A Creative Way to Decorate Your Table for Fall

You may be asking, “how do I decorate my fall dining table?”. Do you have any ideas how to get started? If not, this is the place to be today! I am sharing a ‘A Walk in the Forest Tablescape for Fall’. But, the best part is, I am taking part in a fall tablescape blog hop so you have the opportunity to visit other bloggers and see how they want to inspire you to decorate a fall dining table! I am so honored to be once again joining this gathering hosted by Rita from Panoply.

A title page that says a Walk in the Forest Table for Fall, a fall place setting with a gray dinner plate with a decorative salad plate and a tiny acorn candle,  crystal water goblet and a gray wine glass and in the background a centerpiece.

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Let’s make a centerpiece:

Are you wondering what you can put on your table for decoration? It does not have to be outlandish or expensive. How about making a centerpiece that is primarily items that can be found on a walk through the forest? So, when you want to know how you can decorate for fall with no money; look at this table for inspiration!

Sadly, I don’t live where there are forests. I live where there are swamps. Swamps with things like alligators, water moccasins and lots of other scary creatures. Therefore, some of the things I collected are the artificial items you might be able to collect on a walk through the woods near you.

a cartoonish orange drawing of a leaf and acorns

Even my sweet Lily was ready to help with this tablescape! When I was out walking early one morning I saw a big truck with some kind of a crane on it go down our street. It broke a big branch off one of the oak trees. As I pulled the branch out of the street so no cars would hit it, I had one of those “ah ha” moments! I picked up some of the small branches and leaves and brought them home. Lily picked up a bigger branch and carried it home herself!

A black and silver poodle standing on brick steps holding an oak leaf branch in her mouth with a blue front door behind her

Gathering items for the centerpiece:

A large blue mixing bowl with green oak leaves soaking in water in it.

This was three or four days before I was going to style this table, and I had no idea how to keep the leaves looking good. I filled a big bowl with cold water and submerged the leaves in it.

A large blue bowl with water in it and oak leaves and a plate with Christmas plate on it with a spotted fawn sniffing at a branch with a pinecone on it.

I put a couple of salad plates on top of the leaves to keep them under the water. Then I put the entire thing in the refrigerator.

A white kitchen towel with wet green oak leaves laying out onm it

When I got ready to set the table, I got out my oak leaves and surprise! They looked fantastic! The cold water actually made them brighter green than when I brought them in from outdoors!

a cartoonish orange drawing of a leaf and acorns

For a nice natural fall tablescape, head on out for a walk in the forest! Gather up anything you think might look nice as part of your centerpiece. I began mine with my oak leaves, many with acorns still attached. This antler shed that my husband picked up on a friend’s Montana ranch when he was fly fishing several years ago added substance. He also brought me some feathers from a pheasant hunt I was able to incorporate. I had to use a bit of artificial, a piece of grapevine garland cut apart, a little faux garland with some cream colored berries and some artificial bittersweet.

Natural items to use in your centerpiece:

  • leaves
  • acorns
  • pinecones
  • bark
  • branches
  • vines
  • berries
  • feathers
  • antlers
  • rocks
  • nuts
  • fungi

Do make sure that you clean everything you plan to use on your table! You don’t want any little bugs coming out on your dinner table!

A plaid throw with oak leaves, bittersweet berries, and feathers laying on it

It is difficult to photograph this centerpiece in its entirety without it looking odd, especially with the throw being on an angle on the table. This was the best shot I could get:

A plaid throw with grapevines, feathers, oak leaves and berries on it.

Consequently, I am also sharing a few different close up photographs of the centerpiece.

A plaid throw with grapevines, feathers, oak leaves and berries on it.

This is so basic that anyone can do it! Put down your largest element first. For me that was my antler. Next I added my faux garland and then two pieces of grapevine garland. The rest was just tucking the oak leaves, feathers and artificial berries into and along the elements that were already there. Don’t like how it looks? Move things around until you are happy with it!

a plaid throw with acorns and berries and oak leaves

If you think your centerpiece needs more, experiment, add some little pumpkins, some fresh flowers tucked in water tubes, or some dried lotus pods.

Part of a centerpiece of grapevines, oak leaves, feathers, an antler and berries along with the crystal glasses on a tabletop

Let’s set a table:

My inspiration for this tablescape was these beautiful party plates by Juliska. They are so appropriately called, Forest Walk. When I spotted them, I knew that these were going to be coming to live in my party pantry!

A salad plate that is cream color with branches around the edges also decorated with berries, acorns, feathers and fungi

I thought if one had gone for a walk in the forest, perhaps they would have a blanket to sit upon. I pulled out this pretty plaid throw to use on my table. The throw isn’t large enough to be a proper tablecloth, but it didn’t matter. Positioned at an angle over the table was enough to give the idea I was going for. It is rich and warm and cozy and all things fall, creative, right?

A folded plaid throw of cream, black, gray and brown on a wooden table.  A large antler shed and some pheasant feathers.

Things you can use for a table covering:

  • blanket
  • pashmina
  • sheets
  • kraft paper
  • fabric remnants
  • burlap

I would have preferred to use those natural placemats I have used again and again like in last year’s Apple Tablescape. Unfortunately I only have six of those placemats. I know I need to invest in some wood slice chargers. Have you found wood slice chargers you are happy with? It is a big purchase, and I want to make sure I am really going to be happy with them before I take the plunge! So, I settled for faux wood chargers at only $2.99 each from Michael’s.

A place setting with wooden handled fork and knife, a faux wood charger, a gray dinner plate on a plaid throw

The Forest Walk plates do look amazing on my layers of charger and dinner plates. You don’t need to have a large collection of dinnerware to set a pretty table. I recommend investing in different salad plates like these to add different looks to your tables.

A place setting a faux wood charger, a gray dinner plate topped with a salad plate that is cream color with branches around the edges also decorated with berries, acorns, feathers and fungi set on a plaid throw

This is the time of year to pick up seasonal napkin rings like these oak leaf and acorn ones at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Slate blue and gray napkins layered and tucked inside a brass oak leaf and acorn napkin ring set next to a gray dinner plate and topped with a cream color salad plate with branches on it.

These adorable little acorn candles were an impulse buy when I spotted them at Michael’s. On sale for just $5.99 for four, I thought these would make sweet favors on each plate. I am a big fan of having favors for guests, not just at parties, but at dinners, also.

In the background, an oakleaf and berry centerpiece.  In the foreground, A place setting a faux wood charger, a gray dinner plate topped with a salad plate that is cream color with branches around the edges also decorated with berries, acorns, feathers and fungi, with a tiny acorn candle set in the middle of the salad plate.

These add a festive fall touch to the table.

A place setting a faux wood charger, a gray dinner plate topped with a salad plate that is cream color with branches around the edges also decorated with berries, acorns, feathers and fungi with an acorn candle set on the salad plate.  Crystal  water and wine glasses in the background along with the natural looking centerpiece of oak leaves, berries and pheasant feathers.

I usually keep my stemware simple, a wine glass and a water glass. I have had the gray water glasses longer than I can remember. The water glasses are the Brookstone pattern, Marquis by Waterford. Yes, these are made by Waterford, but they are not leaded crystal, they are crystalline, a quality, non leaded glass. You can read more about the Waterford brand, including the fact that it is now owned by Fiskars?

IN the background, a basket with greenery and gray pumpkins on a blue sideboard.  In the foreground a tablescape showing clear crystal water goblets and gray wine goblets.

The only flatware I thought would work better than my basic Ikea wood handled flatware would be Stag Antler Horn Handled flatware. I will keep it on my wish list!

 A salad plate that is cream color with branches around the edges also decorated with berries, acorns, feathers and fungi with a wooden handled knife and fork laid across the plate
A table set for eight for fall with a plaid throw for a tablecloth, wooden chargers, gray dinner plates and decorative salad plates, wooden handled flatware and crystal goblets and a centerpiece of antlers, oak leaves, and pheasant feathers
A table set for eight for fall with a plaid throw for a tablecloth, wooden chargers, gray dinner plates and decorative salad plates, wooden handled flatware and crystal goblets and a centerpiece of antlers, oak leaves, and pheasant feathers and layered napkins of slate blue and gray layered napkins.

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Now, for so many more creative ways to dress your table, visit these amazing table stylists:

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55 Comments

  1. Chloe I love your table and your tips are perfect. Plus we have to make do with what we have to work with here in Florida! I have quite a few Croton plants and the multi colored red, golds and green are about as close to Fall colors as I am going to get. (even though they are a year ’round plant) LOL I love these blog hops and sharing with our friends when we find some thing new and your Forest Walk plates are perfect. I also love seeing how Lily has grown, she is so precious and a ‘helper’ too! Many Blessings to you my friend!
    Kari

    1. Oh, Kari, I hadn’t thought about the crotons, you are so right, they are pretty and fall colored! I have been so fortunate the past two autumns to spend some time up in Maryland at my daughter’s home. The fall color in the trees up there is amazing! I will miss that this year, but after travelling or having company most of August I need to be home! I am so happy to see you back styling tables and with a smile on your lovely face! HUGS!

  2. Chloe, I’m such a fan of natural decor, so I adore the fact that you gathered table accents during your walk. Your table is lovely, and the acorns at each place setting is such a nice touch! Pinned! Blessings, Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction

  3. Chloe, I had to chuckle at Lily with the branch in her mouth. Our Sophie always brings sticks and most recently, acorns, home from her walks. I have Juliska plate envy! Your entire table is a lovely walk in the forest and those adorable acorn candles as accents or party favors. So happy to join you at the table again! Happy September ♥

  4. Lily is adorable with that branch in her mouth. Such great inspiration with that branch. Those aha moments are priceless. Love the Forest Walk theme. Using natural elements from our own yards is such a great idea. The plates are perfect. Love the centerpiece! The layered napkins along with the acorn candle is lovely. Always a pleasure to hop along with you.

  5. Well Chloe, you realize that Lily steals the show, right?! So adorable that she helped carry the oak branches, and aren’t you smart to use them in a beautiful fall natural table runner. The plates are gorgeous, and the cloth brings such a cozy feel to the tablescape. The acorn candles are too cute, and the whole setting is inviting and warm, perfect for chilly Fall evenings!

    1. Oh Jenna, it is okay with me if she steals the show! She loves to pick up any twig or even giant branch she finds along the sidewalk! I am ready for those chilly Fall evenings…bring them on!!

  6. Chloe, what a great tip to soak the leaves beforehand. I bet they last longer on the table too. And I LOVE the acorn candles…why can’t I find things like that at Michaels? Such a gorgeous table and I love the natural centerpiece and those dishes…..

  7. Chloe, I’m big on natural decor and foraging themes. That was smart to submerge the branches and leaves under water. It really did improve the color!
    Everything looks so pretty with the grey, browns and just a hint of orange in the berries, plates and the way the centerpiece cascades down the center of the table.

  8. Chloe, your walk in the forest table is totally delightful! I have some pieces of Juliska’s Forest Walk, but not the salads. Perhaps I need to add them. I have a set of Juliska’s Autumn Country Manor that is long retired. Juliska offers gorgeous patterns!
    Thanks for the tips on the centerpiece. Great idea to hydrate the leaves. I’m going to remember that. I love using natural elements on my table.
    Happy Autumn!

  9. Chloe, I love the photo of Lily, she looks proud of herself. The Juliska Forest Walk is a gorgeous pattern and you are so smart to purchase salad plates. I do that often to save space and money. The natural centerpiece is perfect. I live in an area that foraging is quite easy and you never know what goodies you may find. It is always a pleasure to hop with you and join you at table. Happy Autumn!

    1. Thank you so much Pam! Lily loves to bring home “treasures” from our walks. The rule is, she has to leave them on the front porch! Yes, space requires I do not continue to just keep buying complete sets of dishes! Happy Autumn to you, too!

  10. Chloe, that’s beautiful! As you may remember, I ordered those Juliska salads in 2019 and ended up with 3 sets from a scammer eBay seller! One set got returned to the gift shop that was part of the customer base the eBay seller stole from, but I still have eight. I really love that pattern. You made gorgeous complements to your table with the wood and grey tones. I invested in a set of wood chargers from an Etsy seller who actually made them. They are super heavy, one side poly coated and the other raw, makes for a nice alternative in tablescaping. I also have a faux set similar to yours, and that’s a very good alternative, especially as a tip for those just getting started (but still very, very useful!).
    I’m very happy you joined in this tablescaping blog hop event which you started (!). Your table centerpieces are always drop-dead concoctions of your creative mind at work. I’m amazed at your talent. Thank you for sharing it with readers.

  11. I love the way you can set such a lovely forest table as you are among alligators!!! All the naturals you used compliment your fabulous salad plates perfectly. I like how the checks on your tablecloth go at a diagonal on your table and how you set your centerpiece at a bit of a zig zag, it is so attractive from above. I think I would tell all my guest they have to stand on one f your cute rustic chairs to see the top of the table from above!! Very pretty!!! I hope you have a wonderful autumn

  12. I love this, Chloe! You have such a knack for combining so many different elements to create a beautifully-themed table.

    I smiled when I saw your (ceramic?) acorns on the plates. When my children were young, we decided to gather acorns and leaves for our Thanksgiving table. It was fun decorating it together. But not long after, we noticed tiny little worms crawling along the table and upon closer inspection, found the tiny little holes they’d chewed in the acorns! We stopped using real acorns after that!

  13. Just when I think you out did yourself, you do another breath taking table setting! This has to be my favorite!

  14. This is so beautiful Chloe. I love the centerpiece, and how it and those gorgeous salad plates make the woodsey theme of the table. The chargers, the gray and brown colors – perfect! Love it all, really. Thanks for sharing!

  15. Chloe, you stole my heart with this table. Acorns are my favorite! I have a huge collection of preserved real ones.

    Your centerpiece is gorgeous too!

    Pinned!

  16. Chloe, my mom and I used to go on Fall nature walks to forage for natural items to use in our decor. Our favorite finds were always the abandoned bird’s nests. We’d even climb a bit to get one! Your table reminds me of those trips and the acorns, feathers, twigs, pinecones and berries that we’d bring home. Your table looks so rustic and charming! I adore those plates, and the acorn candle on top is such a sweet way for your guests to remember the occasion. I’ve been searching for wood cut chargers, too. The wood chargers from Michaels look realistic, and you can’t beat the price! I loved seeing the photo of Lily. She must be a wonderful walking companion. It’s always a pleasure to join you at the table. Pinned!

  17. I love your walk through the forest! I’m blessed with trees and shrubs that turn pretty colors in fall, but I go scrounging for pine cones this time of year. These types of natural elements always make special decor in fall and winter. Heck, spring and summer too! The salad plates are stunning and look spectacular on the gray plates. I liked your use of the gray (smoke?) colored glasses as well. A nice counterpoint to the clear goblets.

  18. Great tips Chloe! Those pheasant feathers sure came in handy and they really catch the eye. I’m a fan of using non-traditional table coverings and yours fit this setting perfectly. The colors in the stack play well together and thanks for the overhead photos.

  19. So pretty Chloe! You have such an eye for colour that your tables always wow me! Your table runner centrepiece is lovely and I love how you “preserved” the leaves until you were ready to use. How lucky were you to be in the right place at the right time when those branches came down! Thankfully we do have many forest and wooded areas that I forage from, because I don’t think I could live anywhere that have alligators lurking!! I had no idea that Fiskars owned Waterford! I love your tips on pulling the table together and you have proven that a gorgeous table can be had without breaking the bank!

  20. Chloe, I love your forest theme. It’s great that Lily helped you bring the branches home. Great tip about keeping the real branches fresh. Your mix of real and faux is wonderful. Love those wood handled utensils fr IKEA. I’ll look for those. Lovely table, as always.

  21. Your table is fabulous, but then they always are. You and I have similar tastes, because we have some of the same dinnerware. I have Juliska mugs, but I don’t have any plates, and I am totally in love with these. I also love the little acorns. What I was quite taken by is your dining set. I love the color of the table and chairs, and I love the style of the chairs. I have actually been shopping online for a new dining table. I certainly like this one.

  22. I love those Forest Walk plates, and your centerpiece echoes them so nicely! I was sorry to read today about your water woes, I hope all will be back to normal soon.

  23. Hi, Chloe! I live in Florida, and oak trees and holly trees are very abundant. I will cut branches like you did, and intersperse them with holly berries. I have also used Nandina berries, and if my crepe myrtles have finished blooming, then I use the pods from the ends of the branches. Our trees don’t turn colors in the fall, so if we want fall-colored articles, we have to buy them. Thank God for Dollar Tree!!! I use their things to supplement.

  24. Chole
    Thank you for sharing your wonderfully and very creative table landscape. I never thought to place the oak branches in water to preserve their color. Love love your plates and your crystal. Sorry to hear about the water damages. I live in
    London, Ontario Canada so we have been lucky not to have those terrible storms. Look forward to seeing your future posts. Thanks again sincerely Jill M Barry

    1. Thank you so much Jill! I had no idea that that putting those in water would work, but it really did, and I was so happy with that. I am glad to hear you have avoided the storms!

  25. Chloe, I am so sorry to hear about your water leak and I hope the repairs and restoration are quick.

    I want you to know that ALL of your tablescapes that you have shared are beautiful! The Forest Walk plates are one of my favorite plates that you have shown because they are so unique and definitely have that “autumn feeling.”

  26. Chloe your table scape is stunning, I really love your emails their are so many tips for different projects..I don’t live near a forest but their are many trees and the leaves are starting to turn colors..your tip for for preserving the branches with leaves is great..thank you for this email..

    1. Oh, Thank you Sarah. I don’t live near a forest either. I don’t have nearly the pretty fall colors that my daughter gets up in Maryland! I had no idea what to do, but the cold water really worked!

  27. Your table looks lovely. I really like the acorn candles. Did Lily give up her branch willingly? I must admit laughing in my mind as I saw your pictures. Fourteen years ago I had just discovered blogs and decided to fill my first dough bowl. Like you, I gathered things from the yard. Unlike you, I lovingly arranged the items and set the dough bowl on a little wrought iron table outside. Can you guess what happened? When I went outside the next morning, the squirrels had enjoyed my “centerpiece”.

    1. Thank you so much Patrica! Lily is never a fan of giving up her sticks. He likes to bring one home on every single walk. The rule is, she has to leave them outside! We have quite a collection by the front door! Oh, what a surprise that was! I am so sorry the squirrels got to your centerpiece! I have been looking for a dough bowl for sometime now and haven’t found one I am happy with yet! Maybe yet this year!

  28. As always, I love to see your creations. This is why I love autumn best. The cozy feeling, the colours and lots of natural things to work with.

  29. natural elements from outside………. magnolia leaves, fall leaves or even branches of fall leaves. love, love dried hydrangeas

  30. I absolutely love all of these ideas 🙂 Its made me want to go to my local park and start collecting and get cracking at the weekend!!

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