Man, was I bummed last night. I had a plan to make some Gilded Pears (like these lovelies) for this blog post. I had some cute little Seckel pears in my refrigerator. I had time to get everything laid out in my kitchen. But I had no gold leaf, nor could I find any at my nearby craft stores.

I was stumped about what I would write about today. I even ate one of the Seckels in my despair, and gave another to my sister, sliced up in a bowl and dusted with cinnamon.

It didn’t strike me until late morning today: I didn’t need to add anything to the pears to make them a craft project. They’re beautiful just as they are! Really, pears are an elegant fruit, whether they’re long necked and curved or round and bright. My own mother recently decorated a brunch table with a row of Bosc and Anjou pears.

Take a second look at the bowl of pears above, or the lineup below, for some simple examples of how plain pears can be a natural, edible décor item. Just buy them, arrange, and voilà!