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7 Simple Ideas for Creating a Beautiful Autumn Harvest Tablescape

Get 7 easy ideas to create a beautiful autumn harvest tablescape for a dinner party, bridal shower, or any other fall celebration.

Can you believe it’s the end of summer?

Geez…it went so darn fast, didn’t it?

Well just because the summer is coming to an end that doesn’t mean we need to stop entertaining.

Do you love to entertain?

Yes!?!

Oh…good us too!

Since you love to entertain like Anne & I, you’ll love our monthly virtual supper club posts.

If this is the first time you’ve stopped by our blog you’re probably wondering what a virtual supper club actually is…

Well, every month for the past year and a half we get together with our friends Stacy, Rachel, Jen, and Michele and share our tablescapes and recipes on our blogs.

It’s so fun to see what everyone in our group comes up with each month. There’s so much talent and creativity with this bunch of bloggers.

And to add even more inspiration, we invite a different guest host to join us each month too!

We’re thrilled to welcome Shannon from My Little White Barn this month.

We’ve known Shannon for a while now…Anne met her in Waco at a retreat and I finally met Shannon last year in Atlanta at the Haven Conference.

She’s an absolute sweetheart & you’ll love her blog. Check out her Instagram & TikTok accounts because she shares lots of inspiration on her social channels too.

This month our virtual supper club is featuring Fall Garden tablescape ideas plus a delicious menu full of recipes with fresh fall flavor.

Get the links to our previous tablescapes for even more inspiration at the end of this post.

If you’re joining us from Shannon’s website or if you’re new to our blog…

Hey there & welcome!

We’re AnnMarie (tall with dark hair) and Anne (short with light hair), the two moms behind this blog.

We have a ton of fun working together as you can see from these pictures! LOL

When we aren’t being silly, we share simple and budget-friendly ideas for decoratingrecipesDIY projects, and tips for life with older teens (and beyond!).

You can read more about us and our families here.

And we would love to learn more about you! Be sure to say “hi” in the comments below and tell me where you’re visiting from.

But that’s enough about us…let’s talk more about this month’s theme… and my autumn harvest tablescape!

Posts on Simply2Moms may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read our full disclosure policy here.

7 Amazing Ideas to Create a Fabulous Fall Table

When styling a table I try to use items that I already have at home to keep my designs budget-friendly and easy for you to be able to recreate in your own home.

I get inspiration for tablescapes from scrolling through Pinterest and also browsing around stores like Hobby Lobby and Home Goods.

When I see something I love I try to figure out how I can create the look for less.

This month I found a gorgeous table on Pinterest that featured apples and a plaid tablecloth…it was perfect for early fall.

Since I didn’t have anything plaid in a fall color scheme at home I hit up Hobby Lobby in search of something.

While I was there I found some beautiful faux magnolia leaf stems and that’s when I had an idea of what I wanted to do for my table design.

Here are the seven ideas that I wanted to add to my fall table:

  • Apples
  • Pampas grass
  • Magnolia leaves
  • Plaid in fall colors
  • Wood to add more natural elements
  • Gold to bring a bit of shine
  • Woven for texture

How to Style a Fall Harvest Centerpiece

harvest basket filled with apples surrounded by magnolia clippings on table

Since apples were the inspiration for my fall tablescape it only made sense to add them right in the middle of the table.

I grabbed a harvest basket from my decorating closet and filled it with apples.

Then I placed a few apples out of the bucket along the centerpiece.

S2M Tip: Use a bowl turned upside down in the basket to take up space then fill around the bowl with newspaper. This will fill most of your basket and allow you to use fewer apples which will save you some money.

I used real apples but you could always use faux if you’d prefer.

Here is a set of realistic looking apples on Amazon for you to check out.

fall tablescape with pampas grass and natural fall elements

The basket of apples wasn’t quite big enough to create a beautiful centerpiece so I added several pampas grass plumes cut from my backyard.

We planted an ornamental pampas grass plant in our yard over 12 years ago and it’s a healthy, large shrub that produces fluffy plumes every year.

I’m fortunate that I can just go back there and cut a few stems to use in my fall home decor.

Did you know you can cut pampas grass and use it the same day without waiting for it to dry out?

fall centerpiece featuring pampas grasses in glass bottle vases

Remember I told you about those faux magnolia stems I saw at Hobby Lobby?

Well, that’s when another frugal idea hit me!

Not only do I have pampas grass to use when decorating but we also have a magnolia tree.

Why buy faux when I have the real thing in my yard?

Magnolia leaves are perfect for fall and winter decor because the backside of each leaf is brown.

Both Anne & I have magnolia trees and really like to add clippings to porch planters or mixed with faux greenery.

I clipped several branches from my tree and arranged them on a long wood tray tucking the stems around the green glass bottle vases holding the pampas grass and the bucket of apples.

What Do I Need to Set a Fall Table?

close up of woven placement with wood charger and plates with napkin on top

Whether you’re designing an entire room or just a table adding different textures is essential.

You want your space to have visual interest.

These woven placemats add great texture to each place setting on the table.

overhead shot of placesetting on fall table with plaid napkin

Placing a wood charger on the woven placemats adds another natural element.

Layering the woven, wood and then simple white dinnerware creates an interesting place setting.

Another idea to bring wood onto my table is with these three ring napkin rings.

close up of apple basket filled with apples on table

Although not part of the actual place setting the harvest basket is another wood element on the table.

I love the simplicity of this basket.

It brings back wonderful memories of apple picking with my kids every year when they were growing up.

overhead view of place setting with plaid napkin and gold flatware

I really like decorating with a bit of plaid during the fall and winter seasons.

Plaid pillows in rich colors always seem to make an appearance during the holidays around here.

And I wanted to style this autumn table with something plaid so I found these pretty cloth napkins and knew the colors would be perfect.

They bring a cozy but fun vibe to each place setting.

How to Bring Some Sparkle to an Autumn Harvest Tablescape

view of tablscape in dining room styled for autumn dinner party

Bringing metallic into the table design will always add a bit of sparkle.

In the fall adding pops of gold is the way to go since it’s a warm color.

The gold flatware I bought at Target last year coordinates beautifully with the neutral place settings and natural warm colors of the centerpiece.

Candles also add sparkle to any tablescape!

I used five gold candlesticks of varying heights along with seven small gold votive holders that look gorgeous scattered around the table.

S2M tip: Decorating in odd numbers adds visual interest and is more appealing to the eye.

dining table styled with fall elements including apples plaid napkins and magnolia leaves

Thanks for stopping by the blog, I hope you got some helpful ideas to decorate your home for fall without spending a ton of money by using things you have at home.

If you’ve missed any of our previous virtual supper club ideas just click here.

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collage of products to purchase to style fall harvest tablescape

More Fall Garden Party Tablescape Ideas from Our Friends

Next up on the tour is our friend Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse. Wait until you see her fall garden table set in a stunning field.

Be sure to click each of the blog names below the photos to get even more inspiration for your Fall Garden table.

If you’re a blogger and you’d like to join our virtual dinner club for a month leave us a comment below or contact us here.

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!

Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

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