An Acorn Tablescape for Thanksgiving

October 28, 2025 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This is one of my favorite Fall or Thanksgiving tablescapes. (You can see 44 other Fall and Thanksgiving tablescapes on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/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.

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 it is called Mikasa Duchess Gold. It is heavy and I love the elegant design on the handles. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

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. To read about the what, where and how of napkin rings please click here.

I found the acorn place card holders on Ebay a few years ago. The design is really similar to the acorn bowls. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

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. 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 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. 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 270 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 had a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area and hope to schedule another one sometime.

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

A Witchy Book of Spells Tablescape for Halloween

October 21, 2025 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I posted this tablescape six years ago but I am posting it again for new readers. This Halloween tablescape was created after I stumbled upon the centerpiece at HomeGoods several years ago. (To see my 30 other different Halloween tablescapes, please click here and scroll down to Halloween.) Hubby and I were at HomeGoods so I could look for something else and I suddenly found this wonderful witch drinking coffee and reading while sitting on a mushroom library. I just adore the Enchanted Forest Library sign and the Book Return slot! Hubby took one look at my face and he knew the die was cast, she was coming home with us. After all, a retired librarian seldom finds such a treasure! Besides, I have had these book shaped plates for years. It was an omen!

The tablecloth for this table setting went through three different variations before I settled on this one. I first used the black and white buffalo check tablecloth I used on another tablescape. It just didn’t seem right to me so I changed it out for a white tablecloth with a black design on the sides. I didn’t like the way that one looked either. Then I went on Amazon a few years ago and searched Halloween tablecloths and I found this one. I couldn’t believe how it fit the theme perfectly! How I love Amazon’s overnight delivery! The tablecloth was made by Amscan and it is called Spooks and Spells.

I moved the place card holders to the center of the top plates because the white space needed to be broken up in some way.

I bought this book shaped plate in three different sizes several years ago online from Webstaurantstore.com. They still have them for sale but unfortunately you have to buy a case of the plates because the web site is a restaurant supply store. I bought them anyway because I felt that a librarian who does tablescaping should have these plates!

The second plate in the stack is a square dinner plate made by Fiesta and the color is Tangerine. I bought them online from Replacements.com several years ago. Most of my plates are round and I bought these square ones to go with the book plates.

I needed a basic square black charger and found these on Amazon a few years ago. They are melamine and they were made by American Atelier. It’s really good to have basic plates in neutral colors that you can use over and over if you are a tablescaper.

The black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

I bought these black goblets on Ebay and they were one of the first sets that I bought several years ago. They are by Lenox and they are called Midnight Mood black glass water goblets and they were made between 1974 and 1982. They are 7 1/4 inches tall. When I started buying goblets I didn’t pay attention to the height but now I like to buy goblets that are at least about 8 inches tall because my table is large and I think that they show better. I bought the amber goblets at Pier 1 before our store closed. I love how tall they are, they will replace some that I bought several years ago that are much shorter.

I love these small black houses that are place card holders. I bought them on Ebay several years ago. At that time they had them at Target, and Hearth and Hand with Magnolia.

I was looking for a black witch napkin ring a couple of years ago and I saw a witch design that I liked on Etsy (JandyArt14) and asked if they could make metal napkin rings with the same design. I really love the way they turned out and I have bought other designs from them as well. Because they are metal, they will last forever. I found the napkins on Etsy as well. I am really not a fan of gray usually but it works here because the napkin has orange, black, and beige as well that match the plates and tablecloth.

Hubby mumbles from time to time about all my tablescaping stuff but he really gets into looking for things that I need when I ask. He found some glass bottles and labels and put these bottles together for me.

I actually found this old bottle with a couple others at an estate sale. Hubby added the label.

I wanted a couple more accent pieces for this table so I found this piece on Amazon. The witch hat and books are a great match for the theme of the table.

I found this Juvale Black Obsidian Crystal Ball on Amazon. It is amazing that the tablecloth has crystal balls as well, (one partly covered here by the crystal ball stand).

This witch is labeled Heather Goldmine, Blue Sky, https://blueskyclayworks.com/ , copyright 2018 Blue Sky. The witch piece is sitting on a small black pottery upside down cauldron that I bought at Crate and Barrel a few years ago. I felt like she needed more height. I love Blue Sky designs and HomeGoods often has some for sale.

I get such a kick out of seeing the book return slot, it takes me back to my librarian days!

I just love her expression too!

Parts of this tablescape hold special meaning for me because my life’s work has been all about libraries, books, and research.

To see over 270 different tablescapes that I have created (including 30 Halloween Tablescapes) please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my 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 had a gathering for tablescapers in January 2025 in the Los Angeles area and hope to have another one.

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

A Potion Pantry Halloween Tablescape

October 14, 2025 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This tablescape has been a long time coming. I have had these plates for a few years but I just didn’t get everything else together until this year. The white cotton tablecloth probably came from HomeGoods several years ago. You can see 30 other Halloween Tablescapes that I have done here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes Just scroll down to Halloween.

These plates are made in England by Royal Wessex and the pattern is called Halloween Potions. The back says “Adapted by original copper engravings”. I bought them one or a few at a time as I saw them on Ebay over the past few years. There are three different designs in the series including Apothecary, Eyeballs, and Pickled Skunk. I really love the complex designs and all the details on these plates.

This design is called Eyeballs.

This design is called Apothecary.

What is interesting about these plates is that when you stack the same design on top of each other the design carries almost exactly from one plate to the other. You can see that clearly (even though it is a bit blurry) on the top of this salad plate as the design carries over to the dinner plate and the images line up together. The angle of the photo makes the bottom designs not match exactly. I only bought the Apothecary dinner plates so the other salad plates don’t match like this.

This is a Mikasa Color Spectrum Charger in the color Alpine White. I have this charger in several different colors and I bought them all on Ebay as I saw them over a few years. The Internet says that this 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 have been trying to get six of this white color and pattern for years with no success until this last year 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!

I have had these black placemats for several years, they probably came from our Pier 1 store before it closed.

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.

I bought these black and white print napkins online several years ago but I can’t remember where, it might have been Crate and Barrel. They were made by Waverly. I like the way the design plays with the black and white plate designs. The black marble napkin rings came from Pier 1 right before they closed their stores and then reopened online. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I found these small plastic cauldrons on Amazon a few years ago. I knew I could use them as Halloween place card holders. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I have created seven Halloween Tablescapes this year and the black plastic goblet on the left here has been on six of them. (If you are a tablescaper you definitely need a simple black goblet in your collection.) 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 goblet on the right 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 a couple of years ago. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection here.

I have been gathering these potion bottles for a few years now. Some came from HomeGoods and Grandin Road online. Hubby found some glass bottles and labels online and put some of them together for me and I found an old bottle with a couple of others at an estate sale and Hubby added labels to them for me also. He bought corks for a few of them because they didn’t have a lid. He built some black wood blocks for me to use on my tablescapes to vary the height of things too.

I found this Blue Sky Clayworks salt and pepper set at HomeGoods and couldn’t resist adding it to this tablescape.

I added this salt and pepper set from Amazon as well because it was a great match for this black and white tablescape.

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 Fiesta Friday, https://fiestafriday.net/ , Life and Linda, https://www.lifeandlinda.com/ and The Cottage Market, https://thecottagemarket.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!

A Caw-some Halloween Tablescape

October 07, 2025 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I have been thinking about a Crows themed Halloween tablescape for a couple of years now and I finally got it done this year. I create a new tablescape every week and post it on my blog. I have done over 25 different Halloween themed tablescapes and I keep looking for new themes. You can see all of my Halloween tablescapes and the other 250+ tablescapes that I have done here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes When I saw this black tree branches on white tablecloth on Amazon several years ago I knew that it would be a good choice for Halloween tablescapes. The tablecloth was made by Fmfunctex. Sometimes I like to create tablescapes that are just two colors, I have done a few black and white ones. When I do this sometimes someone feels the need to make a comment saying that the tablescape would be better with a third color. If I had wanted to add another color, I would have. The stark black and white on this tablescape reminds me of Halloween and I like it for that reason.

This crow stoneware appetizer plate is marked Threshold on the back. I can’t remember where I bought them a few years ago.

This black porcelain dinner plate was made by 10 Strawberry Street. I love having basic color dinner plates that I can use over and over again when I need them. The pattern was called Black Classic Porcelain. I bought them at HomeGoods several years ago. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

This black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and it was made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are a heavy glass and they 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 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 the 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 black color. The metal black crow napkin rings came from Park Designs online a few months ago. To read about the what, where and how of napkin rings please click here.

These Festanlee tiny resin crows came from Amazon a few weeks ago. I set them on a Oleg Cassini clear glass place card holder. I bought the glass place card holders at HomeGoods several years ago when I first started tablescaping. They are heavy and solid and I really like the simple design. I often use them as a stand for place card holder items. If you read my blog you have seen them several times being used as a stand for something that I am using as a place card holder. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

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 a few years ago. The clear fluted goblet with the black stem on the right is called Octime and and the manufacturer was Luminarc Arcoroc. They were made in the 1980’s. I bought them on Ebay also. I like taller goblets, they add a stronger element to my table settings. 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.

These two large black crows came from Grandin Road online a few years ago. I can’t remember where I bought the smaller black bird. I set them all on a wood stand that probably came from Michael’s a few years ago. It was natural wood but Hubby painted it white for me.

To see over 270 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group (4,100+ 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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 . We had a gathering in January 2025 and we plan to have others as well.

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!

This blog post was featured at Penny’s Passion, https://pennyspassion.blogspot.com/ , Grandma’s House DIY, https://www.grandmashousediy.com/ My Thrift Store Addiction, https://mythriftstoreaddiction.blogspot.com/ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ and The Answer is Chocolate, http://www.answerischoco.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!