PROJECT

Wild Things

Indian corn makes a much more interesting base for seasonal dried flower arrangements than plain water or even marbles. The wild tops of the corn that escape out the top of the vase give the arrangement a rustic look. It’s pretty enough to keep through the end of the year.

You will need:

4 ears dried Indian corn

1 tall glass vase

1 bunch dried flowers

Place corn in vase, with tops protruding. Scrunch tops to mold into desired shapes, trimming where necessary. Arrange dried flowers between stalks, hiding stems.

Thanks Squash

For a casual Thanksgiving centerpiece, put some squash on the table--but don’t eat it, at least not until later. Combine several types of squash with different shapes, sizes and colors and a few ornamental accents such as a vine or two.

You will need:

3 baskets

10 to 12 assorted winter squashes

3 ears dried baby Indian corn

2 ornamental gourds

3 vines

Arrange baskets close together on table. Fill baskets with squash, alternating shapes and colors and top with corn. Add gourds to accent centerpiece. Twine vines around bottoms of baskets to link together.

Butternut, Baby

Butternut squash is tall and comes in beautiful shapes--like some vases. With a little carving and a few autumn-colored flowers, it can quickly become a Thanksgiving centerpiece. For a large table, you might want to use two or three, strewing some greens around to tie it all together. You can even experiment with different types of squash.

You will need:

3 butternut squash

2 bunches autumn-colored flowers

1 bunch dried sage

1 bunch greens

Cut off tops of butternut squash about 1 inch from stem. Carve out squash neck using paring knife and corer. Arrange flowers in neck and place sage and greens around bottoms of squash.