Autumn was slow to arrive this year, and it’s really hard to get into this cosy mood I love so much when the temperatures are high and the foliage is still very greenish… I haven’t started making my autumn wreaths yet, but I really wanted to enjoy a beautiful seasonal table in a warm, rustic atmosphere. To do so, I opted for a colorful fall centerpiece as my main table decor. A very natural, colorful little creation, not complicated to make, and featuring lots of fruits, vegetables and other natural elements found by taking a stroll around the garden.
If you don’t have all those things on hand, you can easily replace them with other elements such as apples instead of pears, figs instead of grapes, oak or beech branches in shades of gold and orange instead of fake branches, etc.
I’ve also made a short video showing the successive steps for this tutorial, and you can find at the end of this article.
What you need
- thuja branches
- fake autumn branches
- different varieties of cucurbits
- pomegranates
- different varieties of pears
- pine cones
- chestnuts
- grapes
- rose hips
- colorful garden foliage
- small ferns in terracotta pots
- candles in autumnal shades
- candleholders and candles in bright autumn colors
STEP 1
Start by arranging the thuja branches in a « V » shape, so that the branches on the table extend outwards on either side. Make sure you don’t create too much volume in the center, as you’ll be placing or inserting many things there. One end will need to be covered by branches arranged in the opposite direction to hide the stems.
STEP 2
Arrange two candleholders with colorful candles in autumnal shades, then spread the thuja branches to place two large candles in dark and bright orange. To prevent the candles from staining the tablecloth, place them on small terracotta saucers.
You can then insert faux autumnal branches (oak, beech, rosehips…) among the thuja branches, in case you don’t have any real autumn foliage.
STEP 3
Now arrange the different varieties of cucurbits you can find at the market, at the garden center or at the farm. Choose very different colors and shapes for a fun and beautiful effect!
STEP 4
Use velvet mushrooms (also in different colors), which are one of the nicest symbols of the season, to add weight to the centerpiece. I’ve got a whole stock of them at home, and they’re just as useful in my autumn displays as they are for my Christmas decor!
I also add at this stage a few pomegranates, which have a superb red color and enhance the overall effect.
STEP 5
I planted some small ferns in terracotta pots last September, and used them here to provide a nice complementary texture as well as a nice contrast (thanks to this soft green). Since they’re as big as the velvet mushrooms, I try to arrange them in different places, so that the whole arrangement is more appealing.
STEP 6
To finish, add little bunches of grapes and real rose hips here and there, and complete with small velvet pumpkins.
You can now set the table with patterned plates and checkered napkins. If you have a wooden table, which looks very rustic, you’ll love the look without a tablecloth.
And if you’d like to see the result of this colorful autumnal table, you can check what it looks like here!
To see another fall centerpiece, click here.
