An Acorn Tablescape

October 30, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I have had these acorn bowls for several years but I have never used them on a tablescape and I decided that it was time to try to figure out how to use them. I started looking for acorn related items for the table to go with them and I was surprised at how many different acorn items were out there this time of year.

I bought these acorn bowls at Pier 1 several years ago. I had seen them used on table settings before but I really didn’t like any of the table designs. The acorn bowls just didn’t seem to match the plate stacks well enough and they seemed to be added to the tables as an afterthought on those plate settings just so they could be used. If I am putting together a themed tablescape, I really want there to be a unified design with all elements on the table relating well to each other.

I bought these Bordallo Pinheiro turkey salad plates and the dinner plates too on Ebay a few years ago and I used them on a Thanksgiving tablescape then, you can see it here. When I got them out I was delighted to see that they matched the acorn bowls especially since they have acorns on them as well as turkeys. I have several different Bordallo Pinheiro plate sets with different designs and I really like the raised designs on all of them.

The dinner plates match the salad plates.

I bought the brown glass spiral chargers online on Amazon several years ago. They were called Chargeit and were made by Jay Brown. I have had them for several years and I often use them on my Fall tablescapes.

This gold plated flatware was a gift from Hubby one Christmas. I had bought a cheap set of gold flatware several years ago. It was poor quality and the gold started flaking off. You get what you pay for! We found this set on major sale at Macys. It is made by Wallace and is called Mikasa Duchess Gold. It is heavy and I love the elegant design on the handles.

I found the acorn napkins on Etsy a few years ago. I was amazed at how well the gold color matched the acorn bowls and the plates. I bought the napkin rings on Poshmark online a few years ago. I don’t know who made them.

I found the acorn place card holders on Ebay a few years ago. The design is really similar to the acorn bowls.

I can’t remember where the plastic amber goblet on the left came from, I have had them for a while. The brown glass goblet on the right was made by Lenox between 1966 and 1985. It was called Antique Brown. I bought them on Ebay several years ago.

I was looking online for any kind of large acorn to use as a centerpiece with no luck. Then I found this acorn wicker basket storage container at Pottery Barn Kids a few years ago. The bottom was white but I knew Hubby could paint it for me to match the plates. I may set it on the fireplace hearth during Fall in the future. I had some acorns that I had bought before on Etsy and I scattered them around for additional interest. The beige tablecloth came from Amazon a few years ago. I bought the log round charger that the acorn is sitting on several years ago. I think they came from Pier 1. The Gather sign in the background came from Grandin Road online several years ago. It was rustic gold but Hubby spray painted it brown for me. I am not a fan of rustic gold.

When I have a solid color tablecloth I am always looking for something besides the centerpiece to break up the expanse of solid color across the table. I found these squirrels on Amazon a few years ago and I knew they would be perfect for this tablescape.

These squirrels remind me of our neighborhood squirrel. We live in a suburban area with little open land but we have had a squirrel pass through our yard off and on for several years and I love to see him/her even though someone somewhere is feeding him/her peanuts and he/she persists in digging into my potted plants and burying them there! Sometimes when I look out my kitchen window one is just sitting on the wall looking at me.

This tablescape is perfect for Thanksgiving, a Fall or Winter soup, stew or chili dinner.

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

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

This blog post was featured at Coastal Bohemian, https://coastalbohemian.blogspot.com/ , Modern on Monticello, https://modernonmonticello.com/ and Country Road 407 https://www.countyroad407.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!

A Best Witches Halloween Tablescape

October 22, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This is the 31st Halloween Tablescape that I have created but of those 31 I have only done two Witch Tablescapes. I never seem to be able to find cute witch items that I could use on a tablescape. I can’t remember where I found this black polyester tablecloth, I have had it for several years. Some of my tablescapes come together quickly but this one was a bit of a struggle. The different colors on the salad plates caused my color choices to go in several different directions before I could settle on exactly what I wanted to do.

Hubby found these Witch salad plates at an estate sale last year and brought them home for me. I probably wouldn’t have bought them myself but I decided to try to use them on a tablescape anyway. They sat for a year while I tried to figure out what else would work with them on a tablescape. They are only labeled Grasslands Road.

I really wanted to do a witch tablescape with black and purple but these plates were just not going to work with purple at all, maybe next year!

After trying several different colors I settled on a black dinner plate with these salad plates. This black dinner plate was made by Waechtersbach and it was called Fun Factory. This black dinner plate was one of the first plates that I bought when I started tablescaping and I use it often. Dinner plates in basic colors should be some of your first purchases if you want to start tablescaping. It probably came from HomeGoods many years ago. You can read about what you need to think about when you are buying dinner plates here.

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 and Halloween tablescapes.

These orange placemats were just the right shade of orange to use with the pumpkin charger. They probably came from Pier 1 before our store closed several years ago.

This orange flatware is labeled Mepra Inox and the pattern is called Fantasia. We bought it on sale at Houzz online earlier this year but several stores sell it. I also have this flatware in blue and yellow. It comes in several other colors too. It is difficult to find flatware sets in different colors so I have my eye on a few other colors as well when it goes on sale again. 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. The witch napkin rings came from Ebay earlier this year. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I found these witchy hand place card holders on Ebay a few months ago and I knew when I saw them that they would be perfect on this Witch tablescape. I love the fingernail polish! To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

If you read my blog you have seen these two goblets on my last three Halloween Tablescapes. They are my go-to goblets for Halloween Tablescapes. 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. I was delighted to find these black plastic ones on Amazon a few years ago. It said that they are disposable but I am keeping them for a while until I can find some black glass ones that are the same height. The orange goblets on the right 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 sure do this time of year. Just fyi, in the spring and summer dollar stores often sell plastic goblets like this design in bright colors. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors that I use the most often) for your tablescaping collection here.

I have been looking at this witch figure at Grandin Road online for several years but she was expensive. She is one of a collection of witches that they sell called Bewitching Figures and they are limited editions. This witch figure is called Nora. When she went on sale for about 50% off I quickly bought her. I knew she would be the perfect centerpiece for this table.

The details on her face are wonderful.

I have a weakness for themed salt and pepper sets so I had to add this set that I found on Amazon last month to the table setting.

When I saw these small metal black witches on wooden stands on Amazon last month, I decided to buy them and add them to this Witch tablescape too. They are made by Burbell and they come in a set of six.

Halloween tablescape number 31, done!

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

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

A Pawsome Halloween Tablescape

October 16, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I love Johanna Parker’s holiday designs and I have many of her holiday items. They aren’t sold in stores here in Torrance that I can find so I have bought most of them on the secondary market online over the years. I had been gathering her black cat items to use on a tablescape when I found this Johanna Parker Halloween tablecloth on sale at Spoonflower online. I didn’t know that she designed fabric as well until I saw this tablecloth. Well, of course, I had to have it!

I love the expression on this small Johanna Parker black cat plate. It is labeled Design by Johanna Parker, Transpac, Every Day Is A Holiday. I bought them one or a few at a time as I found them on Ebay and Mercari.

I love these bright orange Halloween dinner plates. (The photo doesn’t actually show the true orange color. It is a bit deeper orange than what is showing.) I can’t remember where I bought these plates but they are labeled Royal Norfolk, Greenbrier International, Inc..

This black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and was made by Jay. 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. You can buy a charger at a dollar store and spray paint it black for an inexpensive charger.

This black placemat probably came from Pier 1 many years ago before our store closed. I have this placemat in several different colors.

I wanted another set of black flatware that was all black and different from my Ginkgo International LePrix black set to use on my Halloween tablescapes and I found this set a few years ago on sale at Macy’s online. It was made by Lenox and the pattern is 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.

These black cotton napkins came from Crate and Barrel a few years ago. They are a really nice study cotton fabric in a true black color. So often black is actually a dark charcoal or dark gray but these are the perfect dark black color. These Luxshiny black cat and pumpkin napkin rings came from Amazon last month.

I love the green eyes! To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

This Johanna Parker small black cat figure came from Ebay and Mercari one or a few at a time as I found them. I set it on a small black metal box place card holder that I have had for a long time. I can’t remember where they came from. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I think I bought these orange glass goblets at Ross or T.J. Maxx several years ago. They were some of the first goblets I bought when I started tablescaping. I love using them this time of year. I often use black and orange goblets on my Halloween tablescapes but this black goblet is a newer addition to my goblet collection. I bought them a few years ago. I have black goblets that are shorter than this 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. The advertisement said that they are disposable but I plan to keep them for a while until I can find some black glass ones that are the same height. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

I bought this Johanna Parker Black Cat Cookie Jar and the Johanna Parker black cat salt and pepper sets on Ebay over the past year as I saw them. The cookie jar is sitting on a black glass small cake stand that I bought at HomeGoods a few years ago.

This Johanna Parker black cat bowl with a lid and a spoon came from Ebay. I often just add a salt and pepper set on the side of the centerpiece on my tablescapes but when I saw these small bowls I decided to add them as well because they are so cute!

This Johanna Parker black cat bowl with a lid and a spoon came from Ebay also. You can see the side of the small black metal box place card holder in this photo.

Halloween tablescapes are some of my favorites. I look forward to creating them every year. I develop Halloween themes way in advance and I look for things for months!

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click 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 Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ Please visit this blog for lots of great recipes!

A Spiderific Halloween Tablescape

October 09, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

When I look at this completed tablescape I must admit that I shudder a tiny bit. Spiders are not my friends, to say the least. I did two black spider tablescapes before, one three years ago, and one five years ago, but each one is different. I also did a couple of black widow spider themed tablescapes during the past several years. I found this black spider tablecloth while looking through Spoonflower online when they were having a sale several weeks ago. When I saw this tablecloth I knew it matched my black metal spiders that I have been wanting to use again so another spider tablescape was born.

I found these black and white spiderweb and spider salad plates at Michaels online last month. They are labeled Celebrate it.

This black dinner plate was made by Waechtersbach and it was called Fun Factory. This black dinner plate was one of the first plates that I bought when I started tablescaping and I use it often. Dinner plates in basic colors should be some of your first purchases if you want to start tablescaping. It probably came from HomeGoods many years ago.

This orange glass charger was made by Bormioli Rocco and I think the pattern was called Inca. It is good quality and a heavy glass. I have bought it in a few other colors as well over the years. I found them on Amazon several years ago. I have learned to add a placemat with the same color under these chargers if possible because whatever they are sitting on shows through the glass.

The orange placemat provides a great backdrop for the orange glass. They probably came from Pier 1 before our store closed a few years ago.

These bright orange cotton napkins probably came from HomeGoods or Pier 1 several years ago. The black metal spiderweb napkin rings came from Amazon a few years ago. I really like their simple yet bold design. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I have had these black spiderweb place card holders for several years, I bought them at Williams Sonoma. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

This combination of goblets often appears on my Halloween tablescapes. The orange 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 sure do this time of year. Just fyi, in the spring and summer dollar stores often sell plastic goblets like this design in bright colors. 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. I was delighted to find these black plastic ones on Amazon a few years ago. It said that they are disposable but I am keeping them for a while until I can find some black glass ones that are the same height. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors that I use the most often) for your tablescaping collection here.

These three black metal spiders came from Olive and Cocoa online several years ago. As soon as I saw them, I knew that I could use them on many Halloween table settings and I have. I really like their bold and simple design.