It’s Summer Summer Time! And I am gearing up to host a few get-togethers at my house, and wanted to create a seasonal centerpiece. This one is as easy as piling up a bunch of citrus fruits! When you are done, break out the juicer and make orange popsicles or mimosas for the following afternoon 😉 For a little something special, I sliced a few oranges in half, scooped out the inside, and add a wick then filled with granulated wax to create a quick candle!
What you need:
Greenery – I used assorted eucalyptus in my centerpiece
Citrus fruits – Oranges, Lemons, Kumquats, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Clementines, Mandarin Oranges
Platter
Candle Wick
Granulated Wax
Table Runner (optional)
What to do:
Use a platter or plate to ground your centerpiece. It’s easier to have a base before placing your fruits so that they don’t roll around.
Start layering up your assorted citrus fruits. The more variety of fruits you purchase, the more visually interesting the centerpiece will look. Try to alternate color tones and sizes in your layering.
Next add in the greenery. Place the greenery in and around the fruits to add contrast.
Stand back and view your creation as a whole. If you notice any holes, go back and fill them in with that extra kumquat or eucalyptus sprig.
For the candles, slice an orange in half.
Scoop out the inners with a spoon. Snack as you go, of course.
Place the wick in the middle of the orange.
Pour the granulated wax around the wick and fill up the orange half.
It’s been SO fun seeing a bunch of you make my braided rope wreaths on social media! If you have any left over materials, I have perfect way to use them! I’ll admit, in the past I was always intimidated by perfectly wrapped gifts, but it’s amazing how even if your corners aren’t perfect, when you you hot glue on some flare, your gift instantly looks pretty darn festive! Links to supplies after the break…
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Now that I have my own home, I am really getting excited about decorating for the holidays (the addition of a basement to store out-of-season decor has been a huge help)! So when Brother asked me to create a some home decor for Christmas, I ran right out to the craft store and loaded up on dried/faux greenery and embellishments. I came back home and tinkered around for a while using different combinations of supplies to create a bunch of wreaths, and these simple braided ones were the clear winner.
I grabbed the wire rope as I was leaving the floral section, not quite sure how I would use it, but after braiding it together and realizing how easy it was to mold and glue the greenery to, I knew I was headed in the right direction. I kept the embellishment simple with a few of my favorite things: dried eucalyptus and unfinished wood with a little pop of color. This finishing touch is a personalized message on satin ribbon using my handy Brother P-touch Embellish Ribbon & Tape Printer, to create the perfect hostess gift for holiday parties.
I played around with size, and the small ones are light enough to be a great ornament, I just love the idea of making new ones with the family every Xmas and adding the date and a little memory to the ribbon to remember each year. Ok, I am running out to get more supplies, because I invited the girls over for a craft night to make more wreaths. Let me know if you do the same, and get creative with the embellishments, I would love to see how they turn out! 
Steps and supplies after the break… (more…)
