Trash to Treasure – November

Posted on November 1st, 2015

How to Make a Festive Table Centrepiece

No one can miss as the clocks go back and the evenings draw near that Christmas is on the way. The children are starting to build their excitement and it is the perfect excuse to start making a few Christmas crafts. I hope to share a few of our favourites with you over the coming weeks; things we have made from nature or everyday bits and bobs. I hope in turn you can help my Christmas crafting by adding your upcycling ideas big or small to the link up below. I am kicking things off with our nature table decorations. Christmas is a family time and meal times are a great way to embrace this. Laying an inviting table and adding your own centrepiece that the kids can easily make is a great way to turn a simple dinner into a fun family occasion throughout the festive season.

What you will need

A potato or marrow

Knife

Skewer

tea light or tall candle

festive foraged foliage ( holly and berries are ideal giving colour and structure)

Silver foil for the potato, not needed for a marrow

Silver or Gold or snow spray paint or glitter – optional

Method

Cut your potato or marrow in half, for the potato the cut side is the base, for the marrow the skin side forms the base.
Use the metal rim of your candle to mark the placement on the potato.
Carve a small area in the potato just deep enough for the candle to sit in. Scoop out the marrow and place the candle in the burrow.
Wrap your potato in tin foil ensuring you tuck it into the candle hole tightly.
Take your skewer and make a few holes around the potato about 2 – 3 cm deep, the marrow is soft enough not to need this step.
Snip the ends of your foliage to an appropriate length and stick them in the prepared skewered holes so they feel secure.

A few additions you could try

Spray paint a few leaf tips

Stick a skewer in with a flag style menu on the top

Make the children in charge of collecting new foliage to keep your centrepiece fresh for more festive meals

Add some mini floristry ribbon bows or tassels on cocktail sticks

Try doing the same for Easter using mini chicks on cocktail sticks and daffodils

For a simple alternative which is great for the children to do on their own, just wrap foil around the ends of a few sprigs and lay them on the table. I did this last week for a dinner party and it was really effective.

Making our Centrepieces at Christmas on the farm last year for Activity Hour

Joining in with Trash2Treasure

If you have post about something you have made with something from nature or something you would have otherwise have thrown away please come and share on Trash 2 Treasure. The linky will run on the 1st Monday of every month and stay open for the full month. Post can take any form, all that matters is that the item made has primarily been upcycled from something of little value or found in nature. Leaves and loo rolls, sticks and staples, there are so many throw away items which, with a little imagination can be turned into something of value. Most of my something from nothing craft tutorials will come from fun keepsakes we have made with the children in our farm activity hour but sometimes I will share bigger upcycling projects from Farmer Nick too. I hope through the linky to acquire some new ideas and I welcome all posts old and new.

A little extra from the awesome folk at Duck Tape Colours

Trash to Treasure is sponsored by Duck Tape Colours, makers of colourful tape to add pattern and sparkle to all your upcycling projects. Our favourite upcycling post each month will receive 3 colourful rolls of tape to inspire your next project. Do check out their website for plenty of creative ideas.

Thank you for all the wonderful posts again last month and congratulations to Claire Justine who has won the Duck Tape Colours with this clever soap dispenser from a Jack Daniels Bottle.