3 clever ways with hazelnuts

Add autumnal style to any gathering with these pretty party accents

Make serving a breeze

with can caddies

All it takes is two soup cans, a handful of nuts and some glue to create these cute and clever utensil containers. They’re perfect for a buffet display. To do: For each, start by rinsing out a soup can and patting it dry, then use a hot-glue gun to attach hazelnuts to the outside of the can one by one, forming rows that wrap all the way around. Once the can is covered, tie a length of green ribbon around it and insert utensils.

SECRET SOURCE: For fresh hazelnuts at a good price, try “Hazelnuts in Shell,” $6 per pound (about 100 nuts), Nuts.com

Dress up the table

with a seasonal display

Fall flowers nestled in a trifle bowl full of hazelnuts make a surprising (and very easy!) centerpiece. To do: Fill a 4 oz. drinking glass halfway with water and place in the center of a trifle bowl. Fill the space around the glass with hazelnuts, then snip several green mums and “Green Trick” dianthus to 8 inches and pop the flowers into the glass. Fill in any gaps with hazelnuts, then tie a green ribbon around the bowl.

Impress everyone

with a charming trivet

Your friends and loved ones will go nuts for this savvy serving tray that’s made from an old picture frame. To do: Place a 1"-deep white picture frame on your work surface. Lay a sheet of white paper over the glass to cover it. Pour two to three handfuls of sand (available at the craft store) over the paper-covered glass and spread it out. Next, carefully nestle hazelnuts into the frame until the sand is covered, using your hands to spread the nuts out and create a mostly even surface. Display the tray on a table as a trivet for tea and more.