Russell Toscano's Fall Centerpieces

Materials:
shallow flower-pot saucer
floral foam
fall leaves
apples
wooden sticks
large candle
Gerbera daisies

Steps:

1. Place the floral foam in the bottom of the saucer.
   
2. Cut a sharp point on the leaf stems, and poke them into the foam, overlapping each set of leaves.
   
3. Poke a wooden stick in the bottom of each apple. Position the apples in a ring shape around the foam, just above the leaves.
   
4. After you have a wreath of leaves and apples, position a large candle in the center of the oasis foam.
   
5. Trim the Gerbera daisy stems down so they're very short. Fill in any holes in the arrangement with the daisies.

If you need place settings to coordinate with the apple centerpiece, try this cute and quick idea. Write your guests' names on small terra-cotta pots, then place a chestnut apple on top of each pot.

Materials:
three shallow saucers
three winter squash
three votive candles
leaves

Steps:

1. Place a squash on top of each saucer.
   
2. Cut out the center of the squash and insert a candle.
   
3. Tuck leaves around the edges and scatter them around the squash.
   

When you need a centerpiece in a hurry--say, when unexpected company drops by--try this:

Materials:
a box, bowl, vase or other container
candles
uncooked pasta (colored varieties would work), beans or nuts
seasonal vegetables or fruit (in the fall, tiny pumpkins are plentiful) to add color
leaves, flowers, twigs and branches from the lawn
wired beads

Steps:

1. Pour the dried pasta, beans or nuts into the container.
   
2. Add some candles to the center.
   
3. Tuck in seasonal veggies, fruit, foliage or flowers to add splashes of color to the arrangement.
   
4. Add beads strung on wire for extra pizzazz.