A Pilgrim Thanksgiving Tablescape

November 02, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I created a Pilgrim Thanksgiving tablescape four years ago but when I saw this Mayflower Descendant tablecloth at Spoonflower online recently I decide to create another one. A few of the elements are the same but most are different this year. Both my husband and I have Pilgrim ancestors who came over on the Mayflower. He is a direct descendent of Governor William Bradford who came over on the Mayflower eight generations ago. The kids used to have fun telling their classmates about it when they were young and studying Thanksgiving in school. Actually if you have ancestors who lived in New England in the 1600’s and 1700’s you probably have some Pilgrim ancestors too. There are over 10 million Mayflower descendants in the United States. You can see that other Pilgrim tablescape that I did as well as 330+ other tablescapes of mine on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

I bought these Pilgrim salad plates one or two at a time as I found them online on Ebay and Mercari over several months. They are actually collector plates (we would never eat on them) that were made by Bing and Grondahl in 1987. Because of our Pilgrim ancestors I decided that we needed them!

A few years ago I was looking for a basic cream colored dinner plate and I found this one. It is called Mason Stoneware and it came from Pottery Barn. I think this color was called Wheat. It came in other colors as well. It is a great size (10 3/4”) for a dinner plate and large enough that it could be used as a charger plate with smaller sized dinner plates.

I think that I found these brown faux wood charger plates at Michael’s last year.

This amber flatware was made by D & D Inox in Italy. I bought it online at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale many years ago. I liked this pattern and it was a really good sale so I have the same pattern in cream, wine red, and dark aqua. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I found this set of resin Thanksgiving napkin rings that includes a male Pilgrim, a female Pilgrim and a Native American on Ebay. I don’t know who made the set. The medium brown polyester napkins came from Amazon some years ago. I like cotton napkins better than polyester napkins but I can’t always find the color shade and color tone that I need in cotton. This brown matches the brown on the ship in the tablecloth. To read about the what, where and how of napkin rings please click here.

If you read my blog you know that I love to find salt and pepper sets to add to my themed tablescapes. Over the years I have found several sets of Pilgrim salt and pepper sets and I decided to use them as place card holders on this tablescape. This Pilgrim design is from Blue Sky in 2010 and I bought the set recently at their store online. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

This Pilgrim design came from Mud Pie and I probably bought them at Home Goods.

This Pilgrim salt and pepper set has a label that says Grasslands Road. I think I bought the set at a gift shop while we were traveling.

This Hallmark Pilgrim set was originally released in 1981. I bought the set on Ebay.

This Pilgrim design is from Blue Sky in 2017 and I bought the set recently at their store online.

I probably bought this Pilgrim set on Ebay. It is not marked.

The bright blue goblet on the left came from HomeGoods a few years ago. When I saw the blue on the salad plates and the tablecloth I knew this goblet would be a perfect match and it was. The amber glass goblet on the right also came from HomeGoods. 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 have looked at this Jim Shore Mayflower design for many years. It was copyrighted in 2005 and it was called “Seeking Hope, Bounty and Joy” Pilgrim Vessel Figurine. I decided that it was time to buy it to use on this tablescape. I found it on Ebay. I placed my last Pilgrim salt and pepper set in front of it. The set was made by Lefton in 1984 and I found it on Ebay. I set the ship on a brown wood stand that I had to make it a bit taller.

I set two Jim Shore Pilgrim figures on each side of the Mayflower. This figure is the Jim Shore Heartwood Creek “Abundant Blessings” Pilgrim Man and it was originally introduced by Enesco in 2009. I bought it on Ebay.

This figure is the Jim Shore Heartwood Creek “Give Thanks for the Bounty” female Pilgrim and it was also released in 2009. I bought it on Ebay also.

To see over 330 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 (300+ members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 .

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

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

Black Widows on a Halloween Tablescape

October 25, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This is a Halloween tablescape that I did in 2015 and then I repeated it in 2019 and 2022 but I am posting it again just for fun. The white polyester tablecloth probably came from Amazon or TableclothsFactory online several years ago. The black, red, and white spider quilted table topper came from Etsy several years ago. I have a constant battle with black widow spiders on our back patio but they hate peppermint so I mix a bit of peppermint oil in water and spray it around and they often move on. I know this tablescape won’t be to everyone’s liking but I think it’s important to change things up a bit once in a while and I want to celebrate the creative handmade work that was done on all the black widow spider items on this table. To see 30 other Halloween themed tablescapes that I have created as well as 330+ other tablescapes of mine please visit my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

Since it has been several years since I did this tablescape the first time I can’t remember what caused me to create a table setting with black widow spiders. I think I may have seen these hand painted black widow spider salad plates on Etsy and the table design grew from there. I love the clean crisp design, the black lines really stand out against the white.

The photo distorts the shape of these square black glass appetizer or tidbit plates a bit. We found them somewhere in Virginia while we were visiting our son and his family several years ago. They were made by Luminarc France. They were really inexpensive so I bought some white ones as well.

Using our everyday red dinner plates on this tablescape. They made by Fiesta and the color was called Scarlet. When we remodeled the kitchen several years ago I picked white with red accents as the color scheme and we bought this new set of dishes. I still love the bright red color. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

I bought these black and white chargers at Crate and Barrel many years ago. They were some of the first chargers that I bought. I just really liked the lace like design on them. The design reminds me of spider webs so I added them to this tablescape.

This flatware is made by D & D Inox in Italy and the pattern is called Roma. I bought them at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale several years ago. I really like the marbleized design on the handles and the quilted stainless design. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These white cotton napkins came from Pier 1 several years ago. The black metal spider web napkin rings came from Amazon several years ago. To read about the what, where and how of napkin rings please click here.

These metal black widow spider place card holders came from Pottery Barn several years ago. I bought the same design painted like red ants but Hubby painted those black for me and I used them on a Picnic themed tablescape a few years ago. You can see that tablescape here. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

I think these red glass goblets came from Crate and Barrel a few years ago. I had been looking for some simple red goblets and grabbed these when I saw them online. Now I wish I had ordered more of them. I found the hand painted black widow spider goblets on Etsy several years ago. They were made by the same person who created the black widow spider salad plates. It is a clever design, there is a spider web on the back as well as the spider on the front. 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 can’t remember where I bought the tall glass cloche, I have had it for several years. I bought all the spiders that I attached to it on Etsy several years ago. Some of them are pins. I bought the red pillar candle on Amazon a few years ago. I have had the small white plastic stand for several years and I don’t remember where it came from, probably HomeGoods.

I have had these black spider candle holders for many years, can’t remember where they came from online. I always have a stash of tea light candles on hand for when I need them for tablescapes.

I really don’t like spiders at all, and I especially dislike black widow spiders. We have them in our garden and I wish they would disappear but I do like this tablescape. I haven’t seen one like it before.

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group (300 members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 . We had a gathering in January 2025 and we are having another one in November.

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

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

A Tree-mendous Halloween Tablescape

October 18, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I decided that I needed to do at least one Jack-o’-Lantern themed tablescape for Halloween this year. You can see about 30 other Halloween themed tablescapes of mine as well as 330+ other tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes This Ambesonne Rustic Plank tablecloth came from Amazon several years ago and I have never used it before now.

Once I decided on the centerpiece for this table I knew that I wanted a jack-o’-lantern salad plate that looked a bit rustic and I found these Inspirado Stonelight ceramic Jack-o’-Lantern plates on Ebay. I must admit that they are a bit unusual looking.

These pumpkin colored dinner plates came from Pier 1 right before our local store closed several years ago. The pattern was called Radius Pumpkin. I really like the lip design. I like this plate color for fall tablescapes too.

Hubby was out and about and saw these faux wood resin chargers at Michael’s. He sent me a photo and asked if I wanted them because they were really cheap. I had been thinking about some kind of wood charger for this tablescape and these were perfect.

This amber flatware was made by D & D Inox in Italy. I bought the set online at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale several years ago. I have this flatware in a few other colors too, I really like the design. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

My sister-in-law gave me these brown cotton napkins, they belonged to my mother-in-law. I am so glad to have them and use them. I love true traditional primary colors that aren’t some weird modern variation. She gave me some green napkins too. I really need to inventory all my napkins, I forget what I have! The jack-o’-lantern napkin rings came from Ebay several years ago. I like jack-o’-lanterns with friendly facial expressions.

These battery operated lanterns were used as place card holders at my daughter’s wedding last summer. She and her wife were married outside in the mountains and it was a beautiful wedding. I saved several of them because I knew I could use them on my tablescapes. They were just the rustic look that I wanted for this tablescape.

These orange glass goblets on the left were some of the first goblets I bought many years ago, I think I bought them at Ross or T.J. Maxx. I remember thinking that I would probably not use them very much but I have more than I thought I would. I think I probably found these coffee colored glass goblets on the right at HomeGoods. Over the years I have purchased several goblet sets there because they are really inexpensive. I have found some unusual colors there too like this one. 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 photo looks cozy and warm.

There is a nursery, Roger’s Gardens, down in Orange County that has gift shops as well as plants. Every Halloween and Christmas they have large displays of holiday decorations for sale and we always go down to take a look. I saw this brown Halloween tree but I didn’t put it in my cart because I thought that it was too much money and all my Halloween items are black not brown. As we were driving out of the parking lot I told Hubby about it and he said buy it. So we turned around and went back. I have to admit I love it. It is battery operated and it changes colors and makes a loud noise!

I wanted something for each side of the tree and I wanted it to be rustic looking and brown. I found these plastic woodgrain brown skull/jack-o’-lantern candle holders on Etsy and they were just the rustic vibe that I was looking for. I wanted to put orange candles in them and I found some battery operated orange candles on Amazon.

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

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

Owl Eyes on this Halloween Tablescape

October 11, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This Halloween tablecloth was designed by Johanna Parker and the design is called Vintage Halloween Patchwork. I bought it at Spoonflower online a few years ago because I loved all the Halloween symbols and the bright black, orange, and creme colors on it. Black owls are one of the designs on the tablecloth so I decided to use it for this Halloween tablescape. You can see the other thirty Halloween tablescapes that I have created as well as 330+ other themed tablescapes of mine on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

One of the first things that I do when I have decided on a theme for a tablescape is to start looking for a salad plate that will help illustrate the theme of the table. I first check to see if I already have a plate that would work. If I don’t I look online. I couldn’t find a salad plate with black owls on it that I liked. When that happens I start looking for something to set on the salad plate to help illustrate the theme. I found these embroidered owl ornaments on Etsy but they were white. Hubby spray-painted them black for me. In the past I have set up a Halloween tree and I knew that I could use them on that tree too so I bought them. I used a small size Fiesta plate in the color called Linen instead of a larger salad plate on this tablescape. I bought these plates online at Everything Kitchens.

The dinner plate on this tablescape is another Fiesta plate in the color called Poppy. I bought these plates at Fiesta Factory Direct online a few years ago. I really like the strong bright orange color.

This black glass charger plate is really reflective so it is difficult to take a good photo of it. The charger is a Starburst pattern and it is called Charge It. It was made by Jay and I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes. A black charger with a simple design is a good starter charger plate if you are thinking about starting a tablescaping hobby.

I wanted another set of black flatware that was all black and different from my Ginkgo International LePrix set to use on a Halloween tablescape a few years ago and I found this set on sale at Macy’s online. It was made by Lenox and the pattern was called Portola. I love the simple design and shiny black color. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I think these orange cotton napkins probably came from Pier 1 or HomeGoods several years ago. I love the bright orange color, it’s a perfect color for a Halloween tablescape. I found the owl napkin rings on Ebay but they were silver. Hubby spray-painted them black for me.

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

I found these wood owl place card holders on Amazon and Hubby painted them black for me. I set the owls on a dark bronze metal place card holder that I already had. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

I like to use these black and clear goblets together because they complement each other. The goblet on the left with the black bowl and clear stem was made by Classic Touch and it is called V-Shaped Water Glass, Black With Clear Stem. I bought them at Houzz online sveral years ago. The clear fluted goblet with the black stem on the right is called Octime and the manufacturer was Luminarc Arcoroc. They were made in the 1980’s. I bought them on Ebay. 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.

Sometimes when I am browsing online looking for things to use on my tablescapes I find something that strikes a chord with me. That was the case with this black flocked owl that I found at Cotton & Crete online. It makes a real statement and I love the eyes. I knew that it would be the perfect centerpiece for this table and I think it will be out at Halloween time for many years to come.

I found these polyresin black owl taper candleholders at Cotton & Crete online as well. They are a great match for the black owl centerpiece. The orange candles came from Amazon.

Whooo’s ready for Halloween!

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

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