DIY Pumpkin Centerpieces

examples-of-pumpkin-wedding-centerpieces

This is the first week in Atlanta where it really is beginning to feel like fall. The trees are beginning to lose their leaves and the weather is crisp enough to need a jacket during the day, so it was perfect timing when I opened my inbox this week and saw this DIY pumpkin centerpiece to celebrate fall. Here is a little more information about this lovely tutorial from Laurie

It’s been such a long time since I’ve done something with flowers, so I wanted to incoporate fresh flowers in this weeks project. I did a centerpiece with white pumpkins (technically, i think they are gourds) as the base with accents using plain old begonias. I always try to make my projects versatile, so colors can be altered to fit any wedding color palette.  You could use any color begonia (begonias come in pinks (pale, salmon, deep, or bright), reds, oranges, yellows, and whites) and the mini pumpkins could be other types of gourds or even fruit ( apples, pears, etc). The leaves are begonia leaves ( a different kind of begonia), but any type of leaf or fall foliage could work too.

pumpkin-wedding-centerpieces

What You’ll Need (to make one centerpiece)

12- 15 white mini pumpkins
1 standard blooming Begonia plant (a nice one, loaded with lots of blooms)
1 leafy Begonia plant
12 – 15 short florist water picks (the tubes with the pointed ends,  aprox 2″ long or less)
1 cake stand or pedestal dish (you can make your own,, see the DIY cupcake stand instructions here.
A pair of floral clippers or scissors
Resources:
Begonias are widely available year round, nation wide, at most floral shops,  grocery store florists, or nurseries.  Blooming Begonias come in a wide range of color: pinks (from light to dark), red, white, yellow, peach and orange.   Leafy Begonias come in a variety of leaf shapes, patterns, and colors.
Water tubes are available at most craft stores, or from your local florist.

Instructions:

Begin by snipping approximately 10  blooming clusters off of your flowering begonia plant.  You’ll want to leave a stem about two inches long. (see figure 1)

Snip approximately 10 single leaves off of the foliage plant.  (see figure 2)

Fill your water tubes and put the caps on.

Into each tube, put either a cluster of blooms,  a cluster of blooms and a leaf, or a couple of leaves.  You can widen the hole in the rubber lid by snipping it with a pair of scissors or floral clippers to accommodate more stems.(see figures 3 and 4)

Carefully pile your pumpkins in a pyramid shape.  (see figure 5)

Begin inserting the flower filled water picks into the gaps between the pumpkins.     Evenly distribute the blooms. (see figure 6)

Follow with the picks containing leaves to complete your centerpiece.  (see figure 7)

These centerpieces are simple to make, but best made on site, rather than transported in a fully assembled state.   You can fill your water picks with flowers and foliage in advance.  When you arrive at the reception site,  pile your pumpkins and then add the blooms and leaves to the arrangements.   Be sure to give it a test run at home first to see how long it takes to assemble one.
What it Cost (to make one centerpiece)
One half of a blooming begonia plant @ $10 = $5.00
One quarter of a leafy begonia @ $12 =  $3.00
12 mini pumpkins @ $.33 each = $4.00
12 water pics = $2
DIY Cakestand = $9

Total for centerpiece = $23

Project created by Laurie Cinotto