Fall-Themed “Edible” Centerpieces

These easy, inexpensive and charming Dried Bean Candle Centerpieces will be the talk of your table–and the centerpiece of many meals to come! 6 bags of beans, one glass candle holder, one candle, and your table will glow.  And your guests will be astounded at your creativity.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit.  Oh wait, that’s not what I meant to start this post with…

Beans have a lot more versatility than just being featured in childhood songs. 🙂  They are rich in proteins, and have more variety in flavor, texture, size and color than almost any other category of food out there.  And while there are many recipes for the fantastic recipes featuring these protein bombs, today I’m sharing a recipe that demands your patience if you intend on consuming them.

Patience.  Pffftttt.

As I mentioned, the colors and textures of these great (and inexpensive) little nuggets are as varied as the colors in the rainbow.  I figured, why not put those colors to good use on my holiday table?

While I realize that this little project may not be rocket science, it came to me one day as my klutzy nature took hold.  I was unloading groceries, which that day included a couple different bags of beans, and I dropped the bags on the floor.  When I went to pick them up (along with several other items that landed askew), I noticed that the colors looked really nice together.  So I started playing with my food.

Back to the grocery store I went!  The aisle that has all of the beans also has great options like rices and other grains that could play a part in layered efforts like this one, but I stayed focused.  BEANS! I chose based on color and size this time around, and I think the results are pretty darned cute.

I have these large glass hurricane candle holders that we got for our wedding about a million years ago.  As the seasons change, I like to play around with colors and textures around the candles to quickly and subtlety change the seasonal look of my table.  I had been considering some natural colors for Fall and the events leading up to the December holidays, and these colorful beans fit the bill nicely.

Because I intended (hoped!) to use the beans in recipes after using them as decoration, I wanted to carefully pick them over before I layered them into the glass.  That way, when I was ready to separate them again and start cooking, I wouldn’t have to pick them over at that time.

Like I said, play with the colors and textures you find in the dried goods aisle.  So many times, these items are:

1. Not expensive (each bag of beans set me back between .75 & $1.25 per bag)
2. Easy to find in nearly any grocery store, and
3. Completely edible once you’re done with them!

So for the 6 bags of beans, it cost me about $7.00.  I started layering them, and then nestled a wedge candle in the top.  When it was time to incorporate these rustic and charming bean-filled hurricanes into my table scape, they were the talk of the table.  They made a wonderful centerpiece that day, and a fantastic topic of conversation. I mean, who wouldn’t ask about the different types of beans in there?

Have you ever decorated for the holidays (or any other reason!) with natural items like beans, rice, grains, or food stuffs?  Tell us about them here!  Why not share our fantastic ideas and enjoy our holidays with a little additional “natural influence”?

In the meantime, check out some great holiday recipes and ideas from a week-long Holiday Blog Hop I participated in a couple years ago. Great food and ideas never go out of style!

Monday

Bluesky Kitchen   Belle Bleu Interiors   White Spray Paint   Southern DayDreams

Tuesday

Ash Tree Cottage    The Painted Apron   My Midlife Kitchen    Starfish Cottage

Wednesday

Ramblings of a Southern Girl   At Home with Jemma   My Thrift Store Addiction   Let’s Add Sprinkles

Thursday

Friday

Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen   Intentionally Eat   The Dedicated House   Opulent Cottage

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