Thanksgiving DIY centrepiece

Hey London, long time no blog!

So sorry for the EXTREME lack of blogging, but you guys have been keeping me busy on my Facebook page!  

I was picking up some pumpkins from this amazing local pumpkin patch on Sarnia and Hyde Park. GO THERE if you live in Northwest London. They are such a great little farm, literally sandwiched in the middle of the tracks and a busy intersection! Here's a link to their Facebook page.  I grabbed a couple of small ones to make my annual pumpkin centerpiece and then I thought I'd share how I make them with you!  It's definitely a "local" thing, since I picked up the pumpkins at Phillips' farms. Sadly, I was in a rush so the flowers I grabbed from my "local" grocery store.  I bought a bunch of different mixes so I could create a unique bouquet for each centerpiece. 

Here's what you need: 

Pumpkins! Preferably round enough to fit a small mason jar/vase/old jam jar. Any colour will do! I LOVE white ones, warty ones, but the smooth orange ones are just as pretty :) 

Mason jars (small enough to fit in the pumpkin, reason being is that water leaks right through the pumpkin skin if you just put water in them.) OR a florists green cube OR a small vase OR an upcycled glass jam jar.

Flowers! Berries! Greenery! Your choice for what you put in there :) 

Here's how I made them:

I cut the pumpkin and dug out the seeds, as if you were making a jack'o'lantern, but I made the top big enough to fit a small mason jar. I also kept the seeds to bake after.

Then I picked over the flowers and found suitable ones for a "fall-ish" colour scheme.  I also went out to my backyard and picked some of my long grass tips - they're so pretty and harvest-y (yes, I'm making that a word). 

I filled a mason jar half way with water and created my bouquet in the mason jar before putting it in the pumpkin, making sure that I had a few longer stems around the edges which would hide the pumpkin hole nicely.  I kept the hardier mums and berries shorter and in the middle.  Play with height for interest.





Plunk your mason jar into your pumpkin and voila! You have a lovely, fun and festive centrepiece! Guaranteed to make YOU smile or any hostess as a lovely gift! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you are and with whomever you are celebrating. 

Have a great day, London :)