The Five Best Table Setting Tips for Fall
Fall tables are my favorite. Today I am sharing five of my best farmhouse table setting tips. Ready for some great tips?
Fall colors, burnt oranges, golden yellows, and deep ruby reds together with the season’s natural elements, like leaves, pine cones, and acorns, create a perfect backdrop for a gorgeous farmhouse table setting and cozy dinners with family and friends.
Setting a table can be intimidating and I often get messages from all of you asking for table setting tips. Since fall is here (well almost …) and I am stying a lot of fall tables, I thought it might be fun to share five of my favorite farmhouse table setting tips with you.
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Five Farmhouse Table Setting Tips
It’s not hard to set a table. Especially when you are like me and don’t follow a lot of the rules. Don’t laugh but my dining room table is often set for dinner. My husband always asks, “Is that for your blog, or are we having another party?”. Unfortunately for him, it’s often set for an upcoming blog post!
Here are my five farmhouse table styling tips.
Mix it Up
When I first started styling tables I often mixed glassware, silver, plates, chargers, and placemats. I didn’t do it because I was being clever. Rather, I did it because I didn’t own enough matching pieces! Over the years I have collected a lot (and I mean it is a lot!) of china, silver, and glassware. Now when I set a table I always mix it up and don’t even look to see if I have enough matching pieces. That’s because I don’t want it to match.
Mixing it up is not only ok, but it also looks fantastic too.
Mixing plates, placemats, glassware, and silverware make for a fun table. It is unexpected and different. I love it.
If you look at this table pictured above, nothing matches! Well, the napkins and glasses match. But nothing else! The chargers, placemats, silver, and china are all different.
Set a Fun Table
I love adding a “fun element” to my tables. One year I used these amazing wood cutouts for Thanksgiving.
We had lots of teenagers at our table and this was the end result! But the fun they enjoyed during dinner was well worth it. (I have lots of glue guns!)
Don’t Just Use the Dining Room
One of my favorite farmhouse table setting tips is to get out of the dining room! It’s easy to get into a rut and always entertain in the dining room. So why not move your table to another room? Or even outside? I am always trying to push myself and think of new places to host a dinner. I have served dinner on the beach (in the sand) many times, all over our backyard, and at the park. The more creative you are the more fun your guests will have! Fall is such a great time to host outdoors.
In case you are curious, I found these metal trays at a flea market. I also love cloth napkins that have words on them!
Fit Everyone at the Table
Nothing is more frustrating at a dinner party faster than splitting up your group into more than one table. We hosted fifty at my son’s rehearsal dinner and I wanted everyone at the same table!
Of course, I realize that sometimes it is not possible to sit everyone at the same table. But I always try as hard as I can. A few years ago we had twenty-two at our home for Thanksgiving and I was determined to fit them all at one table in our dining room.
Somehow it worked. And it was so much fun! If I end up hosting everyone again this year I will have to figure out how to sit everyone together. I might set the table in the Carriage House but I don’t know. I will figure it out and share it with you for sure.
Reuse Last Year’s Fall Decor
Don’t tell anyone but I recycle fall decor every year! Two years ago I added copper foil on top of the green pumpkins I had used the year before. Then I added copper and pink foil and fabric to pumpkins. Don’t be intimidated and think you need to buy all new decor. Shop your own home and get out some paint or craft supplies!
All of the florals on this table were purchased years ago!
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I think you will like my Live show titled Fall Table Decor Ideas in the Dining Room.
I hope these tips have helped you and will make setting your fall table easier.
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I love that you mix up placemats, dishes etc. I never thought to try that out, but will be this year!!
Love your tips and colours!
My question is what colours or palette do you recommend for small bathrooms with no windows?
Leslie, your tables are absolutely GORGEOUS! You have such talent. Thank you for sharing it with us all! I’m inspired! And thank you from the bottom of my heart for including our book and giveaway in your post. What a treat for us, thanks again for your support!
xo,
Melissa
I don’t have unlimited storage room so reusing is mandatory. Paint has been one of my favorite accessory items. The tables you featured are so inspiring to me!
Your tables are lovely. Your guests must feel so special.
Beautiful tablescapes! Love the idea of keeping everyone at the same table!
I am hosting Christmas this year and I think I have it all figured out! At least I hope so! I do have a hard time with artwork. I love when others have nature paintings in their home, but when I look at them at the stores, I just can’t see it. Any tips would be appreciated!
Your barn paintings are so reminiscent of growing up in Ohio and Indiana. Beautiful. Usinf those wooden words at dinner table are such a charming idea!
Simply inspiring!
Lovely!
I don’t know how you survived last year’s Thanksgiving, but gee that is too many people for this year!
I down sized a few years ago and no longer have a formal dining room, which I greatly miss. I only wish your blog had been available when I did have a place to create beautiful table settings following your lead. I must say I have attempted to apply some of the information I have learned from following to other rooms in my small condo.
What is the best way to unify an eclectic decorating style. I don’t focus in on a certain type of furniture or accessory but I’ve always thought that if I absolutely love something it will fit in. For the most part it has been true for me, but from a designers outlook is there a good way to tie different style items together?
Love your suggestions. I enjoy the process of setting a table and thinking of new ideas using what i have, I have several of Melissa Michaels books and will order this one.
This may be my 1st visit to your blog. It is lovely an I love your upcycle ideas for fall.
wonderful wonderful blog, thank you
I enjoy creating table settings, and these have provided several ideas to use.
I love the ideas to mix it up and to set everyone at the same table!