Here’s some fun, easy and super cheap ways you can add a bit of seasonal décor for your Thanksgiving dinner or fall decorating. Most everything comes from the Dollar Tree or my backyard. Depending on where you live, you may or may not have pine trees and cones in your own backyard, which will change-up the cost on some of these ideas. But you can easily pull something from your own area and make something that’s seasonal for your part of the world.
One of the easiest decorations you can make! I paid 59 cents for my mini pumpkin and with the added tealight candle, this cost me 80 cents. If you buy tealight candles in bulk bags, it will lower the cost. You can also make these with small seasonal squashes. I traced my tealight candle on the top of the pumpkin, cut out a small hole, and popped in the candle.
You can turn this idea into either a tray, a hanging or even a centerpiece. I picked up a frame at the Dollar Tree, cut a piece out of a paper bag from the grocery store, and glued some leaves on it. (A bag of 50 leaves for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree.) You can also find frames at thrift stores that don’t cost a lot. You can either pull out the glass, wrap it in paper and put it back in the frame (let the family or guests write what they are thankful for on it.) Or for a tray, wrap the cardboard part that comes with the frame and place under the glass…which makes a solid and seasonal tray. Total cost was $1.10.
Another super easy idea you can literally throw together in less than 5 minutes. I picked up a bag of gourds at the grocery store for $4.99 and my basket came from Goodwill. Add a bit of ribbon if you want. This cost me $6.25. This would also make a cute hostess gift.
A copper-colored vase and 5 fall flower/leaf picks from the Dollar Tree. I found the scarecrow pick at one of our local craft stores that was half off, costing me a quarter. Total cost for this arrangement $6.25.
You can use these as “goody” bags for your guests to take home and/or as place cards on your dining table. Fill them up with homemade treats, nuts, or candy. I bought the mini paper bags at Party City (12 for $2.99)glued a couple of leaves on it, used construction paper for the name and used a napkin as my wrap for the candy. (Napkins $1.00 for 36 at the Dollar Tree.) I bought the white foldable favor boxes at the Dollar Tree (12 for $1.00) and added a couple of glued on leaves and a bit of ribbon. They are sitting on a pumpkin tray I picked up at the Dollar Tree.
Dried fruit slices are a fun, seasonal way to dress up centerpieces and so easy to make. Don’t pay for them…make them yourself. You can use apples, oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit. The cost of your final project will depend on how much fruit and what kind you use. You will be slicing the fruit very thinly so one piece will give you at least 6 or more slices to use. This does require time in a low oven, at least 2 hours so plan this around a day you’ll be home and have time.
DECORATIVE DRIED FRUIT –
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Thinly slice fruit, removing seeds. (I missed some of the seeds and actually like the way it looked.) Place on baking sheets, without letting the fruit touch each other. Bake 2 to 4 hours (depending on fruit*), flipping fruit and rotating baking sheets about every 30 minutes. Fruit should be dry but still a bit pliable. *The citrus fruit took me about 2 hours while the apples took longer, about 3 1/2 hours – thicker slices will also take longer.
I think this is a really cute arrangement and it seriously cost me 60 cents! I found my basket at Goodwill for 49 cents, snipped the greenery off some trees and got the pinecones from the yard. A bit of dried fruit and a few unshelled nuts….
I made this display on a silver tray I bought at the Dollar Tree, which will help protect your table from any sap. A couple of years ago I laid fresh pine branches on my bare table and it took me forever to get all the sap that leaked from the branch off. I actually bought all 4 of the candle holders at Goodwill for 49 cents each, but the Dollar Tree sells them too. And you don’t even have to have them match…find varying heights and shapes at your local thrift store for less. I bought my candles at the dollar store and added fresh greenery and pinecones from my yard, along with the dried fruit and some nuts. You can also add fresh cranberries or cinnamon sticks for a bit of color. Use orange candles instead of white if you want. **Don’t use colorful berries from your yard unless you’re positive they aren’t poisonous, otherwise they are dangerous to pets and small children.
