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Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Details of My No-Cost Autumn Table Decor


About ten days ago I showed you a photo of our kitchen table for autumn. Today I'm in the kitchen making yogurt and doing some baking, so I thought now might be a good time to share more about the table setting.

The Tablecloth
We almost always use tablecloths on this table because, well, 3 kids + 32 years = lots of scars. To hide the very worn surface, I throw some sort of covering over it year round.

Several people have commented on this year's autumn tablecloth. One friend told me that she had never seen a tablecloth that is so strikingly "masculine." Another friend who adores everything about Ralph Lauren home decor asked if this was a RL tablecloth.


Personally, I think my own plaid tablecloth is more attractive that Mr. Lauren's, judging from what I could find in online images.







A "tablecloth" does not need to be an actual tablecloth, a piece of fabric that has been dedicated, through cutting and hemming, for the sole purpose of table covering. In fact, some of the most interesting "tablecloths" that I've seen have been quilts, blankets, or lightweight rugs.

My particular autumn "tablecloth" is a length of woolen yardage from my piles of fabric for sewing projects. I took a 60 inch X 3  1/2 yard piece of wool plaid, turned under about 2 feet of excess fabric, and laid the whole piece, with the back side facing up (still the same plaid, but minimizes wear on the "good" side) on the kitchen table. A 60-inch wide piece of fabric will have from 8 to 14 inches of overhang on both long sides of a rectangular table. (For reference, my kitchen table is 34 inches wide while my dining room table is 43 inches wide.) I did not hem the ends or sides, but I did neatly trim loose threads from the ends. 

When I am done using this as a tablecloth this autumn, I will gently hand-wash the fabric and return it to the fabric pile.

To protect the fabric, I've place my summer straw mats at the individual places of the table. I think the contrast in texture is pleasing. The 36-year old burgundy cloth napkins belong to a set of fabric placemats, but they do work well with the tones in this wool plaid.



The Candleholders
If you look closely at the support for my jar candles, you'll see that these are upturned water goblets. Holding the goblets right side up, I filled the bowl of each with foraged acorns and pinecones, plus some faux autumn leaves. I carefully turned them upside down and set them on the table. Finally, I gently lifted the lower edge of each goblet and slid in a couple more acorns for a full look. 

With a decorative ribbon tied around each stem and a small canning jar with votive candle placed inside resting on what would be the base of the goblet, I now have free candle holders. After their use this autumn, the goblets will revert to drinking vessels, the canning jars will be cleaned out and put back into canning use, and the acorns, pinecones, faux leaves, and ribbons will go back into my crafting cupboard.



The Vine
The totally-free vine and pumpkins are from my crafting box and garden. About 1 year ago, I wrote about the box of crafting supplies that I got from a free pile in my neighborhood. Yep, the faux vine was in that box. In addition, the pumpkins were grown with a seedling given to me by another neighbor. So this really is a free bit of table decor. 

There you have it. My no-cost, "new" table decor for Autumn 2019.


Back to my yogurt-making. "Chat" more soon.

16 comments:

  1. Very creative. I especially like your decorative candle holders. We only have one table and we use it to eat, sort papers, craft things, etc. so it usually doesn't get decorations or a table cloth unless company is coming over. However, some of these ideas could be used in different places besides a table.

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  2. It looks great. I am going to borrow the upside down wine glass. Tons of acorns outside.

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  3. Love it Lilli! You are a crafter aft er my own heart!!

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  4. The upside down wine glass idea is brilliant.

    I know you like to knit--I haven't tried this yet, but it looks simple and fun and a good way to use up odds and ends of yarn. https://www.mamainastitch.com/chunky-pumpkin-free-knitting-pattern/

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  5. The tablescape is just lovely! I have a ton of tablecloths, and some non tablecloths that I use as a tablecloth because I like the way it looks.

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  6. Very pretty. I’ve often bought cuts of fabric and just put them over tables.

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  7. Live and Learn said...
    Very creative. I especially like your decorative candle holders. We only have one table and we use it to eat, sort papers, craft things, etc. so it usually doesn't get decorations or a table cloth unless company is coming over. However, some of these ideas could be used in different places besides a table.


    Hi love and learn,
    Oh definitely, with regards to using ideas on other surfaces in the house. I have a table/stand in the entry hall over which I often put a small cloth. Candles would look nice right there.

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  8. Making Cents Of It All said...
    It looks great. I am going to borrow the upside down wine glass. Tons of acorns outside.


    Hi Marybeth,
    Thank you. Oh, lucky you! I really have to scavenge for acorns, here. And the ones that I do find are tiny. Do you use yours for craft or decor projects?

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  9. I'm one of those who use quilts as tablecloths. I have some beautiful, handmade vintage quilts pieced by my grandmother. One in particular is just right for a tablecloth. Since quilts can be lumpy and a smidge uneven, I place smooth placemats on top of the quilt.
    Your plaid wool is beautiful for a tablecloth.
    -Stephanie

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  10. Gaila said...
    Love it Lilli! You are a crafter aft er my own heart!!


    Thank you for the kind words, Gaila. I would love to see some of your craft and decor projects!

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  11. Kris said...
    The upside down wine glass idea is brilliant.

    I know you like to knit--I haven't tried this yet, but it looks simple and fun and a good way to use up odds and ends of yarn. https://www.mamainastitch.com/chunky-pumpkin-free-knitting-pattern/


    Hi Kris,
    Thank you. Oh my goodness! I love those knitted pumpkins. Thanks for the link. What a fun project!

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  12. Anne in the kitchen said...
    The tablescape is just lovely! I have a ton of tablecloths, and some non tablecloths that I use as a tablecloth because I like the way it looks.


    Hi Anne,
    Thank you. Sometimes fabric or other household textiles just call to be used as tablecloths, don't they? How wonderful to have a lot of tablecloths to choose from, Anne.
    I inherited the bulk of my great-grandmothers tablecloths. Unfortunately, they are all white. I use them occasionally, but I prefer lots of color.

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  13. Akasha said...
    Very pretty. I’ve often bought cuts of fabric and just put them over tables.


    Hi Akasha,
    Thank you. Like I said to Anne, above, sometimes fabric or textiles just have that something that makes them appealing as table coverings. I'm glad to hear that you do the same thing!

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  14. Stephanie said...
    I'm one of those who use quilts as tablecloths. I have some beautiful, handmade vintage quilts pieced by my grandmother. One in particular is just right for a tablecloth. Since quilts can be lumpy and a smidge uneven, I place smooth placemats on top of the quilt.
    Your plaid wool is beautiful for a tablecloth.


    Hi Stephanie,
    Your vintage quilts are priceless. What a lovely inheritance from your grandmother. That's very smart to use something smooth on top, when using a quilt as a table covering. I imagine it helps prevent glasses from tipping over and spills from marring the quilt.
    Thank you -- I'm really loving this plaid as a tablecloth.

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  15. That tablecloth is gorgeous. I'd have guessed it was RL, too. I'll have to search through my stash of fabrics to see what could be used as a tablecloth.

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  16. Denise said...
    That tablecloth is gorgeous. I'd have guessed it was RL, too. I'll have to search through my stash of fabrics to see what could be used as a tablecloth.


    Hi Denise,
    I like the way the wool plaid looks, too. I hope your search through your stash of fabrics proves fruitful ,and you find something special for your table.

    ReplyDelete

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