Simple Farmhouse Centerpiece

We are still a few months away from fresh flowers and the warmth of spring. Even with the snow outside you can make a simple farmhouse centerpiece to bring some color and warmth into your home.

The Inspiration

I am something of a YouTube junkie. I love other homestead channels and I especially love DIY home decor type content. Mostly because I am not that talented in the home decor arena.

One of the channels I enjoy watching is White Cottage Company. One of her latest videos is a room makeover challenge, where she gave herself $200 to put together a room. She does an amazing job of thrifting and upcycling. My favorite piece was using an old wire canning insert and canning jars to make a flower display/centerpiece. I had that in mind when I set out to make my own simple farmhouse centerpiece.

Farmhouse Center Piece Supplies

Wooden Tray

Ever since we bought our farm three years ago I have had my eye on a cool little wood tray with a handle. It has been gathering dust and sparrow poop out in the shop, just waiting for someone to love it. This was the base for my centerpiece.

I’m sure you don’t have this exact tray sitting around but see what else you might have that fits the bill. Check local thrift stores or antique shops for a basic tray.

Remember, the way it looks when you find it, doesn’t mean that’s how it will look when you are finished with it. Just about anything can be sanded or painted to better fit your aesthetic.

A jute braided handle could easily be added to a plain flat tray. Glass can easily be painted, too.

Jars

The bulk of the jars I used are a mishmash of jelly jars I had loose in my canning area. Of course I was short just one, so I subbed in a small amber glass jar that used to hold yeast. Those little yeast jars have such a beautiful color.

I think you could easily make a beautiful and simple farmhouse centerpiece with a collection of different jars. The heights should be within an inch or two of each other to make a seamless look. Colorful jars would be an added bonus.

I chose to leave my jars clear. Mostly this is because if I run short of jelly jars I can sub these ones in.

If you’d like to paint them with a white chalk paint I think that would look beautiful too.

Flowers

I chose to pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers to place in my jars. Good quality fake flowers would look fine. You could also use dried flowers.

For this centerpiece I filled the whole thing with flowers. You could easily store silverware in a jar, or swap out the jar entirely for a salt and pepper shaker.

Refurbishing Farmhouse Decor

If you find an old, dust and poop covered wooden centerpiece like I did, you probably want to clean it up before it sits on your dining room table.

Here is the process my wood tray went through.

Dust

“Dust” might be a generous term. This thing was so thick with dirt floor shop gunk, a stiff bristled paintbrush didn’t do much to clean it. It was a good first step and one best done outside.

Wipe Down/Wash

Typically wood isn’t something that should be submerged in water, but with this tray I had no choice. A wet washcloth simply wasn’t enough.

I ran piping hot water into each of the little compartments and scrubbed with a very stiff bristled brush for a good twenty minutes before it was acceptably clean. There may also have been a flathead screwdriver involved.

Then I left it to dry completely for two days.

Sand and Polish

The next day I took a fine grit sandpaper to the entire surface and sanded it smooth.

Next I used a little Murphy’s Oil soap on paper towel to give it one last clean and shine. I like using Murphy’s because it smells amazing and is largely made from natural ingredients.

If I had wanted to paint it, I would have painted after sanding. Another option would be to apply a coat or two of wood stain. Personally I liked the colors of the natural wood.

Quick Flower Arranging Tips

For one season while working at an organic vegetable CSA, I tried my hand at growing cut flowers for sale. Twice a week I’d pick my best blooms and sell them on the farm stand and at a local bakery.

I might get back into cut flowers some day, but for now I just enjoy keeping them on my table.

Here are a few tips to make your own simple farmhouse centerpiece look beautiful with blooms.

• Get Unopened Blooms – Always include a few unopened blooms to keep the bouquet looking fresh longer
• Remove extra foliage on stem – Clean leaves and excess branches from the stem that will be in the water. They will mold.
• Cut stems at an angle- About a 45 degree angle allows for more surface area and greater water uptake
• Vary Heights – Flowers cut to varying heights will give you a flush and full arrangement.
• Create a “flower frog” – Use rubber bands or tape to make a cross-cross (like a pie crust) pattern on the top of your jars. This allows for you to place stems right where you want them.
• Change Water Often – This is something I say and don’t really do BUT you can be better than me. If you change our the vase water every day or two this will keep it fresh longer. Extra scout points if you wash the jar too.

Looking for more farmhouse decor?

Last fall I made a beautiful antique tool display using old barn wood.

Do you have any great ideas for farmhouse decorations? I’d love to hear about it below in the comments! It’s always great to get inspiration from others.

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