Gorgeous Thanksgiving Tables for Less Than $50

How to Do It

Use a light-colored runner or tablecloth and tissue paper in the same shade. To make the flowers, cut the paper into 4-inch squares. Stack three squares and fold in half. Mark the center of the folded edge with a pencil, and cut the corners so they are rounded. Hold the paper at the pencil mark and crimp to make a nub. Wrap wire around the nub to secure, and cover the wire and the flower base with tape. Then unfold and separate the layers.

Lay a manzanita branch (or some other branch from your yard or local flower shop) on the table. Attach the flowers to the branch in loose pairs. Using tape, wind the remaining flowers together in twos, curve the stems, and rest on each plate.

Clip the orchids off their stem. Balance the blooms in nooks on the branch and scatter a few on the table. Surround the centerpiece with votives placed in an irregular circle.