Cornucopias, Updated {Thanksgiving Decor Ideas}

Today I’m part of a blog Virtual Progressive Dinner tour (find links at the end of this post!), and my contribution to the festivities is an easy Thanksgiving decor idea.  You know I like to make those pilgrims blush, so I decided to update cornucopias to incorporate two HOT trends right now, burlap and succulents.  But before we delve into the project tutorials, let’s address the elephant in the room:

Rumor has it the word cornucopia ranks up there with ‘cranny’ and ‘moist’ as a word people HATE.  It’s true.  I’m not sure why.  Using ‘horn of plenty’ is just as bad, so we’re sticking with cornucopia.  Please don’t cringe when I use it, because today we’re reinventing the cornucopia and raising it up among other lovely words like ‘bunting’ and ‘gilded’ and ‘open floor plan’.  I mean, isn’t this WAY better than the cornucopias of days of yore (and by ‘yore’, I mean the 1970s):

See?  GONE are the neon orange carnations that have overtaken cornucopia floral designs this past century.  Vamoose, babies breath!  Buh-buy fake leaves.  Adios, plastic ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ floral picks!

The thing I love about the modern, updated cornucopia is you can find them in just about any thrift store.  I see them every time I go, for about .50-$1.  If you fill it with items from around your home, it’s practically free!  Here are two easy and quick ideas to transform your broke down cornucopias and elevate them to queendom status!

How to Make a Succulent Filled Cornucopia

I’m pretty sure we should add the word ‘succulent’ to the gross words list, but I digress.  First of all, I have succulents all over my home so this look was free.  But if you don’t, you can find them at nurseries and even big box stores like Home Depot.  Try a variety of shapes and sizes.  I even used a few of the succulent candles I found at my favorite store in the entire state of Massachusetts.

Bonus?  Succulents require very little water so they can last a few days in here without it.

First of all, this cornucopia started off as a blah brown color.  Generic, boring, and ready for the donation pile.  A quick spray with Oil Rubbed Bronze spraypaint fixed that situation and made the color more dramatic and ready to showcase the plants.

To fill the cornucopia, I placed the largest succulent plant sides ways into the horn (ugh, I can’t even stand THAT word!)

Then, I unpotted the dry plants and placed them around the larger one.  In the gaps, I placed succulent candles.  You could also artfully arrange the leaves of a trailing succulent to cover any spaces.

Voila!

Then I played around and added pretty much every accessory I owned next to the cornucopia.  This baby makes EVERYTHING look good when placed next to it, kinda like the little black dress to your diamond necklace.

How to Make a Burlap Wrapped Cornucopia

Burlap is HOT right now.  I like that it’s easy to work with an inexpensive, plus since it’s ‘rustic’ it’s a forgiving fabric.  First of all, check out this beat-up, broke down cornucopia:

Not quite ready for prime time, right?  With all those broken areas, it was begging for a makeover.  Wrapping it felt like the best course of treatment for this darling.

I spread out the burlap, and used my glue gun to attach the fabric to the wicker as I began to wrap:

and twist:

and tuck:

until it came to the back seam.  Closed it off with more hot glue.  Watch your fingers!

The front got the same treatment.

After the glue was dried (in about .4 seconds), I glued on a spray of red berries wrapped around the entire piece.

Then filled it with gourds and seasonal picks from the 70% bin at JoAnn fabric.

Plus I may have stuck in a few feathers.

Honestly, it was really difficult to photograph so you’ll have to take my word they are prettier in person.  You could even use the burlap cornucopia for the succulents, that would be gorgeous!

Here are other items you can use to fill cornucopias for a modern look:

• wheat sheafs, all one color: monochromatic and dramatic!
• hydrangeas: if you have them in the yard, they’d look lovely because they’d fill it out so nicely
• feathers: artfully done, you could add feathers for a trendy feel
• raid the fridge: lemons and limes, apples, grapes… fill it up!

There you have it: modern cornucopia ideas, two ways.

If you like this idea, you’ll love the Modern Mixed Metallic Thanksgiving Tablescape as well as the West Elm Inspired Wishbone Plate too.

Travel around for a FULL Thanksgiving meal, from appetizers to soups to side dishes to parting gifts:

Please visit the following blogs:

November Fourteenth

Printables :

Worthing Court

Mom 4 Real

Decor:

Just Paint It 

Broadcasting Sunny

Making Lemonade

Centerpieces:

The Everyday Home

Designer’s Sweet Spot

Stone Gable

Table Decor and Ideas:

Creating This Life

My Soulful Home

Major Hoff Takes a Wife

Drinks:

Southern Color 

Deja Vue Designs

Appetizers:

Our Southern Home 

Sweet Pea

November Fifteenth

Soups:

Town and Country Living

Just Us Four

Salads:

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Fresh Idea Studio

Main Dishes:

Designed by BH

First Home Love Life

Side Dishes:

All Things Heart and Home

Sweet Songbird

Desserts:

Domestically Speaking

Lilacs and Longhorns

Parting Gifts:

House on the Way

Dukes and Duchesses

So, did you make it through without cringing over cornucopias? Is your mind racing with updated items to stuff inside for some modern Thanksgiving decor?  Go grab your glue guns, and report back here with your updated cornucopias tomorrow!

{if you like it, pin it!}