5 Pretty Ways To Set Your Holiday Table From The Garden

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In: Garden Crafts, Garden Shed and Decor

5 Pretty Ways To Set Your Holiday Table From The Garden

As we move into the holiday season it’s time to think about gathering around your table. Spending time with friends and family brings us so much joy. And when you’re with the ones you love, that’s all that really matters.

However, it’s nice to set your table with pretty decorations to make your meals and family feel special. Finding just the right centerpiece can feel overwhelming with everything that goes into preparing holiday meals. Seasonal garden cast-offs to the rescue. There are so many items, free for the taking in our yard and gardens that we can use to decorate our tables with.

All it takes is a good eye and a little time to gather your supplies to set a festive holiday table. So what type of materials can you use to create a lovely centerpiece? Here are a few of my favorites.

Set your holiday table using found materials harvested from your garden like this basket of apples and rosehips.

Garden Materials to use to set your holiday table…

  • Pinecones
  • Acorns
  • Moss
  • Colorful Leaves
  • Oak or Sycamore Balls
  • Branches
  • Pine Boughs
  • Dried Flowers
  • Autumn Fruit
  • Dried Sunflowers Heads

I want to show you how easy it can be to create a centerpiece using these lovely outdoor materials. Centerpieces don’t have to be formal or fancy to be special. Use what you have available and then mix in the treasures you find in the garden and outdoors. To show you how simple it can be to make your table display, I created 5 centerpieces using found items from outdoors.

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5 Ways to Set Your Holiday Table From the garden…

Easy Vase Filler

Use acorns, walnuts or sycamore balls in the base of your clear flower vase. I’m using sycamore balls that fell into our yard from the neighbor’s trees. Finally, something I could use from those messy trees! Use a clear vase or container for this decoration. I used a clear pitcher.

First, place a layer of your filler at the bottom of your container. Next, add faux flowers into the vase for your seasonal display. Finish by tucking in your filler to cover the stems. Leave a few of the balls or nuts on the table to add additional interest.

Sycamore balls are used as a vase filler to set the holiday table from the garden.

Bare Branches

Branches make the perfect way to showcase small seasonal decorations like bird’s nests. Look around your yard and garden for a few broken branches. Place these onto the center of your table. Now nestle rustic decorations into the branches. For example, place a faux bird’s nest on top and set a winter bird in the nest. You can add a few faux branch stems for color, use rustic ornaments such as feather balls or even add twinkle lights for sparkle.

Consider using a small branch piece with a mini-nest attached at each setting. Place a delicious treat in the mini-nest for your guests. Tip: Do not use real bird’s nests for food. Purchase small mini-nests from your local craft store.

An imitation bird in a nest surrounded by branches from the garden.

Dried Sunflower Wreath

If you still have sunflowers standing in your garden, you might be able to gather some dried sunflower heads to make a simple wreath. We leave the sunflowers standing in winter to provide food for the birds, so there’s always a dried flower head or two. Hot glue the heads to a burlap-wrapped wreath frame and use this on your table. Place a rustic lantern in the center of the wreath for added charm.

Related: How to Make a Dried Sunflower Wreath

Set your holiday table using a sunflower wreath from the garden.

Feathered Friends

There are so many ways to use feathers in your centerpiece. You can treat them as a bouquet or can use individual specimens as a focal point. I like to gather feathers all year long to use in crafts, wreaths and home decorations. Here I styled the feathers into a wicker bag and then added a small bundle of feathers in a vintage creamer.

Feathers found in the garden and displayed in a bag are used to decorate the holiday table.

Seasonal Fruits and Berries

If you have access to apple or pear trees, you might be able to come up with some end-of-the-season fruit to use in your decor. Pair that with rosehips or hawthorn berries for a bright seasonal display. Use a basket or rustic container to hold your autumn fruits and berries. Include a lantern or candle to create a festive glow.

A basket of apples and rosehips from the garden are used to set the holiday table.

Tips for Creating your table display…

  1. Start with what you already have available. Dig around in your cupboards, garage or shed and get creative with your display. You can use vases, cutting boards, trays, stands, tiers, and bowls. Using vintage containers is a great way to create a one-of-a-kind centerpiece. Another option would be to use garden decorations such as watering cans and planters. You can keep these items rustic to match your outdoor embellishments or contrast the outdoors with more polished items. For each of the displays above, I used items that I already had.
  2. Corral your natural materials in containers to give them more presence. A large bowl of acorns or a container of feathers is more appealing than a single item here and there.
  3. A few design principles to remember would be the rule of 3’s…use an odd number of items for your display. Also, vary the heights of the different items that you’re using. Layering is another helpful tool for your centerpiece.
  4. If your display is too tall, your guests will have difficulty seeing each other. So keep it short enough to see over when seated or consider removing the centerpiece when you sit down to enjoy your meal.
  5. For place settings, use similar materials to match your centerpiece. However, I wouldn’t set outdoor items directly onto the plates unless you plan on washing them before serving. For example, set your feathers on a napkin rather than directly on the plate.

Use feathers to set your holiday table.

Half the fun of decorating with natural garden decor is in the collecting. Bundle up and spend an afternoon outdoors gathering your rustic materials. Start with your own yard and garden. Ask neighbors if they have any items you can glean. Take a walk through your local park or open areas. There are so many places to find these natural materials.

Related: Tips for Gathering Natural Materials for Your Autumn Decor

Creating a tablescape using found natural materials is like a treasure hunt. When you find a source of rustic outdoor items you’ve found a gold mine. So gather your supplies and then set your table. You’ll be amazed at what you can create with such simple garden castoffs. This season, set your holiday table from the garden. And when you gather around the table, you’ll be sharing the bounty of your delicious meal plus treasures from your joy-filled garden.