Quick and Clever Halloween Centerpieces
Halloween is the perfect time to add some fright to your holiday table. Use these centerpiece ideas as inspiration for your next Halloween party or as festive additions to your home.
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Make a bewitching centerpiece with black-and-orange pumpkins. Carve out a large pumpkin to hold a vase. Spray-paint your pumpkins with a black matte-finish paint. Once dry, scrape away the painted surface in lines or in the form of a sunflower or another design.
Fashion papier-mache into flickering mummylike candles. Begin by wetting plaster cloth strips (found at local crafts stores) and wrapping them around a small inflated balloon. After the paper hardens, pop the balloon and cut a small hole in the bottom. Place the mummy form over battery-operated votives and sit atop a glass candlestick for a frightening display.
Create a kooky cast of characters for your dining room table. Use orange, black, white, and green spools of thread for the mini monster bodies. We used black felt cutouts for the eyes and mouths for most of the creatures. Repurpose old jewelry boxes with scrapbooking or wrapping paper for fun pedestals for the spool monsters.
Make a pretty, simple statement on your table with paper pumpkins. Cut strips to equal width and secure the ends with brads. Fan out to form a pumpkin. For the stem, paint a wine cork to match your paper. Coordinating ribbon and glitter stickers offer extra bling.
Glass block vases become one-of-a-kind Halloween centerpieces with die cuts and spooky scrapbook paper (available at crafts stores). To make, use spray adhesive to attach the papers (spray the back of the paper, not the glass, to avoid streaks). Place sand and tapered candles inside the vase for a haunting glow.
Editor's Tip: Use clear plastic blocks in lieu of glass vases. Be sure to nix the candles or opt for battery-powered ones.
Watch and learn how to turn a plain pumpkin into a vase bursting with fall foliage.
A stack of old books forms the stand for this spooky centerpiece. To make, cut two basic ghost shapes from pages in the middle of a book, leaving the bottoms attached to the pages. Fold up each ghost and secure with a touch of tape. To complete, use a hole punch or marker to make eyes for this haunting centerpiece.
A footed white dish is both fancy and festive when filled with an array of orange-hue flowers. Use florist's foam to hold the arrangement securely in place.
Editor's Tip: Slip a few black roses into the mix, or place miniature pumpkins at the base of the decoration -- painted black if you'd like -- to make the orange flowers really pop in this Halloween centerpiece.
Miniature jack-o'-lanterns make a big impact when arranged on footed cake stands and displayed on a vintage tray. Place battery-powered candles inside each hand-carved pumpkin, and let your guests enjoy the glow.
Thrift-store glasses become centerpiece-ready with a coat of black spray paint. Choose textural goblets for the most detail, set them upside down to spray-paint, and use tape around the tops of some to keep the tops clear. Touch up any edges with a black permanent marker after the goblets dry. These painted goblets are for display use only.
Editor's Tips:
-- Use sand to raise your votives to desired height.
-- Place the goblets on a black tray or a mirror embellished with spray paint to make the centerpiece cohesive and portable.
Basic embroidery hoops set a spooky scene on a Halloween table. To make, stretch black costume fabric or lace across the painted hoops; trim extra fabric. Next, spray-paint planters for bases, then add enough florist's foam inside to secure a painted dowel inserted in the middle. Finish with black-and-white patterned paper atop the planters and a hauntingly fun message spelled out in painted wooden letters. Use hot glue to secure the dowels and wooden letters.
You need only a few household items and a little nature to create this haunting-yet-simple Halloween centerpiece. Gather knotted, rustic sticks from your yard or neighborhood to place in a basic urn, and add bits of moss to get the fright just right. Use free clip art to trace and cut out ominous black ravens from construction paper -- the finishing touch for this Halloween centerpiece.
An old typewriter spells out a warning message for your Halloween guests. Load a torn book page in a computer printer and spell out your message (a test run on basic white paper ensures you won't waste your favorite page). Tuck the final note in a vintage typewriter, and tell your guests they've been warned!
Editor's Tip: For extra fright, drape a skeleton hand across the keys.
Colorful spools of ribbon display equally eye-catching desserts. Place scallop-edge die cuts (available at crafts stores or cut from a die-cutting tool) between the ribbon spools with a touch of adhesive to ensure stability. Top each tower with a decadent treat for a sugary-sweet Halloween centerpiece.
Editor's Tip: Arrange the spools in a cluster around an accent piece, such as a colorful vase, or in a straight line along a table runner for emphasis.
Pumpkins painted white and covered in glitter stand out when placed on stark black stands. Adhere glitter using double-stick tape or an adhesive spray to get just the right amount of glitz for this Halloween centerpiece.
Scrapbook papers and floral accents are all it takes to upcycle" yesterday's tin cans into a green Halloween centerpiece. Standard- and economy-size tin cans work well for this craft, although the more varied the sizes, the more intriguing the display. Wrap with scrapbook paper and add die-cut scenes or stickers as desired.
Editor's Tip: Keep the cans for next year, or give them away to guests as simple mementos of a frightful night.
Spray-paint Halloween props with black chalkboard paint, then outline them with chalk for frightfully aged flair. Fill the cauldron with a decorative bottle, handpicked beverage, or a tasty Halloween treat.
Wrap decorative scrapbook paper around large orange and black candles to create this simple Halloween centerpiece. An orange table runner makes the black candle pop, overturned black bowls add height to the decoration, and black spiders and white Halloween candies add creepy-crawly fun at the base.
Editor's Tip: Be sure to keep an eye on how fast your candles burn, and trim scrapbook paper accordingly.
Use rugged old cabinet legs as eye-catching bases for this Halloween gourd display. Elevating some gourds and leaving others on the table, as well as varying the size of gourds, adds quirkiness to this Halloween centerpiece.
Editor's Tip: Tie ribbon onto the bases in knots or bows it you want to inject color to this neutral centerpiece.
A smiling jack-o'-lantern becomes the perfect Halloween vase when you place a container of water and flowers inside. A simple carving (or scraping) that forgoes the typical wide mouth will help the inside container stay hidden. Use a white pumpkin and orange flowers for extra pop.
Nuts, pumpkins, and a large candle dress up a small woven mat in this simple-yet-sophisticated Halloween centerpiece. Fallen leaves tucked into the display add natural fall flair to the decoration.
Editor's Tip: For a more kid-friendly decoration, use candies, painted pumpkins, and a battery-powered candle so curious fingers don't find a flame.
Simple white dishes display multicolor pumpkins in this elegant Halloween centerpiece. Use footed bowls, small plates, and candlesticks at varying heights to create an eye-catching display.
A plain white platter becomes a Halloween centerpiece with a handful of scattered miniature pumpkins and fall accents. The nonlinear look is key with this decoration, so assemble pieces randomly along the platter for an effortless, relaxed look.
Use a large, tall pumpkin to create this picturesque Halloween centerpiece. Stuff a variety of flowers, fillers, and greenery in a vase inside this simple, hollowed-out pumpkin.
Editor's Tip: To add a bit of festive fun, tuck tiny Halloween decorations, such as plastic spiders or spooky stir sticks, into the arrangement.
