I do not tout myself as a crafts-making Martha Stewart type. I enjoy doing arts and crafts with my daughters, but I normally don’t create crafts for my home or for our holiday dining table. The crafting/Etsy gene is just not in my DNA.
When the team at Driscoll’s Strawberries invited our family to a brunch and an afternoon of holiday berry crafts, I was excited to go out of my comfort zone to create something special for our holiday dining table. I was also excited to share this experience with our eldest daughter because she is truly the crafts-master of the family.
This was part of the beautiful brunch table that Driscoll’s had put out for all attendees. See that Strawberry Tower right there in the middle of the table? That’s what we all attempted to create that day under the tutelage of Melissa Klein, Editor of Celebrations.com, below.
Now it’s your turn! Here are the instructions (it really is easier than it sounds). Plus, it’s great to get the kids in on it.
DRISCOLL’S VERY BERRY HOLIDAY TREE
Makes one table centerpiece
- Special equipment: one floral foam or green Styrofoam cone measuring 4-5 inches in diameter at the base and 12 inches high; one box of toothpicks
- Four 1-lb containers of fresh Driscoll strawberries
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- Slice from a carambola fruit (also known as star fruit)* Note: If you can’t find a carambola, you can use a 1-inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a star shape from a mango slice instead.
- Wash the strawberries and blot them dry with paper towels. Pull off the green stem from each strawberry. Reserve a perfect strawberry for the top of the ‘tree’.
- Push a toothpick halfway into the side of the cone, about 1/2 inch from the bottom edge. Secure a strawberry to the toothpick, piercing it through the stem end. Secure another strawberry right next to the first one. Continue securing strawberries to the cone in circular rows up to its top, covering the cone completely. Secure the reserved strawberry to the top of the tree.
- Remove some mint leaves from the bunch of mint and tuck them between the berries, placing them at about 3-inch intervals.
- Secure the star-shaped carambola or mango slice to the top of the cone using a toothpick.
So, this was my final creation. How do you think I did?
And here’s our very simple Thanksgiving table. It provided such a festive flair to our otherwise bland table. (I told you I wasn’t good at this decorating stuff!)
And Miss O – who designed her very own Driscoll’s Strawberry Turkey using strawberries, melted chocolate, M&M’s and toothpicks! How creative is she?!?
Are you creating a beautiful holiday table this year? Tell me about it! I’d love to see a picture of it!