Holiday Centerpiece

By: Jennifer Personette

This centerpiece is beautiful and easy to make. Your friends and guests will ooh and ahh over it! I like to make them for hostess gifts. I also love to keep them around the house this time of year. Make several vases of all different sizes to make a larger centerpiece.

You will need:

• Clear glass vase
• 5-10 lemons
• 3-5 clementines/tangerines (or you can use lemon halves, these won't be seen)
• Bag of fresh cranberries
• Small votive candle
• Water
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar

Instructions:

1. Cut lemons into 1/4" slices.

2. Surround the bottom inside of the vase with lemon wedges. To keep them up against the walls of the vase, you can add the leftover ends of your lemon to the middle or you can use a clementine. Add lemon ends or clementines to the middle until you almost reach the top of the first layer of lemon slices. (Using big chunks in the center helps conserve cranberries, which are more expensive.)


3. Add a layer of cranberries. Make sure the cranberries fill any crevices. Add enough to make its own layer on top of the first layer of lemons.



4. Add another clementine or lemon ends to the center. Add a second row of lemons to the vase and press against the walls of the vase.



5. Repeat the cranberry layer and lemon layers until you have reached the top of the vase, leaving a small area or half of a lemon.

6. Cut a small hole the size of your candle in the flesh of the lemon half. Place the lemon with the candle on the top of the vase.


7. Finally, add water and one teaspoon of vinegar to the vase -- this will fill in cracks, keep the fruit fresh and sparkle!