The Cheap Trader Joe’s Find You Can Turn into an Easy Scandi Centerpiece

Oh, Trader Joe’s — they make it so easy for us, don’t they? Whether it’s providing just the right ingredients to easily throw together a weeknight dinner or offering that perfect petite bouquet for a special occasion, it’s a one-stop entertaining shop. And don’t even get us started on the cheese section!

Which brings us to this pro tip: If you don’t fancy yourself much of a floral designer, you can turn to Trader Joe’s to pull together a simple, almost Scandinavian-inspired centerpiece. You just need some empty jars and the fresh eucalyptus (of the seeded and the silver dollar variety), which you can find for just $3 a bunch!

Related: The Best $3 Find You Haven’t Been Buying at Trader Joe’s

Leading up to the big meal, save some of your prettier glass jars — in all shapes and sizes — that would otherwise be headed for the recycling. Clean them out and remove the labels. (Soak the empty jars in hot, soapy water until the label is completely saturated and scrape the label off with a plastic scraper. Most labels should come right off, but for any stubborn adhesive, bring in a top-shelf adhesive remover like Goo Gone.)

Related: The Best (and Easiest!) Way to Remove Sticky Labels from Glass Jars

Dry the jars completely and set them aside until it’s time to set the table. Bonus tip: An odd number of jars will look better than an even collection once it’s arranged on the table. Place a runner down the center of the table or throw down a tablecloth. Carefully fill each jar with water and line them down the middle of the table. Using a pair of clippers or scissors, cut the eucalyptus to fit in each respective jar. We promise: This is impossible to mess up.

And because these greens are less persnickety than flowers, they’ll look fresh well past this special occasion. When you get sick of the arrangement, pull the greens out and dry them completely, while their green shade will get slightly muted, dried eucalyptus holds up, so you can bunch the stems together and tuck them into a vase to use somewhere else in your home.