Whether four or 24 will gather around the Thanksgiving table this year, even casual hosts feel compelled to dream up some sort of centerpiece. If you’re one of them, you can buy a ready-made or custom arrangement – either real or silk – and reserve your creative energy for fluting the edge of the pie crust.

Or you can fuss a bit and concoct your own, possibly even making it a family affair. The first thing to decide is whether the centerpiece will remain on the table the entire meal, which may mean setting up the food buffet-style in a nearby location.

Or perhaps you will opt to remove the centerpiece after everyone has admired it, to make room for the turkey platter and Aunt Betty’s stuffing.

As host, this is your decision – not that of some busybody second cousin once removed. That said, you do need to think ahead. Even if you relocate the arrangement to make room for the feast, you may still want to keep candles on the table, or even a smattering of preserved leaves.

Just to dress things up a bit.

Indeed, the centerpiece is just one part of the tablescape, which also includes place settings, linens and accessories such as your turkey-shaped salt-and- pepper shakers. Even the table, chairs and chandelier are part of the overall look. The bottom line is that the Thanksgiving table should be beautiful.

“I always like a ‘Wow!’ factor,” said local interior architect Michael Poczkalski, who came up with two easy, eye-catching centerpieces for this story.

Rather than place one item in the center of the table, however, Poczkalski prefers to spread things out and — pay attention here—deconstruct flowers.

Using this loves-me-loves-me-not technique, blooms are plucked off stems, leaves removed and so forth.

He designed the first display as if it were to remain on the table the entire meal, meaning food would be set up elsewhere.

The materials: Two 12-inch and one 15-inch glass candleholders with white tapers; a couple small pumpkins; fall leaves; several small round vases and votives; and items he picked up at Maureen’s Wholesale Flower Shop, including ornamental kale, red Mokara orchids and orange mums.

The trio of candleholders (the tallest in the center) is surrounded by the branches and other items; he also snipped and tucked some blooms into the small vases.

The candles are tall enough to be non-obtrusive, said Poczkalski who, along with David Brugh, owns “room” — a home store at 988 Elmwood Ave.

For the second arrangement, shown above, he used a 32-inch stainless trough-shaped container and filled it using another bunch of the same flowers, more little pumpkins and kale. He also added several bleached leaves—for a touch of white, just as he does when designing a room.

“I always have an element of white in a room to ground it,” Poczkalski said.

Low candles could be placed on the sides. And, if need be, it could be easily removed from a table.

Another way to go is to invest in — or dig out — a glass hurricane, trifle bowl, compote or other piece you can use over and over in different ways, including as a centerpiece base.

Such items can be filled with seasonal fruit, dressed up with pebbles or cracked corn with a candle on top or, in the case of a trifle bowl, filled with water and floating flowers, for example.

Some other ideas from Poczkalski and other sources:

Set different candlesticks on the table and place twigs or other items at the base. Don’t be afraid to mix candlestick styles.

An idea from Better Homes and Gardens: Create a natural table runner by placing a line of miniature pumpkins or gourds down the center of the table and weaving double-faced ribbon around them topped with a faux bittersweet stem.

Place pillar candles on plates and add bunches of grapes. Group together in the center—different size pillars are visually pleasing — or spread them around to complement a traditional centerpiece.

Candle logs and other multiple-candle holders are dramatic on a table. Some are metal and crafted to look like a branch. Others feature scrollwork.

An idea from Martha Stewart: Fill a white ceramic compote with orange fruits and vegetables such as kumquats, squashes, bell pepper, baby pumpkins, carrots, etc.

Add sparkle to your table by placing a mirror under flower vases or candles.