3 Sunflower Crafts for Fall

As we head further into fall, the colors of the season are reaching their peak. Rich reds, yellows, and oranges add beauty to the landscape. Also at their peak are gorgeous golden sunflowers. Their brilliant shades, large blooms, and sturdy stems make them the perfect choice for a wide array of floral crafts.

Whether you’re looking to create an elegant tablescape for an upcoming dinner party, the perfect gift to kick off the school year, or just looking to add some seasonal décor to your home, these sunflower crafts are both fun and easy to make.

Sunflower votive candle

Set the stage for all your upcoming fall gatherings with these beautiful sunflower votives. Whether placed randomly across the table or individually at each place setting, these lovely and charming centerpieces add a cozy, warm element to traditional tabletop décor.

Step one

Start by cutting the stem off at the very base of the sunflower head so that the sunflower will sit flat when placed on the table.

Step two

Take the candle out of the metal tea light base and use the empty base to mark off the area in the center of the sunflower where you will place the tea light.

Step three

Using a small sharp edge tool, scrape out the sunflower seeds in this area, going as deep as you need so that the tea light will sit almost flush against the sunflower.

Step four

Place the tea light candle back in its metal base, place it in the sunflower, light it up, and voilà! You've got a sunflower craft that will warmly welcome your guests to your home.

Sunflower wreath

Feeling a bit more ambitious? Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create a magnificent sunflower wreath. Once complete, you can display it on a door or wall, or use it as a centerpiece. A wreath you craft yourself also makes a great and inexpensive gift for friends, family, or your favorite hostess!

Materials needed

• 12-inch diameter floral foam ring
• Cutting shears (sharp scissors)
• 12 3-foot-long pieces of raffia
• 6 fern pins

Flowers and leaves needed

• 3 stems lemon leaf
• 2 stems seeded eucalyptus
• 2 stems pitto nigra
• 4 small sunflowers
• 5 stems button poms
• 3 stems yarrow
• 2 stems statice
• 2 stems solidago
• 2 stems preserved oak leaves
• 3 stems wheat

Instructions

1. Thoroughly soak the floral foam ring in water.
2. With the florists’ scissors, cut the blossoms and the leaves of all the flowers off their stems, to 2 inches in length. Separate the flowers by variety, and set them aside.
3. Insert the lemon leaves around the hole and outside perimeter of the floral-foam ring to create a foundation for the wreath.
4. Sparingly add seeded eucalyptus and pitto nigra, filling the basic shape until you establish the overall width of the wreath. Don’t be too heavy-handed at this point. Leave room for additional flower inserts.
5. Insert the sunflowers, spacing them at three points on the ring — more or less at 12-, 4-, and 8-o’clock positions on the wreath.
6. Fill the wreath with the remaining flowers — button poms, statice, yarrow, and solidago — spacing them as desired. Add the oak leaves, more lemon leaves, and the wheat wherever there is a gap.
7. Twist three or four pieces of raffia together; lace the twisted raffia in and out of the flowers and leaves, securing the ends with fern pins. Repeat the process with the rest of the raffia strips if desired.

DIY pencil vase with sunflowers

Be the teacher’s pet with this clever back-to-school sunflower craft. This adorable vase could hardly be easier to make — it's just a clear beverage glass covered with unsharpened No. 2 pencils.

Place a rubber band around the glass and insert the pencils between the glass and the rubber band until the entire glass is covered.

Hide the rubber band with a fun, school-themed or colorful ribbon. Pour about 2 inches of water into the glass (this makes it easier for transporting), but make sure the teacher knows to add more water right away so the flowers stay fresher longer.