This year I decorated the house for fall starting in September and it quickly became a pumpkin explosion. Last week Jenna counted the number of pumpkins I used to decorate and it was over 120! I’ve got pumpkins everywhere! I’ve shared some of the fall decor on my IG feed and stories but saved the best for last and that’s my fall tablescape. I love to decorate the formal dining room table because it’s not used on a regular basis so I’m able to decorate it, enjoy it and not have to worry too much about functionality. Here are 5 tips for decorating a Thanksgiving table. These are the tips I think about and use every time I begin a new tablescape.
Shop your home – No need to go out and spend a lot of money on new decor (although that is fun too and a few new pieces never hurt)! Whenever I decorate a table for a holiday, event or season I ALWAYS walk around my home first and look for things around the house I can use in my tablescape. Using what you already have is a big money saver too. The trick is looking around with a fresh eye and find ways to reuse, repurpose and recycle. The attic is a great place to start. Have some old candlesticks that haven’t been used in years? Then drag them out! If they don’t match, paint them and make them work for you! For my fall tablescape I used fall pillows that were in another room, a cake stand from the kitchen, the pottery urn is from next to my fireplace as well as many of the pumpkins are old decor mixed with a few new.
Vary heights – A well designed tablescape uses objects of varying heights. Try not to have everything the same and equal. That is boring! Include items with varying heights such as candles on candlesticks, vases with tall florals or perch decor on stands (I used a cake stand for a large pumpkin to elevate it from the table). Bringing in varying heights will create variety and interest and the table will appear fuller and more finished.
Use natural elements – One of the easiest tricks in decorating a fall tablescape is to bring the outside in. Go outside and cut some flowers and greenery. Branches from a Japanese Maple work great or green eucalyptus branches would go anywhere. Even colorful leaves that have dropped in the yard will work. For my table I used some cotton branches and stems in a pottery urn for elevation on the table and some greenery was used on the side table.
Mix patterns – I love to mix patterns and textures. For this table I didn’t go too overboard with the patterns but do have a lot of texture and layers. I basically just kept plopping down and layering pumpkins to fill space until it came together. The plaid napkins play well off the striped table runner and round textured placemat. As long as you keep the color scheme in mind don’t hesitate to mix patterns and texture all up! It will all come together when you look at the table as a whole and it will be gorgeous!
Cozy it up – Make your table a special place to create memories, share good food and have some laughs with friends and family. Do this by creating an inviting and cozy tabletop space that welcomes special moments and makes guests not want to leave! One way to do this is to add a soft pillow or a light throw on a chair to invite your guests to stay a while!
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Everything looks great ! I love your decorating style !