Celebrate Autumn-Create a Cornucopia!© Vickie Ferguson
Oct 12, 1999
Fall is upon us in all its glory! The briskness in the air coupled with the glorious colors of the leaves inspires me to decorate and celebrate the season! So, with this in mind, the October articles will be devoted to autumn craft projects.
The first project will be dedicated to the traditional symbol for harvest: the Cornucopia, also known as the horn of plenty.
There are two types of cornucopias that I enjoy making, fruit/vegetable and silk/dried flowers. Both types can be used as a centerpiece for the dining room table or buffet, as a decorative basket for the den or family room, or it can be hung in the kitchen or hallway. Place them wherever you would like to incorporate the colors of autumn. To make the fruit/vegetable filled cornucopia you will need the following supplies:
1 cornucopia basket (the type I use for this project has small "feet" so that when I sit it on the table, it doesn't turn or roll over)
1 bag of moss (you choose the color)
4 pieces of artificial fruit/vegetables (I use neon colored papier-mâché fruits & vegetables because of the vibrant colors and light weight. You may also use plastic or waxed items),
1 package of dried chili peppers (7 to 8 stems)
1 package of artificial English ivy
1 package of dried Safflower flowers (3 to 4 buds)
1 package of poly pellets (craft store)
1 small sandwich bag with tie
glue gun and glue sticks
craft scissors.Optional: You may substitute the artificial fruits/vegetables with miniature pumpkins, small gourds, squash and Indian corn or use a combination of both artificial and real materials. Snippet: When the items are placed into the horn, it will be "top" heavy. Place 5 tablespoons of poly pellets, more if needed, in the sandwich bag, tie the end, and place the bag in the tail of the horn. This will offset the weight of the fruits and veggies. Fill the basket to the rim with moss. I usually use gray, bright green, red or yellow. Select the color that will best compliment the fruit and vegetable items. Press the moss lightly into the horn creating a bed for the produce. Next, strategically place the fruit/vegetables. Use the largest piece as the focal point for the arrangement and place the other items accordingly. Look for symmetry of color and make sure the cornucopia is visually balanced. Once I have decided on the arrangement of the items, and I am sure enough poly pellets have been used, I place a small amount of hot glue on the bottom of each fruit/vegetable and glue to the moss. This helps keep the items in place, so they won't roll out of the horn.
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