Thanksgiving Centerpiece Inspiration- Plum and Orange

A Plum and Rust Orange Thanksgiving Centerpiece for a Long Farmhouse Table

Everyone else seems to count down to Christmas. I count down to Thanksgiving. At our flower shop in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, customers switch straight into Christmas mode on Black Friday. Thanksgiving is my grand finale of Fall and my last chance to design with all the orange, rust, and bittersweet shades I love.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas pairs deep plum with rusty orange. I called this tablescape “Plums and Oranges” for the colors, though I still think the actual fruit would look pretty tucked in among the flowers.

Why I Used Three Arrangements on a Long Thanksgiving Table

For our long rectangular farmhouse table, I put one larger arrangement in the center and a smaller arrangement in a rustic tin vase on either side. Spreading the flowers out gave the whole table some color, even at the seats farthest from the middle. It also left gaps between the vases for serving dishes.

I set the larger centerpiece on a plum napkin and used the same napkins at each place setting. It’s an easy detail to borrow. If there’s a color in your flowers you especially love, repeat it in the linens so it carries through the table.

The Flowers in the Main Centerpiece

I used ornamental kale, plum cremon mums, rust mums, orange tulips, purple ranunculus, orange miniature calla lilies, blue thistle, and purple allium. The ornamental kale gave the design a fuller shape, while the blue thistle added a cooler note among all those warm fall colors.

For greenery, I used burgundy agonis, seeded eucalyptus, and a silvery gray juniper I adore, even if I still can’t remember the variety.

The Flowers in the Two Smaller Tin Vases

I like the smaller arrangements to have a little personality of their own. These had reddish orange gerbera daisies, miniature orange roses, blue thistle, rust mums, purple allium, orange tulips, and plum mums. Repeating the thistle, tulips, and a few other flowers tied the three designs together. The gerberas and miniature roses gave guests something different to look at on either end of the table.

Finish the Thanksgiving Table With Angel Vine and Mini Pumpkins

I wove angel vine around the three vases and tucked miniature pumpkins into the open spaces. The pumpkins came from the farmers market. I’d tried to grow my own that year, but the groundhogs got to every one of them.

We also made little bows from twine and angel vine and hung them on the backs of the chairs with clear removable hooks. It carried the rustic look beyond the tabletop and gave me one more place to use that vine.

Make This Centerpiece Idea Fit Your Own Table

If you’re serving Thanksgiving dinner family style, set out your largest platters and bowls before you decide where the flowers will go. On a long table, I like to leave a few open spots between arrangements so there’s room to set down the potatoes or pass the turkey. On a smaller table, you can get the same plum and rust look with one low arrangement or a few bud vases, each with a bloom or two. Keep the flowers low enough that everyone can see who’s asking for the gravy.