Using vintage table decoration ideas for fall is are unique ways to make beautiful settings for this time of year!  Check out these 3 ways to layer your table setting during this early fall season.  Plus, I’m sharing the simple things you need to pull together a beautiful centerpiece in an easy way.

It can be easy to look at those pretty magazine pictures of the perfectly styled dining room tables with beautiful floral arrangements, a table centerpiece, and place settings and just think that can’t be real life.  I get that.  And I definitely don’t know anyone who actually uses a dining room table like that every day.  At the same time, you’ll often find one or the other of our tables styled on a regular basis or at least a pretty table centerpiece!  Of course, the fact that I love vintage table decoration ideas makes it really fun for me to come up with a creative way to decorate!

Why?  Not because we are fancy dining people.  However, there is something so fresh and put together about a lovely dining table and it can make your entire home feel thoughtful and inviting.

In other words, don’t save the “pretty stuff” only for guests.  

Let’s chat about some simple ways to create a beautiful setting for your fall table during this season…just for you and your family!

Best Vintage Table Decoration Ideas for Fall Centerpieces

How to decorate a table for autumn?

6 Best Table Decorations for Vintage Table Decoration Ideas

• Vintage paper plate holders
• Vintage wooden bowls
• White dishes or white ironstone (and try mixing styles!)
• Simple, neutral napkins or try my favorite shop rag “napkins” for a vintage, old linen look ($2.98 for a set of 6!)
• Black flatware (not a must, but definitely a favorite for me!)
• You can shop my other tableware essentials all on my storefront, listed HERE!

Do you have to have these exact items?  Definitely not!  These are just my favorites and are all very budget-friendly.

Fun fact:  My everyday white dishes were a clearance find before I got married.  I think I paid less than $8 for a full service set of 6!  I’m really glad I got several sets.

My baskets and bowls are all thrift store finds.  Also, you can even find great ironstone at flea markets and thrift stores too!

For me, the key to setting my fall wooden table with ease is having favorite items close at hand.  I’ll show you 3 different tables where I used a mixture of these items.

What if I don’t have these same items for vintage table decoration ideas?

No table feels the same, yet there are several familiar elements in each.  I am also including some favorite vintage items.  You may not have these exact pieces, but you can look for similar pieces to complete your fall dining area.

You don’t have to have all new things to create new and fresh looks.  Have fun mixing, matching, and reimagining what you have on hand!  Then maybe add a few staple pieces as you can to really help you get the overall look you want!

Don’t forget to frequent your thrift stores and even estate sales for budget-friendly ways to beautiful table decorations!

Seasonal Items and Natural Elements for Your Vintage Table Decoration Ideas:

Your local grocery store is the perfect way to find seasonal, natural elements to use in your home decor.  Without a lot of extra cost, you can create a natural look and beautiful settings with fresh flowers.  Seasonal, natural elements are also a great way to add pops of color to your centerpiece idea or even place settings too.  Especially if you are working with large tables, like dinner parties, for example, your grocery store can provide a better way to create a beautiful setting without the extra cost of buying home decor in bulk.

How do you make a fall tablescape?

Here are some of my favorite seasonal and natural elements to use for table decorations:

• Artichokes (I love these faux ones!)
• Fresh bread rolls
• Sunflowers
• Apples
• Pears (I love the rust colored ones for early fall!)

Tip: Use decor for double duty!

Other than the sunflowers, these are all things you can use in fall recipes, so enjoy it as decor for a bit and then eat it too!  One of my favorite ways to decorate any table or even an event is to use the pretty foods as part of my decor.

Using and enjoying fresh items in your decor also means that you have less decor to store away at the end of the season!  That is a big win in my book.

And while it may seem like you’re buying more, you’re likely spending less in the long run.  These are all fairly inexpensive and things that can play double duty for your budget as well!  Win win!

And while it may seem like you’re buying more, you’re likely spending less in the long run.  These are all fairly inexpensive and things that can play double duty for your budget as well!  You can enjoy both without the extra cost.  Win win!  Plus, any of these fall table decor ideas can work for both a rectangular or round table.

Notice pumpkins aren’t on the list?  

Because this is for your early fall table!  The real pumpkins don’t arrive in Florida, at least, until late September.  So I love to use other fun and seasonal items and that keeps me from getting weary of the pumpkins!

Do you have other seasonal items that you love using on your table?  Leave your ideas in the comments for all of us to enjoy!

How to Add Layers to Your Fall Table

An easy formula for styling your table with ease:

Sunflower Fall Table Place Setting with Vintage Table Decoration Ideas:

• First, put the napkin down first, hanging over the edge of the table.
• Add the main plate.
• Add a dessert or salad plate (try mixing and matching these for fun!)
• Next, add a fresh seasonal item.  Consider even using a dessert, such as a cupcake or pastry!
• Add flatware and glassware
• Put a few sunflowers in some vintage jars and mix in a few brass candlesticks

Enjoy!  This is a perfect look for those last weeks of August and I love sunflowers for a slow transition from summer to fall decor!  It is also a great idea to include a fun pop of color that really only comes around seasonally once a year!

Plus when the warm weather doesn’t allow it to feel much like fall, the sunflowers give that hint of fall while still acknowledging that summer months are lingering around!  I really love this beautiful table setting idea on a round table too!

Artichoke Fall Table Place Setting for Vintage Table Decoration Ideas:

How do you elegantly decorate for fall?

Pro Tip: For this table, I use these adorable black plaid dishes from Bico Ceramics.  I only had 4 place settings, so I mixed them with my vintage ironstone to get 8 place settings!  Mix and match to make your dishes stretch a little further!  You can shop them HERE.  For a more soft color palette, simple white dishes work perfectly too!

• Main plate (either black plaid or white)
• Napkin tip: Leave it folded in thirds but laid out length wise so more of it is seen
• Layered salad plate (alternating black plaid or white)
• Add wooden bowl (vintage items work great for these too)
• Place fresh artichoke in bowl
• Add black flatware
• Add glassware and alternated ironstone and black plaid mugs

How do you make a table centerpiece for fall?

Centerpiece: trade out the delicate flowers from spring centerpieces for fresh eucalyptus stems and some brass candlesticks; you could also add glass bottles or a vintage vase filled with water for the fresh eucalyptus if you want it to last longer.  The greenery really is its own color scheme and gives such a natural look to this beautiful setting,

This table is so easy to put together with those staple pieces on hand!  The only extra cost are the artichokes and fresh eucalpytus! I love the bright and fresh look, yet with a hint of those warmer tones and soft colors that I like to bring in for fall table decorations.

The greenery and vintage candle holders with taper candles give this casual table a more elegant look for the fall.

Where do I get the best eucalyptus?

If you want to purchase some amazingly realistic faux eucalyptus, THESE stems are amazing and look so real!  I like to mix them with faux or fresh flowers for a more full looking flower arrangement.

THESE eucalyptus garlands are also so gorgeous.  I have several and use them year round.  In fact, I hardly have the extra cost of fresh eucalyptus (or the gas cost to drive 30 minutes to Trader Joe’s!)  They look incredibly realistic.

I have also used them in both indoor and outdoor wedding decor on reception tables and even with simple wedding centerpieces.  Not only do they look gorgeous for fall and winter decor, but they are perfect for spring centerpieces and spring table decor too!  Literally, they are my very favorite simple greenery to use.

Fresh Bread Fall Table Place Setting With Vintage Table Decoration Ideas:

This table gives me all the warm and cozy vibes.  Is there anything more comforting on a crisp, early fall evening than a delicious bowl of soup and some fresh bread?

Bread and soup are ALWAYS a good idea for a fall day!  Take a few extra moments to make this rustic theme table feel even more inviting!

Here’s what you need to create this look:

• White ironstone plate or everyday white dishes, like mine
• Simple napkin
• Vintage wicker basket paper plate holder (another thrift store finds)
• Vintage wooden bowl (some of my favorite vintage items!)
• Small ironstone dessert plate
• Add a few sprigs of simple greenery or rosemary
• Tie a piece of twine around individual loaves of bread (I purchased mine from Trader Joe’s and they are so yummy!  This is a fun way to help even the simple, everyday bread look extra special!)
• Add black flatware and glassware (unfortunately, I’ve had these glasses for 14+ years and cannot link them)
• Centerpiece: DIY beam candleholder and a few little pinecones from around our yard
• Add dripless, smokeless taper candles.  THESE are my favorite!  Or, a better way is to add my favorite flameless, battery operated taper candles.  They look realistic and you don’t have any safety concerns.  That’s always good news, right?!

Pro Tip: When using real taper candles, keep candles that are partially used.  The different heights look make for a beautiful centerpiece!  You can also use real or flameless pillar candles and set them atop the rustic style beam.

Either kind of candle looks beautiful for this rustic theme centerpiece idea!  Also, if you want to use a specific color scheme, you could get candles that are the perfect match to your theme, especially if you use real candles.

How do you make a simple fall centerpiece?

This rustic style beam is a great DIY and easy focal point for any table setting, whether small or large tables.

Here is a quick and easy tutorial for a rustic style centerpiece idea:

1. Find the right piece of wood. It needs to be sturdy enough to drill a decent-sized hole in, but not too overwhelming for the table.
2. Do math.  Just kidding!  Sort of….You need to figure out how many candles you want in your beam/wood piece.  And decide ahead of time how much space you want on the ends.
3. Use a pencil to mark the spots on the board where you want your candles.
4. Using a forstner bit the size of your candle diameter, drill a hole 1 inch to 1 1/2 deep.
5. Place your wax candles in the holes & enjoy the coziness!

How do you decorate a table for cheap?

Hint: that gorgeous rustic style beam is a great start for budget-friendly ways to decorate a table for any season!

I hope this post has inspired you with several budget-friendly ways that you can create a pretty table setting or beautiful centerpiece for your fall home decor.  Here is the good news:

When my table looks pretty, none of us tend to “dump stuff” on it!  That’s always an added benefit and easy way of keeping the table pretty!  Everyone finds a different drop zone!  Ha!

I hope this post inspires you to have some fun with creating simple and thoughtful tables to enjoy with your family this fall!

You can shop my Amazon storefront HERE for a curated collection of favorite fall decorating finds!

You may also enjoy these fall decor posts:

• 15 Easy Ways How to Transition from Summer to Fall Home Decor
• Simple Ideas for Decorating Fall Living Room Centerpieces
• Best Fall Primitive Decor Ideas: Decorating Vintage Finds
• How to Easily Decorate a Cozy Fall Bedroom
• 5 Free Fall Decor Ideas You Can Use for Budget Decor

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!  

Blessings,

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Posts on Robyn’s French Nest may contain affiliate links. You can see our full disclosure details here.)