Charlotte York – ahem, I mean Kristin Davis of Sex and the City fame – recently showed off a Thanksgiving centerpiece that would look perfect on any table this fall.
Much like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kristin has taken a DIY approach to her Thanksgiving decor, using homegrown pumpkins in a very different way to the usual tried-and-tested Halloween methods.
In the clip (which you can watch here), Kristin can be seen tucking a glass jar of sunflowers into a gutted pumpkin, transforming it into a vase. And, if you're interested in copying the look, I've consulted a few experts to help.
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1. Start With The Right Pumpkin
(Image credit: Kyrylo Syvun / Getty Images)
If you want to steal Kristin Davis's Thanksgiving decor for yourself, the trick is to treat the pumpkin as a container, not a planter.
“Choose a firm, unblemished pumpkin, cut the top wide enough to fit a glass jar, and scoop the inside completely clean, because leftover pulp shortens the life of both the pumpkin and the flowers,” says Morgan Brooks, founder and editor of Plant Style Home.
Nadi Melam, founder of Florals Memories, insists that you should “choose a pumpkin that’s flat with a large opening (slightly wider than it is tall, this will mean it’s lighter!)”.
2. Keep Your Water In A Jar
(Image credit: MaximFesenko)
The experts at Almondsbury Garden Centre insist that the jar element of Kristin Davis's Thanksgiving decor is non-negotiable. “Once hollowed out, place a glass jar or small watertight container inside to hold the water,” they say.
“This is important as pouring water directly into the pumpkin can cause it to soften and rot more quickly.” Brooks adds a practical bonus, saying “it lets you change the water every two days without disturbing the arrangement, which matters more for freshness than any floral preservative”.
Melam says most leaks and wilting come down to the same few things, all of which can be staved by the jar. “Dry off the pumpkin, choose a tight-fitting jar, remove all the leaves below the water line, and you will solve most of your problems.”
3. Prep The Sunflowers
(Image credit: Leong Seikchoong / FOAP / Getty Images)
When it comes to filling your pumpkin vase, Melam has a tip for choosing your flowers, saying, “The most beautiful flower in the shop is the one with the least amount of time left in its life.” Look for buds that are just opening, because “when the bud first begins to open, there is still its prime to come.”
At home, Brooks says to “Cut the stems at a sharp angle, strip every leaf that would sit below the waterline, and condition them in warm water for an hour before arranging.”
Your next step is to build around your arrangement. “Sunflowers carry heavy heads on thick stems, so place them first as the structure of the arrangement and fill around them with smaller fall flowers and foliage,” says Brooks.
4. Keep It Low
(Image credit: VICUSCHKA / Getty Images)
Reilly Renwick, designer and creative lead of State of the Wall, says the secret to recreating Kristin Davis's Thanksgiving decor is a tight palette. He says, “The key is to keep it thematic. Not just fall-themed, but dialed into a specific palette of colors that complement each other instead of standing out individually without coherence.” He does have one warning: “Fall colors are, to no fault of their own, awfully close to compost colors.”
Because sunflowers are so large, he suggests pairing them with “smaller blossoms, like alstroemeria, gypsophila, or small roses.” And don’t let the arrangement block the view across the table. “If in doubt, just keep it at 12 inches or shorter,” says Renwick.
5. Use Your Own Garden
(Image credit: Olena Belevantseva / Shutterstock)
The pumpkin fades first, so Melam advises making it ahead of time: “I’d suggest you put this together a day or two in advance and keep it in a cool place until needed.”
To keep costs down, raid your own garden. “If you have zinnias in your garden, your problems are solved,” says Renwick, who also recommends dahlias, marigolds, asters, and mums. Almondsbury suggests, “Using flowers and foliage from your own garden, such as autumn asters, dahlias and ornamental grasses, and adding just a couple of sunflowers for impact.”
When Thanksgiving is over, Melam says you can “Compost the pumpkin and save your favorite flowers.”
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Kristin Davis’s centerpiece is appealing due to its simplicity; not everything needs to be super showy and over the top to steal the show at the Thanksgiving table.
