There are just seven days to go before I host Thanksgiving for the very first time – and after weeks of menu planning, I can finally turn my attention to the table. It's been tempting, of course, to shop around for all my Thanksgiving table decor ideas, but I have a trick up my sleeve: Joanna Gaines' DIY holiday table centerpiece hack.
This ingenious tip is something I actually spotted last year, and I haven't forgotten it. In a video shared on her Instagram, Joanna Gaines created some easy Thanksgiving table decor simply by cutting stems from her garden and arranging them in a rustic vase like the Textured Adrienne Vase from Magnolia.
'I was in the mood to do an arrangement for the Thanksgiving table this week, and I wanted to go to the florist – but I also wanted to stay in my PJs,' says Joanna in the video, with her signature candid charm. 'So I decided to challenge myself and go outside.'
Essentially a speedy alternative to growing your own festive floral centerpiece, Joanna's hack requires a few minutes of foraging and a dash of creativity. There's no strict formula when gathering stems from your backyard or local area – it's all about that homespun look, after all – but it's best to collect a few different types of foliage and florals. Joanna combines blue spruce stems with Magnolia and ligustrum berries for a lush, verdant look.
'I cut stems from all over the farm and brought them inside,' Joanna explains, 'and then I got a waterproof vase, shoved some chicken wire in it, and started putting the branches inside.'
If you've been keen to try out some Thanksgiving craft ideas, this is the perfect opportunity. You can pick up chicken wire from Amazon and use it to secure the stems within your vase; any vase will work, depending on the theme of your tablescape, but I'd opt for something roomy and rustic. (Magnolia's distressed crackle vase is a particularly elegant choice, and it's big enough to fit plenty of foliage.)
In Joanna's words, the aim is 'to create a really pretty, asymmetrical yet dramatic arrangement.' The key? ' 'Mixing different textures,' she states. 'When I opened Magnolia in 2003, I used to sell fresh florals, and I also did weddings for some of my customers, so I've always loved doing arrangements.'
Joanna's holiday table centerpiece certainly looks professional, and she nails the effortless-yet-elegant look thanks to a particularly handy tip: 'I always like to add a taller branch on the left and right of the arrangement so it creates little more drama,' she reveals.
So, even if you don't have a sprawling farm as your backyard, Joanna proves that a show-stopping holiday centerpiece is an easy (and rewarding) DIY project. Though I'll always love shopping for tableware (and I would have happily invested in Magnolia's red berry pine garland to drape across my Thanksgiving table), there's no better time to try out Joanna's hack.
To me, her video is a welcome reminder that everything I need to create an incredible Thanksgiving tablescape is hiding in plain sight. I just need to pull on my gardening gloves and venture outside – but fortunately, I still have some time to tick this off my Thanksgiving checklist.
Shop Joanna Gaines' Holiday Centerpiece Essentials
Boasting a beautifully artisanal look, this textured vase is sure to receive plenty of compliments from your guests – especially when you fill it with hand-cut blooms.
Collect your stems in style with these pastel-hued shears. (Plus, the matching pale mint pruners are on sale, if you feel like giving your gardening toolbox a makeover.)
Joanna uses a rustic urn vase like this one to create her arrangement, and I think it's perfect for a nature-inspired tablescape – I love the earthy color.
Looking for more inspiration from the experts? Try Joanna Gaines' Thanksgiving centerpiece as an alternative – it's the secret to a picture-perfect tablescape, every time.
