Simple and Inexpensive Christmas Table Centerpiece

How to incorporate fresh evergreen branches snipped from the yard and supermarket naval oranges for a simple vintage Christmas table centerpiece.

Last week, while the rest of the world was busy eating around their Thanksgiving tables, I was busy coming up with a Christmas centerpiece.

Because I guess my brain with its millions of tabs always open will spot a juniper tree in a nearby parking lot and bookmark it for later. And that’s the story of how this Christmas table decor happened.

If I see a tree with fiery red maple leaves, filled with magnolia blossoms, or covered in juniper berries, you better believe I’ll want to snag a couple of stems to enjoy nature indoors.

I definitely recreated my Simple Thanksgiving Table Decor Done in 10 Minutes from last month because well… if it ain’t broke and all that…

Just like the Thanksgiving table decor I made with pears, berries, and leaves from my backyard for fall, this one is just as easy to make foraging whatever branches you can find in your area.

Simple Christmas Centerpiece

What you’ll need:

• Evergreen branches (You can use all kinds of different varieties, depending on what you have available near you. Cedar, pine, hemlock, and spruce work well. I cut some stems from a hemlock tree in our backyard. Take a walk around your yard with some pruning shears and see what catches your eye.)
• Winter berry clusters cut from the yard (Warning: Be aware that some berries can be poisonous, so do not add berries to your table within reach of children or pets.) I used juniper stems in my case.
• An in-season fruit type from the produce aisle (I used 5 oranges from my grocery store and turned them into pomanders by piercing whole cloves into different designs in their peels. Pomegranates, cranberries, figs, or pears would work beautifully too.)
• Taper candle holders (I love these classic gold candle holders. You could use any size, shape, or color of candle holder. You could even mix and match thrifted candle holders, if you have them.)
• Table runner (This simple linen striped runner is my favorite and works well year-round.) You certainly don’t need a table runner if you prefer to lay your centerpiece directly on your table to keep things extra simple.

Psst… you can find How to Dry Fruit and Preserve Leaves for Christmas Decor here for extra help.

Give the branches a good shake beforehand or dunk them in a sink full of water and a capful of vinegar to remove any bugs that might be on them.

How to Recreate

1. Place Your Candle Holders

Place your candle holders evenly apart with staggering heights.

2. Scatter Branches

Place the evergreen branches you cut previously all around the candle holders in different directions. Let it be messy. It’s totally okay to stray from perfection and let nature do the work.

3. Place Berry Branches

Tuck your berry branches throughout the evergreen branches to provide even pops of color.

4. Position the Fruit/Vegetables

Stagger and space out your fruit of choice in the gaps between the candle holders. It doesn’t have to be in any particular way.

5. Add Finishing Touches (optional)

If you feel up to the extra challenge, dry some orange slices in the oven and scatter them around the evergreen branches too. Or cut a few sprigs of rosemary to use on place settings.

That’s it! Snipping the branches was the longest part of process, but even that only took about 5 minutes. Bonus: It smells absolutely AMAZING.

It feels so cozy and almost reminds me of something from Little Women, don’t you think?

(By the way, you can see the rest of our dining room here, if you missed it.)

Have you ever foraged your yard for table decor? What beauties do you have in your area that would work perfectly as a Christmas centerpiece?