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Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece

June 13, 2024 by Kimberly Snyder 10 Comments

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It’s officially summer! Looking for a new way to decorate your table? Why not try a coastal themed summer dough bowl?

Do you need a quick & easy Summer centerpiece?  Let me show you how I quickly designed a coastal themed summer dough bowl for my lanai table!

long wooden dough bowl filled with shells and glass balls

As a special treat this week, I am joining a group of  bloggers for a Summer Home Tour!  The links to today’s participants can be found near the bottom of this post!  A big Thank you to Marty from A Stroll Thru Life for organizing this Summer Home Tour!

Let’s get started!

close up of sand dollars on a wooden stand

On this blog, I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.  By using my affiliate links to shop, it helps me to be able to continue bringing you fresh new ideas and projects!  Thank you! 

Since moving to Florida, I have often incorporated sand dollars, as well as other shells, in dough bowl centerpieces. If you have been following me for awhile, I am sure this comes as no surprise.  I do have a bit of a dough bowl addiction!

Dough bowl decorated with sand dollars & ornaments

Speaking of Florida, this is probably a good thyme to introduce myself if you are new to my blog.  I am so happy to meet you!  I am a transplanted Mid-Western.  I sometimes say I am a Zone 6 girl living in a Tropical location!  If you are a gardener, you will know what I am referring to when I say Zone 6.  Another way to describe my interests is that they range from flowers (a former florist) to flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many things in between!  My name is Kimberly or Kim and I call my decorating style “Kim” Style!
 
I like to use thyme instead of time when I am writing!  My entrepreneurial journey started many years ago when I first started growing and using herbs.  My journey is detailed in Sprout, Grow, Bloom.

What Exactly is a Dough Bowl?

Dough bowls get their name from their original purpose: making bread dough!  An antique dough bowl was a great place for the bread dough to rise as the wood helped retain the heat which in turn helped the dough rise.  Every kitchen had a least one dough bowl and they were often times handed down through the generations.  Antique dough bowls are also sometimes referred to as trenchers.  Now, instead of being used to actually make dough, they have become a decorating staple especially for Farmhouse decor.
 
Dough bowls come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  The most common shapes are the oval and round.   I have  an oval 20-inch-long dough bowl as well as a few other shapes and sizes.   I love to decorate them for the seasons.  The majority of mine are reproductions.   There are still many antique ones available.

How to Decorate a Dough Bowl with A Coastal Theme

I love dough bowls so much; I have added a few more to my collection since moving to Florida!  This rectangle one is also a reproduction.  It is approximately 17 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide.  The width made it easy to decorate.  To be completely honest, I don’t really care for the carving or the distressing but  I think it actually blends in with the holes on the sand dollars.  The carving/distressing isn’t nearly as noticeable once the sand dollars and other elements are in place.
 
wooden rectangle shaped dough bowl
 
For this centerpiece, I am actually going to be nestling the rectangle dough bowl in the center of my extra large dough bowl.
 
Extra large oval wooden dough bowl

Gather the Elements

sand dollars & ornaments in a dough bowl

To design the centerpiece, I am going to combine sand dollars, two shell encrusted spheres, glass balls and a battery candle with a sand dollar motif.

The glass balls covered with a crocheted cover resemble Japanese fishing floats.  They are actually meant to be weights to attach to a tablecloth outdoors in order to help hold it in place.  I found these adorable glass spheres at my Mom’s house when I was clearing it out.  They were tucked in with her supply of picnic items.  I almost put them in the donate pile until I actually looked at them and saw how they would fit in the coastal decor at the Florida house!

close up of coastal accents for a fall dough bowl

The shells were part of my Grandmother’s shell collection.  My grandparents used to spend the month of January in the Fort Myers Florida area in the late 50s and early 60s and my grandmother would bring back shells.  After my grandmother passed away, my Mom ended up with the shell collection.

 
It didn’t take very long to put the dough bowl centerpiece together once I had all my elements collected.
 
Battery operated mosaic candle centerpiece
 
The ends look a little lonely, so I simply added a few woven balls and two small spindles.  The spindles remind me of fishing bobbers!
 
coastal themed summer dough bowl

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What Are Sand Dollars?

Sand dollars are actually the skeletons of  keyhole urchins.  These urchins are found in various places around the world including both the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.  They are somewhat fragile and resemble old American coins or old large Spanish coins.

sand dollar ornament

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

I think this is the perfect thyme to share the story of the Legend of the Sand Dollar.  The legend is a story of hope and peace, something we all need right now.

I found a postcard with the Legends of The Sand Dollar in with my Grandmother’s Florida maps and other mementos when I was sorting thru everything during the downsizing process.

The legend tells the story of Christ with symbolism found in the patterns and internal structures of the sand dollar.

The top of the shell has a symbol that looks like a star which signifies the Star of Bethlehem.  This is the star that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus.  An outline of an Easter lily surrounds the star.  Easter Lilies are a symbol of Christ’s resurrection.

trio of sand dollars on an old wooden piece

There are five holes in a sand dollar – four around the ends of the star and one in the center. According to the religious legend, the four holes represent the four wounds of Christ when his hands and feet were nailed to the cross. The center hole represents the wound made from a soldier’s spear.

On the opposite side of  the sand dollar, you can see the outline of a poinsettia, the traditional Christmas flower. If a sand dollar is broken open, it is said that five dove-shaped pieces appear.  Doves are often used to represent peace and goodwill.
 
sand dollar with "poinsettia " side up, displayed with a shell ornament
 
Isn’t that a sweet legend?  The white color of the sand dollars comes from being bleached by the sun.  White is also a symbol of purity.
 
oblong dough bowl decorated with sand dollars
 

One Last Look At the Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl

long wooden dough bowl filled with shells and glass balls

 

More Summer Dough Bowl Ideas!

This summer dough bowl centerpiece was fun to make!  If you have a baseball lover in your family, you might enjoy making it too! All the details can be found here: How to Style A Round Dough Bowl for the Summer Holidays

Dough bowl decorated for the Summer

A Florida Themed Dough Bowl

We have a screened in entryway that I decorate seasonally.  My husband found this adorable metal camper at Aldi’s last summer.  It looks a lot like the one my grandparents had when they used to vacation in Florida.  Somewhere I have a picture of my grandpa sitting in a lawn chair in front of their camper.  Of course, I couldn’t find it to include it in the vignette!

The Summer Home Tour Continues here:

 

Thursday June 13th Lineup

Bluesky at Home – County Road 407 – Pasha is Home – Bungalow 47

Here are the links for the previous days!

Monday June 10th Lineup.

A Stroll Thu Life – My Thrift Store Addiction – Decor To Adore – Our Southern Home

Tuesday June 11th Lineup.

Calypso in the Country – From Farmhouse to Florida – Thrifty and Chic – Stone Gable

Wednesday June 12th Lineup

Whispering Pines Homestead – Worthing Court – B Vintage Style – Chalking Up Success

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The opinions here are all my own. It helps me to continue to bring to you DIY and projects on my blog.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Post, Decorating & Design Tagged With: "Kim" Style, antique, Architectural Salvage, dough bowl, summer

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Comments

  1. Michele Morin says

    June 19, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    Those Southern shells!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder says

      June 20, 2022 at 6:47 am

      aren’t they lovely? Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Summer!

      Reply
  2. Kim Beaulieu says

    June 13, 2024 at 2:38 pm

    These are so cute. I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder says

      June 14, 2024 at 2:47 pm

      Thank you so much, Kim! I hope you enjoy creating your own centerpiece!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Simple Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    July 30, 2022 at 4:29 pm

    […] love to decorate with shells, especially sand dollars!  This summer Sand Dollar centerpiece was so easy to put […]

    Reply
  2. The Legend of the Sand Dollar - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    March 24, 2023 at 12:06 pm

    […] collected. The sand dollar dough bowl can also be used after Easter as a Summer centerpiece. Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece Instead of the milk glass candle, a solar lantern can be used in the center of the dough bowl. To […]

    Reply
  3. A Look Back - Your Favorite Posts! - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    August 26, 2023 at 10:10 am

    […] #10 Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece […]

    Reply
  4. Coastal Farmhouse Autumn Dough Bowl - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    September 8, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    […]   I love dough bowls so much, I added a slightly bigger one to my collection to use on our outdoor dining table!   Shhhhhhh,  don’t tell […]

    Reply
  5. "Fall" into Gardening - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    August 17, 2024 at 7:34 am

    […] Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece […]

    Reply
  6. Summer Entertaining on a Shoestring Budget - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    May 1, 2025 at 7:04 am

    […] Coastal Themed Summer Dough Bowl Centerpiece […]

    Reply

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Hello! Kimberly (Kim) Snyder and I'm glad you're here. An entrepreneurial spirit, I've owned a flower shop and antiques store, a pizza parlor and now we're in Florida living a new adventure. Join me as we downsize into our new digs and continue the adventures! WRITER & BLOGGER

Kimberly Snyder shares the adventures of moving to Florida and beginning again in a new space as a herbalist, a creative, and a serial entrepreneur

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Mowgli isn’t quite sure about the hat! But he is Mowgli isn’t quite sure about the hat! But he is sure that it is thyme to celebrate Summer! #summertime #fromfarmhousetoflorida #chugsofinstagram #kimstyledecor
Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering in some aqua for Summer. What do you think? #kimstyledecor #coastalfarmhouse #coastalfarmhousestyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #decoratingwithshells
Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s re Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s refresh your outdoor area! #fromfarmhousetoflorida #kimstyledecor #outdoorlivingspace #summervibes☀️ #coastalhomedecor #coastalfarmhouse
It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a co It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a coat of chalk paint! I used some left over chalk paint for this project. After the basket was dry, I filled it with a couple pots of blooming plants! #chalkpaint #wickerbasket #basketmakeover #basketlover #gardenstyledecor #kimstyledecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida
We had the house painted last fall. I finally got We had the house painted last fall. I finally got the vintage urns out of storage and added white mums.  #brocantestyle #brocante #gardenantiques #gardenstyle #kimstyledecor #whitemums #fromfarmhousetoflorida
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I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mi I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mixer! It still works after all these years. I did have it re-wired several years ago because the original cord was frayed. #hamiltonbeach #fromfarmhousetoflorida #vintagekitchenwares #mothersday #farmhousekitchendecor
Not sure if I ever shared this version of the pott Not sure if I ever shared this version of the potting bench. I started decorating it with a lavender theme. I must have gotten distracted before I finished it! It just needs a few potted lavender plants ti finish it! #lavender #farmhousedecorating #gardenstyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #pottingbench
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