Hurricane lanterns are one of my favorite ways to display what I find outside. Often used for placing candles in and protecting them from wind I use them for many other things. These glass cylinders bring things up to eye level and you see them from all angles.
This garden trug was used to gather horse chestnuts from the edge of the road just down the street from me. 
Cleaned up, allowed to dry and stacked in the hurricane cylinder they have great color and texture.
Rosehips from the waters edge at my new house encircle the candle inside this one. I picked the ones with good color and discarded the ones that were blackened or tan. While fresh and pliable I added them around the candle. They will dry like they are and remain fresh for several months. This one in particular can stay through Christmas and beyond.
This last hurricane has a seed pod from a summer flower, I assume it is iris foetidissima. I absolutely think this is the most fascinating seed pod. The flower itself is the seed pod and looks like the pod with blossoms on it. It dries well and the seeds are viable for planting next spring.
These are things I have in my garden and around my house. There are lots of different things to use. Seed Pods of clematis, dried ornamental grass, crab apples, branches with lichen, mini pumpkins, acorns, pinecones, anything that is interesting in a mostly dried out state. Things that are fresh and plump can rot instead of dry so do some experimentation before planing on putting it on the dining room table. Take a trip outside and look around.
