Fast fall tablescape idea

Hey there!! I’m back today to help kick off our fall linky parties – they start today over at Layla’s place (The Lettered Cottage):

Today’s party is all about tablescape ideas and I can’t wait to see the beautiful fall tables!!

Well, since we decided to change up the dining room (and make it a library), we no longer have a dining room table. ;) I do kind of miss decorating one, just a little. It was fun to decorate…at least I could do that even if we never ate at it. ;)

Here’s one of my fall-inspired settings from a couple years ago:

Now, I dream of a long farmhouse-type table in our kitchen. Which is not happening unless we knock out a wall or two. Hmmmm…

Anyway, I thought I’d share one of my favorite decorative pieces and how I worked it for fall. It would be perfect down the middle of a kitchen or dining room table!

I showed you how I made the “trough” under the TV in the family room here. It was SO easy to make, and super cheap! (Free for me since I used scrap wood.) It was a tad thin, so I’ve had a plan to make one that’s just slightly wider so I can cram more decorative stuff inside.

So I did. :) I grabbed $10 worth of wood and put it together like I showed you in the link above. It only took me about 30 minutes from start to finish, it really is so simple (especially if you have a miter saw).

This one is the same length, but about three inches wider. For more STUFF. Whooo! For this fall-themed piece, I started with my standards – the beady stuff:

And a bag of pumpkins I got for $1 each at Walmart last year:

I was going to spray paint them for another project but they were the perfect size for the trough. I filled it with the beady stuff and then laid the pumpkins in here and there:

I still needed to fill a few spots, so I added a few pine cones:

All it needed now was some ambiance. So I grabbed some of my tea light holders and stuffed them in any empty spots:

Obviously you DON’T want to use real candles! I use the little LED votives from the Dollar Tree – three for a buck and I love their warm light:

 

I use them for everything now, have for years. With the kiddo and cats that climb all over anything, I just don’t feel comfortable with real candles anymore. At least in a spot like this. :)

And the fake ones flicker like a real candle. Love them.

The new trough holds way more, which is important for fall and Christmas! That filler isn’t wimpy:

The thinner one sits perfectly in one of our longer window sills, so it will stay out. :)

This is our first touch of fall this year, and I love it so much I think I’ll keep the “candles” lit all day!:

Wouldn’t something like that be lovely on a table? I had all of my filler, but you need some, I find the beady stuff and fall items at Hobby Lobby. It’s on sale constantly this time of year.

What do you use for the middle of your table? It’s such a simple thing but can be so hard to decorate, at least I think.

We’ll be back later this week (Thursday) with fall decor for the outdoors!

**I keep forgetting to mention! The Show Us Your House party for this week has been moved to next Monday, the 24th! Sorry about that! :)