Find the steps to create a flower arrangement using a lantern, incorporating apples for a table centerpiece for fall. You find additional fall floral and table inspiration from my Monday Morning Blooms’ friends.
Happy Monday and Labor Day for those in the U.S.!
I hope you enjoyed some rest and relaxation over this holiday weekend.
It’s also one of my favorite days of the month, when I join my blogging friends
for some flower therapy and Monday Morning Blooms.
Pam, Lidy and I are excited to welcome
Jennifer, from Celebrating Everyday Life,
as our special guest ‘bloomer’ today.
You can find the links to my blogging friends’ floral
inspiration at the bottom of this post.
Our common theme for September’s edition of
Monday Morning Blooms was apples!
My BFF gave me this open wood lantern that she received with
a flower arrangement to add to my flower-arranging arsenal. ;)
I decided to make a floral lantern for my apple-themed fall table this week!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy.
In addition to the open wood lantern, I used some wet floral foam.
Start by soaking your wet floral foam in water, or water mixed with floral preservative
to prolong the life of the flowers.
Tip: When using wet floral foam, use the “float soak” method
and place your floral foam brick on top of the water.
Let the floral foam gradually absorb the water until it’s fully saturated (it will only take a minute).
Plunging the floral foam in the water traps air bubbles and will prohibit
the transfer of water from the foam to the flower stems.
I lined the bottom of the lantern with aluminum foil to protect the bottom of the wood base
and catch any water from the wet foam
and started adding some greenery to build my arrangement.
I used an assortment of grocery store and garden flowers.
From the grocery store: Sunflowers and Alstroemeria
From the garden: Garden foliage (abelia), Limelight Hydrangeas,
Chaste Tree (Vitex) seed pods for some interest and texture.
Last but not least, apples were added to the arrangement with bamboo skewers.
Insert your skewers into the blossom end of the apple, about an inch into the core.
Bamboo skewers are food safe, so the apples can used
for fall baking after the flowers in your arrangement have faded.
More flowers were added on either side of the lantern, to create a natural
and organic floral runner down the length of the table.
Mathilda Gutges’ Hydrangeas were added to the floral runner, now faded to a soft, muted blue
from her former vibrant blue/purple spring color.
Sunflowers from last week’s table centerpiece and arrangement
were dropping their sunny yellow rays,
so I plucked the remaining petals and added the brown disks
for texture and interest down the length of the floral table runner.
Fresh sunflowers were conditioned and then sprayed with Crowning Glory,
an anti-transpirant spray that seals in moisture before adding them to the runner.
Alternatively, use floral water tubes to keep fresh flowers hydrated.
A farmhouse plaid tablecloth provides a cheery foundation for the table,
blending the colors of summer and fall. . . the
brighter color palette fitting for our 90 degree days.
Mikasa English Countryside is a favorite dinnerware pattern
with its white embossed fruit and lattice border.
Apple napkin rings marry a pair of napkins. . .
fringed herringbone with plaid.
Copper Moscow Mule mugs are ready for a ‘Cheers to Fall’
with an Apple Cider Moscow Mule,
a refreshing fall twist on a Moscow Mule that celebrates autumn
with seasonal flavor.
Hammered flatware provides an additional copper accent and warmth for fall.
Welcome fall with Apple Spice Mini Cakelets. . .
Best enjoyed with with a warm caramel drizzle!
Find the recipe, HERE.
Find a harvest of Fresh Picked Apple Recipes for Fall, HERE.
You’ll find apple recipes for salads, soup, cakes, pies, bread, bars and cocktails!
Table Details:
Apple Plates / Pfaltzgraff Plymouth, discontinued
Copper Chargers / Hobby Lobby, several years ago
Wood Chargers / World Market, several years ago
Copper hammered flatware / Cambridge Silversmiths, Indira Jessamine
Moscow Mule Mugs / Target, several years ago
Farmhouse Plaid Tablecloth / HomeGoods, several years ago
Dinnerware / Mikasa English Countryside
Visit my flowers friends to see their blooming inspiration this week:
Pam at Everyday Living
Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Jennifer at Celebrating Everyday Life
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Thank you for your visit!
Sharing with: Between Naps on the Porch
Good morning, Mary. I love your blooming lantern that heralds the autumn season! Your DIY’s are always easy to understand, even for me ☺️ How sweet of your friend to gift you with the lantern. Sunflowers, alstroemeria, abelia, limelight hydrangeas, vitex seed pods, and of course, apples make a stunning arrangement and a gorgeous floral runner. The plaid cloth speaks of our favorite season and is the perfect foundation for your apple plates and Mikasa English Countryside. The apple napkin rings are adorable and the hammered copper flatware and Moscow Mule mugs add a lovely warmth to your stunning table. I would love an apple spice mini cakelet drizzled with warm caramel to enjoy with my coffee this morning.
I always look forward to our Monday Morning Blooms and to join you at table. Happy Labor Day ♥️🍎🌻
Beautiful. Great idea. Thank you
Happy Labor Day Mary and family, what a delight it was to visit with your autumn creativity this morning. You never fail to delight us with your lovely blog.
Love it love it! You’re the best for inspiration, Mary! Fall is my fav but I’m resisting because it’s still 90+ in Coastal Virginia but you make it hard Not to want to embrace it head on!
Gorgeous, thanks for sharing.
Mary, Your lantern floral arrangement is gorgeous! I love it! Sunflowers are a perfect flower for September. Your tablescape is beautiful as well. The napkin rings are adorable. We hope you have a great Labor Day! Clara ❤️
I love Monday Morning Blooms. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me when I see it appear in my inbox. Thank you for the time and love you put into bringing plant therapy to us. Your creativity is one of my happy places. My eyes feast on your arrangements and your garden. .
Autumn is upon us! So visually appetizing.
Good morning Mary, a delightful table to wake up to. I have been trying to set an apple themed table for a few days now on our patio deck. It’s been raining, so it shall wait. I am loving the mush needed rain. The lantern is a lovely gift from your friend. The lantern and flowing centerpiece looks so pretty with the added 🌻 sunflowers, alstroemeria, limelight hydrangeas, and apples. The Mikasa white plates pop against your plaid tablecloth. Love the copper touches. Happy Monday🇺🇸
What a gorgeous fall table Mary! You’ve taken our “flowers with apples” to a whole other level. This is such a casual yet elevated table, just stunning. The lovely arrangement inside of an open lantern is inspired. I love the plaid table cloth, the Mikasa plates with its embossed pattern and those wonderful napkin rings. Happy Fall, dear friend, I’d love to join you lakeside or anywhere this fall. As always it’s a joy to gather together for our beloved Monday Morning Blooms! Xo Lidy
Adorable! I always like to start off fall decor using apples and sunflowers in September. Using the brown centers of spent sunflowers into your runner is genius!
Mary, I just want to say I love your blog’s design. The array of photos you place at the top and change according to the season are so inviting. I’m not into tablescapes that much but your blog is always a feast for the eyes.
Wow, Mary! You were VERY busy last week! The table and floral centerpiece are beautiful. Thanks for the tip on floral foam float. Those blue hydrangea variety are lovely. The entire post is such a nice compilation of all your skills in tablescaping, floral creativity and recipes. I’m gonna pin this for all of the above. Thank you for the inspiration!
Good morning, Mary! Oh my goodness!! This table is sensational! I love, love the lantern with the floral runner!! I definitely want to try to make one of those this Fall – it’s so beautiful! Those napkin rings are so adorable and I love how you layered the plaid and the fringed linen napkin. It’s all so cozy!! It all definitely puts me in the Fall mood, despite our 90-degree temps!!! Thank you for all of this gorgeous inspiration!!! Celebrating Monday Morning Blooms with you, Lidy and Pam is a joy!
Mary, This is beautiful! I wish I had a tenth of your creativity. I would have never thought to use a lantern with flowers and I love the floral runner with apples down the length of your table. Happy Labor Day!
Looks wonderful, I have several fully loaded apple trees so I can appreciate all the beauty you all are sharing 😊🙏
The lantern filled with flowers and then the runner of additional flowers is so perfect on your plaid tablecloth, Mary. I love the copper flatware that compliments the copper mugs, and of course I always love the timeless look of Mikasa English Countryside (it’s on my table right now with my sunflower plates on top). Aren’t those napkin rings cute?? Thanks for the September inspiration!
Mary, that is absolutely stunning! What a beautiful fall apple-themed tablescape! Wow!!!
Oh Mary, I LOVE your open lantern, what fun you are going to have with that! The flowers and apples arrangement looks fantastic and what a great idea to let in spill our and continue down the center of your table! Those apples plates are so cute, such a welcoming Fall table! Great tip to put preservative in the water with the foam when soaking it~
Beautiful – as always! LOVE The arrangements. And Mikasa English Countryside is my every day pattern so I love getting ideas from you!
Mary, your centerpiece in the lantern is gorgeous! You have inspired me to create a lantern centerpiece now. Thank you for the helpful instructions. The additional runner of blooms and apples makes for a show stopping centerpiece. The plaid tablecloth, English Countryside dinnerware, and sweet apple napkin rings make such a beautiful setting. Wishing you a blessed week ahead!
I really think this is one of your best. Of course I love the colors and all your table choices, but the flowers and apples, so delicious and colorful. Perfect for the early Fall late Summer season. With our seaons seeming to be topsy turvy, here in Chicagoland we are still hot…with no cool really in sight, it is hard to imagine anything really Fall, for our use to be distinct seasons. Hugs, Sandi
SO gorgeous Mary – and those apple cakelets are absolutely darling! I love your centerpiece, and how fun that you got the frame from your friend. You’ll have great memories along with your beautiful flowers! I love your gorgeous colors too – the whole thing is fabulous!