with gourds, apples, and leaves that are all different shades of the same color.