Tablescaping made easy

It happens nearly every time. I end up putting as much thought into designing my dining table as I do the meal I'm serving on it.

Over the years, between hand-me-downs, impulsive purchases, and treasures found at flea markets and estate sales, I've accumulated interesting objets d'art, napkins (paper and cloth), tablecloths, runners, and dinnerware. I’m often inspired by searching online, beginning with a Google search to see where it leads me.  

This is exactly why I'm writing about tablescaping in October. By the time December arrives, I don't want to be scrambling — I want the table already imagined, and half the decorations already pulled from the closet.

Last Christmas Eve, I set my table in ruby red, faux pine, twinkling lights, and crystal glasses catching the candlelight. Christmas was always a double celebration in our family, because it was also my late mother's birthday. So beneath all that greenery and glow, the table was set in her memory, too … her favorite dinner, her favorite people, her favorite cake.

It looked like a lot. But it was really just a simple pattern, repeated.

That's the delicious secret, and it's what this issue is about: simplicity that looks like effort. Start now, take it easy on yourself, and let the table do some of the remembering for you.

Happy tablescaping!
Pam Miller
Editor-in-Chief

Setting the scene

Your table is your canvas, awaiting your imagination and creativity. Whether you're entertaining in the dining room, on a patio, or in a sunroom, at a table tucked away in the forest, or surrounded by a garden, following a few basics can lead to an impressive I-can’t-believe-I-really-did-that display. So here goes:

Limit your color palette to two or three colors. Ask yourself what mood you want, then draw inspiration from what’s in bloom, the season, or the food you’re serving.

Go shopping in your home for decorative items — the tarnished silver candlesticks from your grandmother, runners or tablecloths you haven’t used in years, vases, or objets d’art like the partridge in the photo above. Try meandering through yard sales and thrift shops for interesting finds. 

One of my best purchases was a pre-lit, bendable birch tree, as shown in the photo above. Amazon also carries a wide variety of these trees. During the holidays, I decorate it with large silver bells and baby’s breath, adding an occasional ornament if I’m in the mood. In spring and summer, the tree transforms with flowers kept fresh in floral tubes that I wire to the branches, and faux moss tucked in. Simple, reusable decorations are key.

Decide on the backdrop. I generally use a runner, which I find the easiest to work with. Experiment with inexpensive elements: an old silk scarf, a roll of faux moss, pine garlands, even an old burlap seed bag cut to size. You can also use a cloth tablecloth or runner as your canvas.

Think in layers

Once you’ve decided on the backdrop, it’s time to build your tablescape. 

I’m a pushover for paper charger plates, which come in a wide variety of patterns, materials, and colors. Pair these with fabric, woven, or metallic placemats at each seat. Then stack your dinnerware, starting with the dinner plate, a salad plate, or an accent bowl.

Flatware and glassware: Set forks to the left of the plates and knives and spoons to the right, or use the napkins as pockets for your utensils. Place water and wine glasses above the knives. 

Napkins: Fold cloth napkins creatively or slip them into rings, placing them either on top of the plate or tucked neatly beneath. I have a small collection of napkin rings, but I’ve also used gossamer ribbons, scrunchies (really!), or faux botanicals on wire. 

Now, onto folding the napkins. There’s absolutely every right about a neatly, simply creased paper or cloth napkin as a backdrop for your forks, but it’s fun to try more involved folds. This video from Pottery Barn provides step-by-step instructions, but there are many other sources online, like the Napkin Folding Guide.

Centerpieces

There are plenty of ideas online, but I found Southern Living had some great suggestions. Try to keep floral arrangements low (under 8 inches) or cluster bud vases so guests can easily talk across the table. You can also consider using:

Fresh herb “runners”: Arrange small terracotta pots or bowls filled with planted herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano along the center of the table. Mingle various-sized candles.

Moss-filled trays: Place moistened green moss in small potted spring blooms such as tulips, hyacinths, or primrose, and arrange on a wooden tray. Conceal the soil completely with moistened green moss.

Wild Greens and Taper Candles: Pair structural, textural greenery like wild grasses and thistles with tall, twisted candlesticks for a surreal, modern woodland feel.

Recently, I had fresh herbs leftover from the recipes I was using for a dinner party. Rather than let these go to waste, these became a part of my centerpiece — a collection of small glass bud vases with them arranged with a few black-eyed Susans from my yard. I added a black-and-white checkered runner and bright yellow cloth napkins, and I have to say I was pleased with the result. The best part was that the fragrance complemented the meal.

If you’re serving Tex-Mex, another stunning centerpiece is a simple arrangement of small cacti in terracotta pots or white pumpkins at each place setting, with a larger display of cacti in the center of your table, and a smattering of tea lights and pillar candles in bright colors. Here are some ideas

Borrow from your own collection. A row of mismatched silver trophy cups or loving cups, each holding a single stem or a scatter of clementines. A cluster of geode slices or polished agate, propped upright, catching candlelight like stained glass. A stack of art books with one striking object — a small bronze, a piece of coral, an hourglass — resting on top. If you already collect something, this is its moment to hold court at the center of the table rather than live on a shelf.

The no-vessel scatter. Skip the container entirely and style straight onto the linen: a loose trail of gilded chestnuts and bay leaves, whole pomegranates and figs set directly on the runner, a scattering of small pinecones dusted with a little gold leaf. It photographs as effortless because it is — nothing to arrange, nothing to wilt.

One curiosity, well-lit. A small antique globe. A chess set frozen mid-game. A glass cloche over a single unusual object — a bird's nest, a piece of coral, an old pocket watch. Give it room to be the only thing on the table and let its strangeness do the work flowers usually do.

None of this needs to be expensive, and it doesn't need to happen all at once. Pull one thing from your closet or your curio cabinet this week. Decide on your colors next week. By the time your guests sit down in December, the table will look like it's been considered for months — because it has.

Candles

Great lighting isn't about adding more candles; it's about varying them. Pair tall tapers in a few interesting holders with shorter votives or pillars in glass cylinders. The glass does double duty: it blocks drafts and catches wax drips. Incorporate lighting and details: scatter candles for warmth, and add unexpected touches such as fresh fruit, herbs, or small figurines. 

You may want to consider LED candles, and you'll likely know that many options are available online, including pillar and taper candles, tiny tea lights, flickering flames, and submersibles. LED string lights can add drama, too. I find them enchanting, whether woven into greens or floral arrangements or coiled inside Mason jars.

If using wax or soy candles, keep the flames above or below eye level — and avoid scented candles. Let the aroma from your kitchen steal the show.

Instead of the traditional candle on either side of a centerpiece or the table, try using them to make an eye-catching statement. I was mesmerized by the ideas on this website, as well as inspiration for stunning fall and Thanksgiving settings from Hallstrom Home.

Designing your best life, for others

Entertaining lets us feel a special kind of joy that has nothing to do with getting everything right. It's watching someone’s eyes light up when they see your table. It’s catching the candlelight reflected on a guest's face. It’s the deep satisfaction of knowing that your table is really just a love letter written in objects, proof that you thought about someone before they walked through the door.