Set Your Table With Flair--A Rustic Thanksgiving Tablescape

Hello, friends...it is with a somber heart that I write this post.  The tragedies that have taken place in Paris have left me questioning our world's sense of humanity.  It is truly terrible.  May God bless and keep those in pain and those who have lost; the families and/or people who now must sort out their lives....also our veterans currently serving, and our fallen.  Atrocities like these make me pensive and truly grateful for my family, because we are never promised tomorrow.  Just so sad.  I digress.


The Thanksgiving holiday is coming very shortly, so today I am sharing a tablescape with simple, rustic elements (and of course a little bit of pretty) fit for the occasion.  I do hope you enjoy the post. 

Isn't this beautiful?  Jarrahdale pumpkins or cucurbita maxima are very rare in the United States. I of course was immediately attracted to the soft, muted color of this wonderful gourd, and it is the inspiration for my table this year.

 


To pay an homage to this pretty pumpkin, I created my own with a simple burlap modpodge.  Here is my process:

I began with a large foam pumpkin I found on clearance at Michael's Crafts.

With a paintbrush, I painted the pumpkin with Mod Podge.

 

I encased the pumpkin in a light blue burlap, and then used the brush to paint the Mod Podge all over the outside of the pumpkin, being especially sure to paint down into the creases.

Here, the pumpkin is almost completely dry.

It made the perfect foundation for my rustic centerpiece of soft, muted color.

Finally, I added a faux leaf right on top.

 

It is the perfect soft grey-blue; it mixes sublimely with the rustic, woody elements such as cotton, pinecones, and leaves,

the subtle grey-blue flowers,

as well as the soft green foliage and grey pussy willows.

To create the centerpiece,  I began with my simple candelabra and placed the pumpkin right in the center.

 

Two large pillar candles will provide a bit a warmth for the table, which is a great juxtaposition to the coolness of the color palette.

The setting began with rustic chargers and fleur-de-lis plates of soft blue.

Gorgeous tom turkey plates with just the right amount of rustic brown, beautiful blue, and grey will make for perfect dessert service.  I'd like to thank bloggy pal Susan at Between Naps and the Porch for putting the bug in her readers' ears about this pretty pattern from Williams-Sonoma.  To see this and more inspiration, you may visit her post here.

 

Tiny pumpkins of jute threaded with hemp thread

hold the crocheted napkins.  I love these little rope-like pumpkins, a placecard will fit easily between the tiny twists.

This Thanksgiving, I am going for no-fuss, no muss, so I kept things simple...adding gold flatware and crystal to complete the setting.

Completed tablescape.

Place setting.

Centerpiece.

A few more shots.

From my collection:

 

White whipstitch table linen, generic, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods

Rustic chargers, Pottery Barn

Fleur-de-lis plates, Tai Pan Trading

Turkey plates, Williams-Sonoma Plymouth pattern

Crocheted napkins, Neiman Marcus/Horchow

Gold flatware, Wallace Silversmiths Grand Duchess, Neiman Marcus/Horchow

Crystal goblets, Godinger Dublin Collection, Neiman Marcus/Horchow

Jute pumpkins, Kirkland's

Faux floral elements, Michael's Crafts

I hope everyone enjoys a holiday with great food, family, friends.  The floods, tragedies abroad, and here in the states have been humbling and made me truly thankful this year.  

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

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Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

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Set Your Table With Flair--An Elegant Vampy Día De Los Muertos Halloween

Hola, mis amigas y amigos preciosos!  I hope all is well with you and yours!

It's almost Halloween yet again....time for fun with kiddos, spooks, and specters!  When I initially began planning my 2015 Halloween tablescape a few months ago, I wanted to set an elegant table with a vampire theme.  However, sometimes, like the seasons, things change. 

If you have been following along here with me, you know that recently, we lost a very dear friend of ours.  He was one of the kindest people I have ever met, truly salt-of-the-earth. My husband and I were fortunate to have known him.

Have you ever heard of Día de los Muertos?  It is a lovely Mexican tradition that commences at or near Halloween time and lasts until November 2. During this time, family and friends celebrate and pray to their dearly departed and wish them well in the afterlife.  What a beautiful thought! 

In honor of our recently departed friend who happened to be Mexican-American, this year for Halloween, I wanted to combine elements of a Día de los Muertos celebration along with some vampire-esque nuances I had previously planned.  I hope you enjoy the post!

For this tablescape, I began on bright white linen that has a subtle shimmer. Dark and vibrant red chargers

were followed by simple white plates

and dark saucers.

Blood red napkins

were topped with mini coffins.

Each coffin was held upright by a tiny black stick leftover from the centerpiece flowers.

It almost disappears, doesn't it?

Names were written in red marker onto black paper,

before being placed inside each coffin.

To view the tutorial to make these mini coffin place settings, please visit the post on my blog The Crafting Table here.

Building the Centerpiece

I wanted the centerpiece of this table to incorporate elements of both Día de los Muertos and Vampires, Muah ha ha....

I started with a simple candelabra.

Two cans were placed strategically (as level as possible) and on top of them, two blocks of floral arranging foam.

I covered everything with a large black napkin.  My platform is set.

I clipped and trimmed a few bunches of faux flowers in black and red

and placed them all around the bottom of the platform I created.

My Mr. and Mrs. Sugar Skulls joined the centerpiece

followed by white candles with dripping blood (yikes!)

Close up.

To make the dripping blood effect, I held a lit red candle and let the wax drip onto plain white candles.

Quite macabre!

If you would like to read the tutorial about how I made my sugar skulls, you may visit the post on The Crafting Table here.

Here are a couple of shots of the centerpiece by itself, which could also be used as a vignette if desired.

Crystal goblets

were followed by elegant silver flatware on black napkins folded length-wise.

You'll notice here that I've broken the rules a bit in how I've placed the silver, but I sort of liked the gothic-looking spike they seem to form when placed this way.

I thought the goblets added just the right amount on gothy charm.  Almost complete.

For the final step, I poured some of Vette's Vampy Tea in each glass.

 A perfect sip for a spooky soirée.

 

If you would like the recipe for Vette's Vampy Tea, you can view it on my blog Parsimonious Pabulum by clicking here.

Completed tablescape.

Closeup of the place setting

and centerpiece.

A few more shots.

Left.

Right.

For an even more macabre effect, consider dimming your lights....it might make the vampires at your soiree more comfortable as well!  :)  Note how everything has a darker, more somber effect and the colors appear richer when I did so.

Are you ready for Halloween?

From my collection:
White plates, Ralph Lauren Club Collection
Dark saucers, Tai Pan Trading
Chargers, generic
Flatware, Wallace Silversmiths Antique Baroque Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus
Crystal goblets, Godinger Dublin Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤