Once Upon A Tablescape

September 06, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I have been ready to post some Halloween tablescapes for a few weeks but I think that it is just a bit too early so I was scrambling to figure out some themes to do in the meantime and I remembered this children’s books tablecloth that I found on sale on Spoonflower earlier this year. I love the colorful children’s book spine graphics. It all came together fairly quickly.

I just love the variety of children’s titles and colorful graphics on this tablecloth.

Originally I was going to use my white book shaped plates on this tablescape but the white color was just too overpowering on this tablecloth so I pivoted and decided to use black square plates instead. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to find a salad plate with a children’s book cover design on it so I had Hubby make small rectangular paper scans of some of the book covers and laminate them for me to set on a small black appetizer plate. I found the black plastic appetizer plates on Amazon this week.

This is a Fiesta square dinner plate in the color called Green Meadow. I love Fiesta dinner plates. They come in lots of great colors. According to online information Fiesta is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia since its introduction in 1936 with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985. Fiesta is noted for its Art Deco styling and its range of often bold, solid colors. In the years since Fiesta was first produced, there have been a total of 47 colors in the line. Today, The Fiesta Tableware Company introduces one new color each year. Over the years some colors are retired as new ones are added. Most of my dinner plates are round but I do have a few that are square. I bought these dinner plates online but I can’t remember where.

I needed a basic square black charger and I found these on Amazon a few years ago. They are melamine and they are made by American Atelier. I think you can find them in other stores too. If you are a tablescaper, it’s a good idea to have basic plates in neutral colors that you can use over and over again. To read about what you should consider when you are buying charger plates please click here.

This photo is a nice closeup of the tablecloth design. This flatware set is called Madeline Green and I bought it at World Market several years ago. If you google frosted flatware and add the color you are looking for you might find similar sets. I use this green flatware often in the Spring and the Fall. You can see it here on a Fall Pumpkin tablescape. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I have some black napkins but a few years ago I wanted some new ones that hadn’t faded out. I found these cotton ones at Crate and Barrel. I used the same idea for napkin rings that I used on the salad plates, attaching laminated scans of children’s book covers to a black napkin ring that I have. Each place setting book cover was a different book matching one of the books in the centerpiece. When I was in 5th grade our teacher read The Secret Garden to us, a bit every day, and I was in love with that book. It remains a special memory for me.

I added the same scans to a bronze place card holder, not sure where I bought these place card holders.

The acrylic sage green goblet on the left came from our Pier 1 store before it closed several years ago. I have black goblets that are shorter than this black goblet and black goblets that are much taller than this goblet but I wanted goblets this height that were all black. I was delighted to find these black plastic ones on Amazon a few years ago. The advertisement said that they are disposable but I plan to keep them for a while until I can find some black glass goblets that are the same height. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection here (including the colors that I use the most often).

I knew that I wanted to use this set of book ends with children reading books on this tablescape. I bought them several years ago at a gift shop in town that is now closed. They are usually on a shelf with books in the family room. I started my librarian career as a children’s librarian before I moved into management and they say once a children’s librarian always a children’s librarian. I still buy children’s books to enjoy once in a while. I knew that I wanted children’s chapter books that had colorful book covers for this centerpiece and I found this Illustrated Junior Library series of books on Ebay that were published by Grosset and Dunlap. Grosset & Dunlap published these books from the 1940's until the 2000's. The original series included 45 titles and four different series (or editions) were published through the years. The book cover designs are wonderful and they are great matches for the book spines on the tablecloth.

These book ends are some of my favorite possessions because to me they represent my career as a librarian.

To see over 300+ different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group (4,400+ members) for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. (290+ members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers last year in the Los Angeles area and we are planning to have another one in November in Riverside.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

An Owl-together Fall Tablescape

August 31, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This is the third Owl tablescape that I have done. I did one last year and one four years ago. You can see those Owl tablescapes as well as 300+ other tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes . Finding these cute owl salad plates caused me to create a new design. I am not sure where the brown polyester tablecloth came from but it may have been Amazon.

I’m not sure where I found these ceramic owl salad plates but the owl has such a cute expression and I love the leaves he is wearing. The mark on the back says Potter’s Studio.

This brown dinner plate was called Double Ridge Cocoa Brown by Rachael Ray. They were made between 2012 and 2014 and they have been discontinued. I wanted a simple brown dinner plate and I finally found these several years ago, I can’t remember where.

This is a Mikasa Color Spectrum Charger in the color Alpine White. I have this charger in several different colors now and I bought them all on Ebay as I saw them over a few years. The Internet says that this color pattern was only made between 1992 and 1993. I am not sure that is true but in any case they are no longer being manufactured. I had been trying to get six of this white color and pattern charger for years with no success until a few years ago when suddenly I found six at different places online after occasional google searches. You need to have patience when you are looking for things for tablescaping, that’s for sure!

This cream colored flatware set was made by D & D Inox in Italy. I bought the set at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale many years ago. I love this flatware pattern, I have it in a few other colors as well. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These Vera print napkins probably came from HomeGoods several years ago. When I first saw them they reminded me of Fall, they are full of great fall colors. I love a fall print! I found these Tag ceramic owl napkin rings or place card holders on Ebay a couple of years ago. I love that they can be used for either purpose. They came in green, brown, orangish tan and a burgundy red and I have them in all those colors. You can see the slit for a place card in this photo. If you didn’t want to set a separate place card holder you could just put the card in the napkin ring.

To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I think these owl place card holders are so cute. They originally came from Pottery Barn but I found them on Ebay. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

These amber glass goblets came from Pier 1 on sale right before our store closed many years ago. I love how tall they are. When I started tablescaping, I bought goblets in sets of twelve but I soon realized that I was going to run out of space and I really wanted lots of different colors so I changed to buying them in sets of six or eight. I do have some basic colors in sets of twelve and I like that because I can use two of the same goblet on a tablescape if I want to. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

Hubby found this owl ceramic figure at an estate sale several years ago. He loves to go to estate sales and he often finds tablescaping goodies for me. I was delighted to see it, I knew I had found a great owl centerpiece. It is marked Andrea by Sadek. I love the expression in the eyes and all the detail. This is now the third time that I have used this owl as a centerpiece.

This owl salt and pepper set came from Amazon online a few years ago.

This owl salt and pepper set came from Cracker Barrel online a few years ago.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

Pumpkins on a Fall Tablescape

August 23, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I bought this tablecloth on sale at Spoonflower online a few years ago to use on a different tablescape but when it arrived it was not the exact colors that I needed. That happens sometimes and I usually send the tablecloth back but I really liked this one so I decided to create a Fall tablescape around it. The tablecloth design is quite unique but it lends itself to a Fall theme I think. You can see several other Fall themed tablescapes of mine as well as 300+ other tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

This salad pumpkin plate came from Sur la Table several years ago. I had been looking for a good pumpkin plate for some time and it was the perfect color. It is one of my favorites and I often use it sometime during the Fall season.

This turquoise melamine dinner plate came from Pier 1 several years ago. It is a brighter blue than this photo shows.

I found these orange distressed pumpkin chargers at Pier 1 years ago before our store closed. I really like this shade of orange for Fall tablescapes. I used it on a Thanksgiving tablescape a few years ago, you can see that table setting here.

This place mat and several others like it in other colors came from Pier 1 several years ago. It is a prettier brighter blue than this photo shows. I don’t know why these blue tones fight with my camera phone.

This persimmon orange flatware set is called Ginkgo International LePrix. The pattern was first created in the late 1970’s in a small village in southern France. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it. I use this pattern several times a year on tablescapes. The simple design using colored handles with distinct silver rivets is perfect with the casual design of this tablescape. I also now have this flatware set in navy blue, moss green, mimosa yellow, milano red, and black and I use them all often. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I think these cotton napkins came from Pier 1 several years ago, I love the intense bright turquoise color. I found the metal orange pumpkin napkin rings on Amazon. I have had them for a while. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I love these little orange pumpkin place card holders. I have had them for a few years now. They came from Crate and Barrel. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

The acrylic blue green goblet on the left came from Pier 1 a few years ago before our store closed. I think I bought the orange glass goblets at Ross or T.J. Maxx. They were some of the first goblets I bought many years ago and I use them more often than I thought I would. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

This pumpkin really makes a statement! I bought it last year but I can’t remember where. It usually sits on the fireplace from Fall until I put Christmas decorations up.

I added pumpkin salt and pepper sets to the table. These came from Pier 1 several years ago. I think the other set came from Amazon.

An unusual color combination for a Fall tablescape but I like it!

To see over 300+ different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group (4,200+ members) for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. (200+ members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers last year in the Los Angeles area and we are planning to have another one in November in Riverside.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

This blog post was featured at, Grandma’s House DIY, https://www.grandmashousediy.com/ and Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ Please visit these blogs to read about their interesting lives and great recipes!

A Mum-umental Fall Tablescape

August 16, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I know that Fall isn’t here yet but my son who is in marketing tells me that if I want to share tablescaping ideas with others so that they can use them I should post my tablescapes about a month before the season or holiday starts. I often am not organized enough to do that but right now I am a bit ahead, hence this Fall tablescape while temperatures are still warm in many places. I think I found the fall mums tablecloth at HomeGoods a few years ago. You can see more Fall tablescapes of mine as well as 300+ other tablescapes that I have done on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

Between 2010 and 2018 when our Pier 1 store was still open, it was one of my favorite stores to visit for tablescaping items. They sold a set of plates during that time that was called the Spice Route collection and the colors were named after spices. The dinner and salad plate collections included the colors clove (a dark sage green), and paprika (a darker red). I decided to use these colors and plates on this tablescape. I have plates from the Spice Route collection in other colors as well and if you read my blog you will see them often on my Fall tablescapes.

I like the beaded design around the rim on these Spice Route paprika plates.

I bought these iced glass sage green chargers at Pier 1 several years ago after I saw them on another blog. I love using them in the spring and fall. You can see this charger on a Sunflower tablescape that I did a few years ago here. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

This is one of my go-to flatware color patterns for Fall tablescapes. This frosted green flatware set is called Madeline Green and I bought it at World Market many years ago. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I can’t remember where these yellow gold cotton napkins came from or the ceramic yellow gold napkins rings. The napkin rings may have come from Ebay. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

From time to time I browse Ebay looking for interesting napkin rings and place card holders and I found these vintage amber glass place card holders on there a few years ago. They have a label that says Make in Czechoslovakia so they were made before 1992 when Czechoslovakia became two separate countries: the Czech Republic (also called Czechia) and Slovakia.

To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

When I first saw the dark amber glass goblet on the left at HomeGoods a few years ago I knew that I wanted it because it is a great color to use on Fall tablescapes and I didn’t have anything like that color in my goblet collection. I love the height too. I think the sage green glass goblet on the right came from HomeGoods as well. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

I wanted the centerpiece on this table to include flowers that were similar in color and shape to the flowers on the tablecloth so I went to Michael’s and found exactly what I wanted. Several years ago, for a while, I collected pottery vases in different matte colors on Ebay, just what I liked not looking at the maker or anything else. This vintage sage green matte pottery flower vase is marked with what looks like Hull, USA, F35. The green color is a perfect match for the green color in the tablecloth. At first I thought that the vase would be too short for this tablescape but the size and height of the flowers made it work. (I did cut the stems of the flowers shorter because they were really tall.)

The base mark on this vase is from an historic American ceramics company, the A.E. Hull Pottery Company in Crooksville, Ohio. Hull deliberately paired their plain block name hull mark with this distinct script "usa" mark specifically for their utility and commercial florist products, most likely dating from the 1960’s to the 1970’s. The F35 is the style and mold identification sequence. The letter "F" designates Hull's expansive Imperial (Florist) Line which primarily catered to the commercial floral industry and home decorators. The number "35" specifies the structural mold shape, which corresponds to a footed cylinder vase. A copyright symbol (c in a circle) was added to some productions.

I saw these small glass vases with faux flowers at Michael’s too and I grabbed a couple of them to turn the flowers into napkin rings on this tablescape but as often happens I changed the table design and I used different napkin rings and then just added these vases to the table on each side of the centerpiece.

I am definitely ready for Fall weather!

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!