DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece | Roses, Mums & Broom Cob in a Pumpkin "Vase"

I love traditional Thanksgiving - everything.  Traditional colors, a traditional menu, flowers, table setting, etc.  I'm not sure if creating a floral centerpiece in a pumpkin would be traditional in the eyes of generations past, but in the Martha Stewart era of holidays, it surely seems like a classic.

It has been about 6 years since I created a floral centerpiece in a pumpkin... I am not sure if I thought it was too over done, or if I hadn't had the occasion to do it.  Or maybe I got lazy and didn't want to go to the trouble of carving out the pumpkin.  This year, I've been itching to do it.  I thought about if for Halloween, then Emma's costume took priority in the project department.  I thought about it for my October Harvest Workshop... then making giant pots of Beef & Butternut Chili took over my free time.

So, here we are at Thanksgiving as I prepare for my Thanksgiving Workshops this week.  Part of the workshop includes my tips and suggestions for setting a Thanksgiving table - the perfect opportunity for making a floral pumpkin centerpiece. 

I started by selecting my flowers and colors - getting a feel for what the colors will look like with the table setting, in the room.

I chose these apricot roses with burnt orange and deep red mums.  I needed something that would drape downward in the arrangement, so I selected the wheat-looking stems. 

As you can see (and you might remember), we received a large collection of Spode Woodland china that I always use during the Fall and Winter holidays.  I have admired them for years and am so glad to have them - and I still LOVE them every year when I get them out.

I will use this glass vase set inside the pumpkin to make the arrangement in, so I cut the top to be sure it would fit into my opening.

I cut the opening, then scooped out the insides with an ice cream scoop.

I put the vase in with a square of oasis foam, then filled it with water.

I started by putting in the best roses, trying to achieve the shape.

And then, because flowers look best in groups of the same, I bunched 2-3 flowers next to each of those roses.  I like to use different sizes of roses in these groups to add interest - and it looks more natural.

Then, I started plugging in groupings of mums in the same fashion. 

It is starting to take shape.  At this point, I realized it was a little 'tight,' so I pulled the bottom roses out by an inch or so, so it didn't look so much like a ball of flowers on a pumpkin.

To soften the entire arrangement and to add some drape, I placed the broom cob around the collar.

Done!  You can see the groupings of flowers look more appealing than if it were homogeneously arranged - it would look polk-a-dotted!

To keep it fresh, keep it in the refrigerator (or in the garage, if your garage is really cold like mine!).

Here it is on the table!

 See more Thanksgiving inspired table settings, here.