Halloween has come and gone, so it’s time to start looking forward and planning ahead. We here at KaBloom love to plan ahead to figure out how to outdo ourselves with each holiday. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we realized we needed to figure out how to present the most important part of the dinner table. Okay, maybe the second most important, after the turkey. We’re talking about the centerpiece! Trying to think of how to create a beautiful autumn-inspired design, we started researching and came across one of the most famous symbols of Thanksgiving: the cornucopia. You know, the horn-shaped display filled with those vegetables we only really see in the Fall. Well, those are called gourds, and in our pursuit for designing the perfect centerpiece, we learned a little bit about these really interesting Fall decorations!
Gourds, the dried shell of a variety of vine fruits, are the only plant that experts believe have spanned the entire world. Originally traced back to Asia, they spread through Africa and eventually made it to the Americas, but its manner of travel is disputed. Some say that they floated on ocean currents, and others say humans carried it over the Bering Strait. They grow in temperate climates and are very easy to grow, making these some of the most versatile plants in existence. There are actually two types of gourds. The first are ornamental gourds. These are soft-shelled and are commonly the ones you see during the Fall. Just like their name states, they are meant for decoration, and are more temporary. The other type of gourds are hard-shelled gourds. These can be dried and will last forever because, once dried, they become like a soft wood! These can also be used as decoration, but hard-shelled gourds have been known to have many uses, both past and present. Some of their many uses have included as masks and musical instruments, containers and utensils, and jewelry. Some cultures associate the gourd with water, while others feature them prominently in their creation stories.
You can’t really imagine a Fall display without gourds, can you? Since gourds come in a variety of autumnal colors, they are perfect for these kinds of displays. There are many different ways that you can spruce up your home to bring Fall in. One of the most common ways people use gourds are in a cornucopia! This is probably the best way to utilize the gourds into your decorations. The traditional image of foods spilling from the cornucopia likely comes from the legend that a cornucopia, derived from the Latin words for “horn of plenty”, was a source of a never-ending stream of food and would refill itself with whatever the owner desired. Evoke this legend by starting with the cornucopia itself, which you can find from a variety of craft stores. Filling it with a variety of gourds will help with this design, and allow some of them to roll out to give the overflowing feeling to it. Think it needs something more? Find some fallen leaves and other kinds of foliage to accent the design and create a fuller display. You don’t have to limit yourself to gourds when creating this design even though that is what traditionally is used. Many other fruits and vegetables, particularly if they fall in the autumnal color scheme, will work very well, as will different varieties of seasonal flowers. Once you’ve arranged it to your liking, you’ve created a great centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table! Can you think of a more perfect focal point for your yearly celebration of everything you’re thankful for in your life?
Of course, this is just a starting point for your Thanksgiving centerpiece! You can take these ideas and run with them to add your own creative flair and make it your own. Just watch out that your centerpiece doesn’t take any attention away from your delicious dinner! Looking for something different? Give us a call and see how we can help your Thanksgiving needs! Happy Thanksgiving for all of us here, and stay tuned for more updates!
