Fall Table Décor with Brass Candlesticks

This year has really been a balance between my desire to create and my need to spend as little money as possible. So, I’ve focused on rethinking the stuff I already have on hand. This time around, I decided to create some very thrifty fall table décor that cost me absolutely nothing to make.

Now, did it cost me (a little) money to make over the course of several years? Yes, because I’m using my collection of brass candlesticks.

And I’ve been thrifting and amassing a tidy little collection of them for some time now.

But I mean it when I say this project didn’t cost fresh money to create. I already had vintage brass candlesticks; and the craft pumpkins; AND these t-corks from bourbon bottles that I’ve been saving for literally years.

Just like wine corks, I’ve been saving these for as long as I can remember- probably since our trip to Louisville, KY ten years ago. So, let me show you how I put all these things together and came up with a simple way to decorate our table for autumn.

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Fall Table Décor the Easy Way

The first thing I did was gather my vintage brass candlesticks- an uneven number of them in varying heights- and gave them a good dusting.

I’d already used the heat gun to gently remove lingering candlewax from them years ago. But now would be a good time for that if I hadn’t already done so.

See, the thing about t-corks is that they (usually) fit swimmingly inside a candlestick. Not every single one fits perfectly inside every stick, but there truly is a lid for every pot. After some trial and error, I matched them up together like so.

Then, I matched up craft pumpkins (the foam kind) with each candlestick. I wanted a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes- ultimately landing on this array.

Now, I didn’t exactly love how they looked atop the corks. Even with a little paint and some Spanish moss (or something similar) to cover up the cork top, I wasn’t completely sold.

But- and this is where the foam pumpkin part is important– I figured I could make things a little more inconspicuous.

Carving Craft Pumpkins

You probably can already guess where I’m going with this, eh?

After grabbing a pen, I then traced around the bourbon bottle cork on the center bottom of my craft pumpkin.

Next, I used an X-acto knife to very carefully cut along the circle I’d traced. Using a spoon handle from our silverware drawer, I carefully popped out the foam core I’d cut with the knife.

Next, I continued to use the spoon handle (because it was kind of pointy) to dig out a little more foam and even things out. When all was said and done, my t-cork fit inside the pumpkin perfectly.

When I placed everything back on a brass candlestick, the pumpkin fit flush against the top. But- and this is the important part– not in a wobbly, precarious way. 

A couple of notes moving forward:

• The cork fit too loosely in this pumpkin. So, for the rest of them, I cut just inside the traced circle. This allowed for a snugger fit between the bourbon bottle cork and the foam pumpkin.
• I opted not to use glue between my corks and craft pumpkins- so that I could use them separately in the future. But that’s certainly an option if you’d like.

Ready to see them all together on our table?

Fall Table Décor with Brass Candlesticks

Either way, that was it- now I had a seasonal pumpkin display on our mismatched brass candlesticks. And the pumpkins weren’t just going to fall right off if bumped.

In the spirit of “don’t spend any fresh money”, I assembled other things for the table that I’d thrifted over the years. Namely, a pumpkin cookie jar, a macramé table runner, and a vintage walnut jar.

None of it matched whatsoever, but matching is overrated. Whereas whimsy and thriftiness is ALWAYS in style here…and that, my friends, is how my fall table décor project came to be.

Was this an easy project? Yes. But, have I paired up pumpkins with brass candleholders once before, but in front of my fireplace? Also yes.

But those candleholders had spikes for votives or pillars. So, this little t-cork hack adds a fun new dimension for taper candlesticks instead.

Now I know it’s still fall, but I also have a Christmas project using the same kinds of brass candlesticks and t-corks. So, whichever season you prefer, I’ve got a craft idea for you.

And of course, we can’t forget this absolutely stunning way to display vintage Christmas ornaments, either. I swear, vintage brass candlesticks are deliciously versatile when it comes to decorating ideas!

Craft on!

S

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