Budget Friendly Rustic Fall Tablescape

I love this time of year when we’re still enjoying everything summer has to offer, but the cooler evenings hint at the crispness of fall to come. I start planning fall activities and gatherings and the fall decor begins to make its way into the sparsely decorated summer rooms of our home. Usually, I save my decorating dollars for Christmas decor and the bigger items I’m saving for, so I typically find inventive ways to create fall decor on a budget. That’s exactly why I created this budget friendly rustic fall tablescape. In this post, I share with you how I created this tablescape and some tips for creating inexpensive tablescapes that look new and fresh each time.

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Colour Palette

Start your tablescape by choosing a colour palette of 4 to 6 colours or shades. A greater number of colours will give your tablescape more depth and interest, while a lesser number of colours will look more coordinated but may run the risk of lacking interest. I started my tablescape wanting to combine shades of amber with deep blue. Next, I added beige, cream, and charcoal grey to temper the stronger shades of amber and blue. I also added the golden-hued Bosc pears to further enliven the space.

Our table is a warm brown and I chose several amber coloured items to compliment the table. These include the amber bottles, the vintage-look basket, and the rattan chargers. I placed the amber bottles and basket at opposite ends of the table, adding the trio of blue candle bases between them. The largest amber bottle is actually a repurposed hand soap bottle!

When working with several colours it helps to calm the look by choosing a neutral table runner that works wells with all colours of the colour scheme. I choose a burlap and lace runner because it works so well with both amber and blue and burlap is one of my favourite fall fabrics.

Every Table Needs…

I tend to use a bit of a recipe when it comes to creating tablescapes that are interesting but also calming and serene. Here is my go-to list:

• Candles- in a grouping of 3 or 5, or occasionally with one large candle at either end for a symmetrical look
• Vases- with flowers, faux stems, or grasses
• Fresh flowers, leaves, plants, fruits or vegetables (like artichokes), in a wooden box, a vase, or jars
• A tablecloth or table runner to soften the look of the table
• Placemats or chargers to give the place settings a layered look (see my double-sided placemat tutorial here)
• Layered dishes, white is my favourite, or mix a solid colour with a pattern
• Beautiful cotton or linen napkins (see my napkin tutorial here)
• Water goblets and cutlery
• Optional: placecards, pillows on the chairs, bows or flowers on the chair backs, a gift for each guest

Table Linens And Fabrics

Table linens and fabrics add so much to a dining room. They add softness, colour, texture, and comfort. For my budget friendly rustic fall tablescape, I used a burlap and lace table runner. The burlap runner is a DIY project using 15″ wide burlap trimmed with 3″ cream lace on both sides. I also sell these in my Etsy shop. The napkins are a charcoal and cream cotton ticking stripe and are quite simple to make. My ticking stripe napkin tutorial can be found here. I also made two neutral-toned pillows using a Tonic Living fabric on one side and simple unbleached cotton on the other side. Pillows on the two end chairs add coziness and make the table more inviting.

Table linens are some of the easiest sewing projects because they are typically made of a single piece of fabric and only require straight stitching. They are a great way to save money on decorating, especially if you have leftover fabric from other projects.

Place Settings For The Budget Friendly Rustic Fall Tablescape

I own three sets of chargers which cover virtually every season. These amber-hued rattan chargers work well for fall because of their warm tones. I used white dishes here to calm the overall look of the tablescape which contains several colours. Charcoal and cream or amber and cream patterned dishes would also work beautifully with this tablescape provided I swapped out the striped napkins for solid ones. I added striped ticking napkins and a Bosc pear on top of each napkin for a finishing touch. If we’re having guests, I would tie a name card to the stem of each pear.

Glassware and Flatware

I used my clear crystal goblets for a touch of classic elegance. Glassware is often one of the last things I add to the table which makes it a fun step. If it’s the last element to be added then I think of all the possible colours that could work. Clear glass works with any table setting. But I also think that cloudy milk glass would work here, or even amber glass if I wanted to play up the rich, warm fall tones.

I didn’t add flatware to this tablescape as I’m excited to have just ordered some new gold-toned flatware. Since I think gold flatware would be much prettier with this tablescape I decided to forgo the flatware until our gold set arrives. It was my one splurge of the season, but I did manage to find them at more than 50% off.

Flowers And Stems

I created this little floral arrangement in a basket using only flowers and leaves from my shade garden. I used hydrangeas, barberry stems, painted fern leaves, and leaves from the Mukdenia rossii plant. You can use any neutral flowers and leaves you have access to or you can purchase a small bunch of flowers. A rustic basket like this can be found at a thrift store or antique market.

To the other side of the table, I added these lovely faux pampas grass stems from Urban Barn to add some height and texture. This was a new purchase this year since I reused or made just about everything else on the table. I only needed one branch for the tablescape, which I cut into several pieces to fit the vases.

Buffet Table Decor

I added my “thankful” chalkboard sign as the focal point on the buffet. Check out the tutorial for how to make this simple chalkboard. For a touch of sparkle, I added a tray of copper cups. On either side, I added some vintage candlesticks purchased at vintage shop Luve Want. Some white dishes and a white vase with a fall floral arrangement complete the buffet table decor.

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my budget friendly rustic fall tablescape. I will leave you with a few of my favourite budget friendly tablescape ideas:

• Reuse dishes and decor in new ways
• Gather and group candles from other areas of your home
• Pick up dishes, candlesticks, flatware, glassware, and baskets from thrift stores, garage sales and vintage markets
• Scan your garden for flowers and stems or use houseplants
• Sew your own table runners and napkins, or opt for a no-sew option
• Purchase dishes, flatware, and glassware on clearance
• Use fruits or vegetables as part of your table decor
• Add unusual items you wouldn’t normally consider as table decor, e.g., books, architectural details, lamps and lanterns, postcards, various collections, jars and glass bottles