Quick Halloween Centerpieces that Are Easy to Make

A centerpiece does so much for a table. Whether you’ve got a complete table dressing, or an ordinary tablecloth, a centerpiece will bring beauty and holiday spirit to the room. Many centerpieces are elaborate and expensive, but you can make something just as nice for a lot less money and effort. Here’s a few ideas:

1. Turn an old plate upside-down. Cover with silk leaves or paper ones you've printed. Set a black or orange candle in the center of the plate. If you don’t have a candle that color, cover the candle with construction paper, or something similar, then remove the paper before burning the candle. Or, start with another color of candle, such as yellow or white, then decorate by using decoupage glue and pumpkin, witch or other Halloween images cut from paper plates, treat bags and other sources. Glue on small ceramic or wooden shapes like pumpkins, bats or black cats. Glue them around the bottom of the candle, standing on the leaves, or onto the actual candle.

2. Make a haunted house centerpiece by using an small cardboard box and popsicle sticks. Glue the sticks onto the box, all the way around. Glue several sticks together to make a pitch roof. Paint the house black or leave it natural. Glue on squares of orange, black or yellow construction paper for windows. Cut a piece of black paper for the door. Glue some small silk leaves, here and there, around the front bottom of the house. In the leaves, glue small ceramic or wooden pumpkins, black cats, or even creepy-crawlies like craft worms or snakes. Wad up a couple of white tissues and center them on another white tissue. Tie it shut with a string - or even scotch tape - and draw on eyes and a mouth. When the string is tied the wrapped tissues should form a head and the corners of the tissue should hang down to form the ghost body. Glue the little ghosts in the eaves, under the roof points, or on the top of the roof.