How to Create a Simple Rustic Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Let’s create a simple rustic Thanksgiving centerpiece this fall. The neutral style can be used for the entire autumn season.

Do you like easy decorating ideas?

Yes??

Oh, good me too!

I’m so excited to share a super easy but really cool table centerpiece idea with you today!

But first, let me take you back a bit.

I know decorating with vintage finds is so very popular.

And I can totally appreciate vintage in other people’s homes.

I can ooh and ahh with the best of them over a gorgeous space decorated with thrift store finds.

We have several blogging friends who use antiques in the most absolutely beautiful ways.

Anne has so many vintage items in her home that I really admire.

But when it comes to my own house…well, I have a little hesitation with old stuff…I mean antiques.

If I’m being completely honest…it’s the germ factor that does it for me.

If it’s not a new piece, then who knows where it could have been?

Have you seen how dirty some of those vintage goodies are in antique stores?

One whiff when you walk in and you know…other people’s germs!

However, over the past couple of years, I’ve found quite a few vintage pieces that I fell in love with and had to have.

And now…guess who’s changed her tune and enjoys hunting for things to add to my collection.

Yup…this lady!

I’m a work in progress and still trying to figure out how to incorporate antiques into my current home décor.

Of course, everything gets a good scrubbing when it comes home with me.

The rustic Thanksgiving centerpiece I styled to share with you today features some of my favorite recent vintage finds!

Some of the items used in this post include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you. You can read our full affiliate disclosure policy here.

What to Include in a Rustic Centerpiece?

If you’re styling a rustic tablescape or centerpiece, think about things that may come from nature.

Maybe items forged right in your backyard like pinecones, acorns, or even twigs and branches.

I used just a few simple neutral pieces to create a beautiful rustic vintage Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Supply List:

• Wood tray base
• Dried gourds
• Vintage amber bottles
• Linen-washed skinny table runners
• Wheat stems
• Vintage brick mold

What Should You Use for Table Centerpiece Base

If you’ve seen some of my other tablescapes you may have noticed this long wood tray.

Instead of using a table runner in a traditional fashion running down the center of the table, I often use this narrow wood tray.

I scored this beauty at Home Goods years ago for only $12.99!

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen one again but I’ll keep searching for you.

And be sure that you keep an eye out for one at your local Home Goods Store.

If you want to recreate this look sooner, I found a couple of options for you.

This one from Wayfair is a good option and another long wood tray from Amazon is a possibility for you.

Although the options I found for you are more expensive, I’m willing to bet they aren’t warped like mine is.

I guess you get what you pay for huh?!

Where to Add Texture in a Centerpiece Design

Another staple in building my tablescapes are these amazing skinny linen table runners.

I mean seriously, these things are so versatile and neutral that they can be used with any design style or color scheme.

The fabric adds texture to the table and also softens the hard lines of the wood tray.

Our friend Diane handmakes these beautiful washed table runners and you can purchase them from her website by clicking here.

Tell her we sent you over if you do buy some from her!

How to Use Vintage Finds for Thanksgiving Tablescape

Do you have any idea what this wooden box is?

No?

Don’t feel bad…I had no idea either. lol

A few weeks ago, I was helping Anne style her Friendsgiving tablescape and she pulled them out to use.

It’s a vintage brick mold!

How cool is that!?

I loved it so much that I needed one too!

So of course, I bought one for myself the next time we went shopping.

Here is a link if you need an antique brick mold for your home too.

Last year we meet some new friends at an antique store about an hour away from us.

We had a blast meeting other content creators and sharing ideas with each other.

They helped Anne & me discover a new love for vintage amber bottles.

We all walked around searching for brown glass bottles of all different shapes and sizes.

Anne and I each bought a few that day and even shared a blog post about the different ways to style our fall homes with amber bottles.

Our hunt has continued every time we are shopping in an antique store while we look for more unique amber glass bottles.

Be sure to scroll to the end of this post to see all the amber glass bottle options I found for you in the “shop the post” photo.

What Natural Elements Should be Included on Dining Table Centerpiece

Yet another inspiration idea I got from Anne for my dining room centerpiece is dried gourds.

She has a few large gourds that she displays on her built-in shelves during the fall season that I just adore.

I found these awesome gourds at our local antique mall for just a few dollars each.

If you bought new gourds this fall maybe try drying them out over the next year to use next fall.

I think these have been stained and then sealed with a coat of polyurethane, which makes my germaphobe personality happy.

How fun is the different shapes, sizes, and textures of my new to me gourds!?

I’ve found several options for you at the end of this post so be sure to check them out!

How to Style a Table with Vintage Items

The first thing I do when styling a tablescape is to start building a centerpiece with a base item.

For this fall table, I laid my long narrow wood tray in the middle of the table as the starting point.

You can use any tray in any shape as the bottom piece of your centerpiece.

A large wooden dough bowl would be an awesome choice if you don’t have a tray you’d like to use.

After putting the tray on the table, I added two skinny-washed linen table runners which softens the hard edges of the wood tray.

I thread one end of the first linen fabric runner through the each of metal handles on the tray.

Then, I scrunched the material while weaving the fabric down the tray and off the center of it draping the runner on the table.

I did the same thing for the second runner starting at the opposite side of the long tray.

Next, I placed my vintage brick mold in the center of the tray.

Don’t you just love the natural chippy wood tones in this piece?!

Next, I added the dried gourds and vintage amber bottles along the middle of the table on top of the linen runner.

Some of the gourds needed a little help to stand up straight, so I just leaned them against one another.

How fun is the top of this guy?

Look at that awesome curve!

And this gourd on the brick mold even has some hair sprouting from his head…so cool!

The finishing touch was adding a few stems of dried wheat right in the middle of my centerpiece.

Not too little..not too much…just enough!

The colors are all really neutral and blend beautifully, but what I’m really loving is the combination of the different textures in this centerpiece.

Tell me what you think of this rustic vintage design in the comments below.

How to Create a Thanksgiving Tablescape

When it’s time to entertain just add some neutral place settings and a few votive candles for some ambiance.

And you’re ready for a dinner party!

Get the details of how I styled the entire tablescape for Thanksgiving by clicking this link to read my other blog post.

This rustic centerpiece is not only perfect for Thanksgiving but can be displayed throughout the entire fall season.

Click on any image to shop for items from this post

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

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