21 DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces That Will Be The Star Of Your Dinner Table

Do you make your own Thanksgiving decorations? If you don’t you should and since Thanksgiving Day will be here before we know it, now is the time to get started. I always try to do something special for my dinner table on this special holiday and I was looking over my decorations just the other day and though it might be time for a new centerpiece. So, I started looking at different ways to DIY a Thanksgiving centerpiece and I found 21 beautiful things that you can make in no time at all.

DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Imagine a gorgeous new centerpiece that you can make in less than an hour. How about something that won’t cost you anything? Many of these can be done with upcycled or reclaimed materials, so if you have those on hand, they are literally free to make. And, none of them take more than an hour to put together. In fact, there are a couple in here that you can make in under five minutes! If you love doing your own decorations for the holidays, you are going to love these DIY Thanksgiving centerpieces. And, if you’re really a fan of DIY projects for the holidays, be sure to also check out these 25 gorgeous farmhouse Christmas decorations that you can make.

I do love creating a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner table and these centerpieces are sure to help you dress up yours. And, since they incorporate the colors of fall, you could have these on the table all the way up until it’s time for Christmas decorating. Oh, and be sure to also take a look at these 60 DIY fall decorations that will go beautifully with your new DIY centerpiece. You have plenty of time between now and Thanksgiving to create a lovely new centerpiece to decorate your table. These would also make wonderful hostess gifts if you are heading somewhere else for Thanksgiving dinner. They’re easy to make, really inexpensive and let’s face it, handmade things are so much better than store bought!

1. Easy Five Minute Thanksgiving Centerpiece

This easy Thanksgiving centerpiece will only take you a few minutes to put together and you can make it with things that you already have on hand. Just fill a bowl, plate or cake stand with fall fruit like apples or pears and then add some Thanksgiving themed décor such as leaves, antlers if you have them or even pinecones. You can make it as traditional or contemporary and as elegant or simple as you want.

Tutorial/Source: julieblanner

2. Pottery Barn Inspired Candle Centerpiece

Go out into the yard and gather up a few acorns to make this beautiful and very simple Pottery Barn inspired centerpiece. It’s so easy to make and can be done with just about any glass, tall bowl or candle holder that you have on hand. The colors are perfect for your Thanksgiving decorating and because it’s so easy, this is a great centerpiece choice if you have more than one table to decorate on Thanksgiving.

Tutorial/Source: livelaughrowe

3. DIY Apple Votives

These votives are made from actual apples, which gives them a beautiful look as well as a luscious fall scent. You need to carve out your apples to make room for the tealight or votive candles and then add the apples to a peat moss planter. Fall leaves and jute or twine give it a beautifully rustic and old fashioned look. You could also add cinnamon sticks if you want a great apple cinnamon scent wafting throughout the house.

Tutorial/Source: eabdesigns

4. Thrift Store Basket Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Your centerpiece doesn’t have to be expensive or take you much time to make. I love this thrift store basket idea. Just purchase a basket – I got on recently at Goodwill for less than a dollar – and then fill with leaves, pinecones and even candles. You can paint the basket if you want to give it a great fall color or just use a plain basket if you can find one. It’s a quick and easy centerpiece that won’t cost much at all to make.

Tutorial/Source: designimprovised

5. Carved Gourd Candle Holders

Gourds are not expensive at all and you can find them everywhere from grocery stores or Walmart to your local farmer’s market. You can turn those gourds into beautiful candle holders that make an amazing Thanksgiving centerpiece. You just cut a hole into the top to hold your tealight candles and then assemble your gourds for a centerpiece or add them to a basket, plate or bowl, along with other fall décor items like leaves and pinecones.

Tutorial/Source: revelblog

6. Cornhusk Votive Centerpiece

Cornhusks really have a great Thanksgiving look, don’t they? I love these cornhusk votives that are so easy to make and so versatile. You can use these by themselves to create an elegant and simple centerpiece or group them together with any number of other Thanksgiving décor pieces to create a grand statement centerpiece that is sure to get attention at your dinner table.

Tutorial/Source: marthastewart

7. Easy And Cheap Dried Corn Candle Holder

This little candle holder can be made for less than $5, depending on where you get your corn. I saw candle holders like this at a department store recently and they were pretty costly. You can make these however and save a bundle. They’re easy to put together and if you grew any corn this summer, they won’t cost you anything.

Tutorial/Source: julieblanner

8. DIY Edible Centerpiece

Your centerpiece doesn’t have to be anything more than some fruits that you lay on a platter. I love this edible centerpiece that gives such an elegant look to the dinner table. Just take your Thanksgiving themed platter and add berries, apples, pears, plums and whatever other fruits you can find. Not only does this serve as a gorgeous centerpiece, it offers your guests a little something sweet until the pumpkin pie is ready to serve.

Tutorial/Source: countryliving

9. Glitter Pumpkin Centerpiece

You can buy these little pumpkins at any craft store and our local Dollar Store has them as well. You get several in a pack for a couple of dollars. Once you get them, just paint them with glitter and add to your favorite bowl or Thanksgiving plate. They make a beautiful, not to mention really cheap, centerpiece idea that will take you less than an hour to put together.

10. Gold Pumpkin Vase – Pottery Barn Knockoff

I love Pottery Barn décor but it’s really expensive. Good thing you can DIY knockoffs of your favorite Pottery Barn décor. This gold pumpkin centerpiece is made by simply painting small craft pumpkins gold and then adding them to a tall vase. You could do a glass bowl too if you prefer that shape to the cylindrical shape. This one is so easy…and so much cheaper than the Pottery Barn version.

Tutorial/Source: simplydesigning

11. Gourd And Candle Box

I love this old looking box that is filled with pumpkins, gourds and candles. It’s a great rustic looking centerpiece and it’s super easy to make. If you have one, you could use a long narrow drawer for this or build it yourself in about an hour. You could even distress it for a great farmhouse look. Then fill with a selection of gourds and mini pumpkins and add candles – if your box is big enough, put your candles in mason jars for a really rustic look.

Tutorial/Source: shanty-2-chic

12. Rustic Log Candle Holder

Turn an ordinary log into a beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece with a drill and a few fall leaves. Just drill holes in your log, big enough to place tealight candles, and then add leaves and any other fall themed décor that you want. Surround your log with gourds and pumpkins or pinecones for added effect. This is so
easy that you can make it in about five minutes and if you have the log and leaves, it’s basically free to DIY.

Tutorial/Source: jennaburger

13. Mason Jar Centerpiece

A collection of mason jars and a few pinecones and leaves give you the perfect base for a gorgeous centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. I love mason jar projects and this may be one of my favorites. Just fill jars with pinecones, acorns, candles and other items and maybe add twine or burlap to really spruce them up. Add as many jars as you have on hand to create a centerpiece in the perfect size for your table.

Tutorial/Source: knowhowshedoesit

14. Lantern Thanksgiving Centerpiece

An empty lantern, which you can get at any hobby store, filled with candles, leaves and mini pumpkins or gourds makes the most gorgeous centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table. You can put in pinecones from the yard or head to the Dollar Store for some great fall trimmings and decorate it however you want.

Tutorial/Source: sweetsomethingdesign

15. Painted Metallic Gourds

These gourds painted in metallic gold, silver and copper are gorgeous and they make a wonderful centerpiece. Just spray paint your craft pumpkins or gourds to create the colors and then add them to a bowl or plate or put them on individual cake stands. You could also add them to different heights of glass candle holders – hot glue them on – to make a more permanent centerpiece that you can use year after year.

Tutorial/Source: hgtv

16. DIY Fall Paper Leaf Centerpiece

Using twigs and sticks from the yard and some cardstock or scrapbook paper, you can create this amazing fall leaf centerpiece that is perfect for decorating your Thanksgiving dinner table. Use scrapbook paper in a variety of fall colors and designs to add your own special touch. Then just attach your leaves to the sticks and put them all in a nice glass vase.

Tutorial/Source: hgtv

17. Thankful Pear Centerpiece

I love this idea of using pears to state what you are thankful for. You just cut out paper leaves and let your family write down on each one something that they are thankful for. Then, put the pears, along with their notes, in a glass or wooden bowl and that serves as your centerpiece. This is such a simple and old fashioned way to decorate your table and to show how grateful you are for everything in your life.

Tutorial/Source: goodhousekeeping

18. Simple Pinecone Candle Centerpiece

I love how easy this pinecone candle centerpiece is to make. You just choose a bowl – a wooden one would be perfect – and then add pinecones and a glass hurricane or candle holder. You can put this one together in about five minutes or less and if you have pinecones in your yard you can use those, or buy a bag at the Dollar Store for a couple of dollars. You can also paint the pinecones gold or any number of other fall colors if you want something a bit less rustic.

19. Carved Pumpkin Candleholders

Mini pumpkins can be carved into gorgeous candle holders to create a stunning Thanksgiving centerpiece. Personally, I would do two pumpkin candle holders and then have a pumpkin planter with mums in the center, but you could just do the candle holders and line them up or do different sizes and create a circle of pumpkin candles. You can get the pumpkins from local growers for around a dollar each or less.

Tutorial/Source: allyou

20. White Pumpkin Leaves Centerpiece

White craft or real mini pumpkins with handmade paper leaves are perfect for gracing your dinner table. If you can’t find the white pumpkins anywhere, you can spray paint regular pumpkins. Then add paper leaves, cut out of cardstock or scrapbook paper, with words like “blessed,” “thankful” or whatever special message you want to share with your dinner guests.

Tutorial/Source: ellaclaireinspired

21. Easy DIY Pumpkin Vase

A pumpkin vase is perfect for your Thanksgiving centerpiece. Not only is this an easy centerpiece to make, it’s pretty inexpensive. You just need a pumpkin and whatever flowers you want to display. Mums and fall colored roses are perfect. First, cut out the center using a glass vase as your guide. The vase will sit right down in the pumpkin and hold your flowers beautifully.

Tutorial/Source: jennysteffens