Sometimes, I just wish I were a better planner. I often tell myself that I have GOT to do better. Well, I certainly had one of those “ugh, I have GOT to do better” moments when I decided to pick up a Thanksgiving table décor project just 2 days before the holiday, with very few fall décor items on hand. In my defense, I wasn’t hosting at my home this year, so I didn’t see a need to plan a holiday tablescape weeks in advance. My parents hosted Thanksgiving dinner at their place and handled all of the cooking, so the very least I could do was show up with some festive fall décor. If you find yourself in the same predicament for Christmas, keep reading for tips on how to pull together a holiday tablescape with craft store clearance items and items you may already have on hand.
The Shopping Trip
It’s really last-minute when you can’t even make the Amazon Prime 2-day shipping cut off. That said, I didn’t have a lot of time to jump from store to store, so I decided to hit up Hobby Lobby and worked with what they had, which wasn’t much. Most of their fall décor inventory was cleared out to make room for Christmas decorations. The good news is that all fall décor items were 75% off, but the bad news was that my creativity was jogged by the lack of variety.
I was looking for one item that could be a design staple, and then I could coordinate everything else from there. I immediately spotted beautiful woven pumpkins and a white ceramic pumpkin. Next to the ceramic pumpkin, I saw matching ceramic table décor signs. I was finally getting somewhere! I also saw some black and white paper placemats that read, “Simply Grateful”. I loved the fact that they were disposable and went with the black and white theme of the ceramic pumpkins and table signs. I also found a green garland that plays off the greenery in the placemat to go across the center of the table. Everything was finally coming together!
Black and white typically wouldn’t have been my first choice for fall décor. These colors just don’t really feel like fall to me. But, I noticed that most of the fall items that were left were part of a black and white collection Hobby Lobby had this season, so I began thinking of ways to add more festive colors.
The top of the pumpkin was a brownish/bronze color, so I thought pulling that into the design more was a great way to bring in warmer colors. I found some gorgeous brown metallic taper candles that had a beautiful shimmer. In the candles section, I also found gold glitter round candle plates that contrasted nicely with the brown candles. Lastly, the easiest way to add color is with seasonal fresh flowers, so I found some matte bronze glass flower vases.
And voila!
What I Had On Hand
My parents had some beautiful black tinted wine glasses (which I also learned can be purchased from the Dollar Tree for $1 each!) that worked perfectly with the design. I also have some holiday votive candles that were red, green, orange, and cream along with candles from Pack Light Candle Company that come in a beautiful black matte vessel that blended in perfectly with the other black and white décor items. I had gold taper candle holders and assorted pine cones and fall foliage in my inventory, as well as clear charger plates with gold trim. These clear charger plates allowed you to see the “Simply Grateful” placemats, which worked out perfectly.
Bringing It All Together
The evening before, I ran out to Publix to grab some fresh flowers. I separated the bouquet and cut the stems to fit into the brown vases. The rich fall colors brought everything together beautifully. My father was somewhat annoyed and kept asking, “where are we going to sit the food?!” My design apparently forced a buffet-style instead of the family-style dinner he had envisioned (sorry, not sorry)!
I must say that this is one of my favorite tablescapes. I usually prefer to plan my designs in advance with concept boards, but this last-minute adventure challenged me to use black and white elements that I never would’ve added to a fall décor mood board, and the result far exceeded my expectations.
Has your last-minute planning ever resulted in a beautiful masterpiece? Have you planned your Christmas tablescape yet? Tell me about it!
<Disclaimer> Prix Fixe Party received no paid promotion from any of the brands mentioned in this post. However, this post does contain affiliate links.
