Let’s Create a Rustic Inspired Autumn Tablescape

A few weathered accent pieces, a variety of textures, some bittersweet and a few minutes of time can result in a stunning Autumn tablescape!

The Rustic Autumn Inspired Tablescape

Every tablescape needs a focal point.  The old wooden box with the leather handle filled with bittersweet serves as the focal point of this Rustic Inspired Autumn tablescape.

The Wooded Leather Handled Box

This wooden box belonged to my Uncle Frank.  Uncle Frank was married to my Dad’s oldest sister.   He used it as a tool box.  I don’t remember exactly how I came to have it.  I think it probably was something my Mom thought was interesting when she helped my Dad handle his sister’s estate .  She was good at that kind of thing….. she loved to collect things.   I think she passed that gene on down to me!

Back to the box….  Since I planned to fill the box with bittersweet , I needed a way for the lid to stay up.  I decided to see if my vintage orange garden fork would work as something to prop it up.  I think it is perfect!

 

AFter propping up the lid, I filled the box with kraft paper that was left over from the downsizing/moving process.  The kraft paper will help hold the stems in place and also adds some texture to the arrangement.

Now we are ready to move onto the stems of bittersweet.

Bittersweet – the Perfect  Fall Accent “Flower”

Fresh bittersweet can be hard to find and it is also quite messy as it dries.  My solution was to use faux or artificial bittersweet.  This particular bittersweet is a very realistic stem.   Each individual branch or stem is wired.  The rusty red berries are also on wired stems so you can tweak the stems to look even more realistic.

Since we are all friends, I will share a couple of florist’s secrets!  The faux bittersweet stem shown below can be taken apart and turned into 5 separate smaller sprigs.   Simply gently pull it apart where it is connected to the main stem.

Pictured below is what one of the sprigs look like after it has been removed from the main stem.  It may be necessary to wrap the stems with brown floral tape.  By gently pulling and stretching the tape , it will stick to itself as you wrap it around the stem.

It looks cute just like this but in order to add some whimsy and motion to the final arrangement,  I like to make squiggles or pig tails, as I sometimes call them.

For this, you just need a pen or other round object that you can twist the little stem around.  In order for this to work, the stems need to be individually wired.  After twisting the stem around the pen, gently pull the pen out and the stem will now be twisted in a pig tail.

The berries are individually wired , too so I pulled those out a bit to give it a more natural look.  You can twist as little or as much as you want!  Aren’t they so much cuter this way?

Once you have your stems all prepared, you are ready for the next step.

Artfully Arranging the Stems in the Box

There really isn’t a right or wrong way to do this.  I started on the right and worked my way around the box.  I used 8 stems or basically one and 1/2 of the full stems.

Keep adding stems until you get the look you want.

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Ready to Add More Elements

Next I added this linen pumpkin.  I set it inside a 6 inch candle ring that had deep red flowers that looked good with the color of the bittersweet.

A old gray table leg and a chunky piece of an old porch post add some height and interest to the display.  A double tin carrier filled with tallow berries, a set of silver metal heart boxes and three wooden pumpkins complete the display.

This rustic inspired tablescape can take you all the way thru Thanksgiving.  It would be easy to add a few Halloween jack o lanterns in place of the flat gray pumpkins.  For Thanksgiving, a turkey or perhaps a pilgram couple could be added in place of the linen pumpkin.

The tablescape is designed on top of a old wooden floor grate that sits atop a scrub top table.  The gentleman that took care of my Illinois Farmhouse while it was on the market, put the wheels on it when I was home for the last time in May. 

One Last Look

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