Creating centerpieces for your gathering doesn’t have to be costly or time consuming. Discover 5 simple centerpiece ideas that you can design using items from your home.

Summer and fall are the perfect seasons to host an outdoor get-together. The weather tends to be the most agreeable and the land is beautiful, full of lush green grass, flowers blooming, or brilliantly colored leaves adorning the branches of autumn trees.

Just last month, we hosted a gathering for the homesteaders in our church. There was great food, games, fellowship, and of course talk about gardening and living a simple farm life. For an extra special touch to our event, we decided to decorate each table with a rustic centerpiece.

If you’re anything like me, the centerpiece isn’t the first task on the to-do list to prepare for the party. Food – check. Tableware – check. Clean home – check. Then comes the design for the centerpieces. But what to do? What is the theme? Should they all match? Do I have enough items to create multiple, coordinated centerpieces?

There are a million ways to create a centerpiece. Just jump onto Pinterest and type in centerpiece and you’ll receive an endless supply of instant inspiration! However, if you look close, most of them are wedding themed. They require a massive budget and take multiple days to put together. As beautiful as those centerpieces are, they are not exactly realistic. Us homesteaders have gardens to tend, animals to take care of, and a family to feed. We just don’t have the time — and sometimes the budget or skill to put together such dreamlike centerpiece designs.

Why not use things around your property to create lovely outdoor centerpieces? No need to hire a team or spend oodles of money. There is beauty is simplicity.

Country-Inspired Centerpieces

If you’re planning a gathering on your farm or homestead, you can bring your tabletops to life by using items you already have around your home. Start by selecting items that incorporate an earthy color scheme for your outdoor event. If it is summertime, select items that are bright and cheery using shades such as watermelon pink or corn yellow. For fall parties, burnt orange and apple red are great color choices. Using natural items like wood accents, fresh fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers will transform your table giving it a natural, rustic look.

Centerpiece Container Ideas

Wooden toolbox
Mason jar
Vase
Water jug
Basket
Wooden planter box
Clay pots
Planters
Metal bucket
Small wooden crates
Vintage mixing bowls

Centerpiece Filler Ideas

Flowers
Herbs
Sticks or branches
Pinecones
Vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers or pumpkins
Fruit such as apples, grapes or berries
Candle
Straw or hay
Wood chips or shavings
Stones or sand
Leaves
Vintage gardening tools

Centerpiece Decoration Ideas

Ribbon
Twine
Burlap
Fabric
Flower petals
Fresh berries or grapes
Dried herbs or leaves
Slabs of wood
Kraft paper such as builder’s paper
Vintage dishes

5 Simple Centerpiece Ideas Using Household Items

There are plenty of ways to create table accents. All it takes is a little imagination! Discover 5 simple centerpiece ideas that you can create using items you likely already have in your home. May they inspire you to create your own!

Rustic Woods

Gathering spruce tree branches and filling a vase with mulch from the garden, created an instant centerpiece that was quick, natural and rustic. Perfect for outdoor birthday parties, cookouts, bonfires or campouts.

Seasonal Flowers

A half gallon mason jar filled with sunflowers set on top of a slab of wood adds a simple rustic touch to this centerpiece arrangement. Make it your own by adding any flower variety you have growing on your land.

Edible Herbs

Add echinacea to a vintage toolbox for a beautiful centerpiece design. This adds a touch of nature to your table and gives you — if you’re an herbalist — a great opportunity to talk about the benefits of medicinal herbs.

Country Findings

Every homesteader has a few mason jars laying around, right? Fill them with simple wildflowers for a minimalistic style. An old tin plate, found in a box of junk from an auction added a rustic touch.

Harvest Time

Gardening can be hard work! Why not show off your homegrown veggies? Fill up an old crate or grab a planter box and add tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, apples or pumpkins. Your centerpiece will taste as good as it looks!