Harvest Moon Fall Tablescape Ideas

Decorated with amber glass and glowing lights, these simple fall tablescape ideas embrace the beauty of the harvest moon. Perfect for any fall dinner or Thanksgiving celebration!

Fall Tablescape Hop

If you love seasonal tablescapes, I’ve got a fun post for you today! I’m joining Alicia from Nick and Alicia and some other wonderful blogging friends to show you our favorite fall tablescape ideas. There are so many beautiful fall tables to inspire you for the season, so be sure to check them out!

This post contains affiliate links. This simply means that I may make a small commission off items purchased directly through the links at no cost to you.

Our Kitchen Table

I usually show you our dining room table when I’m doing seasonal tablescapes, but since we use our kitchen table 99% of the time, I thought I would do a tablescape in the kitchen today. We have a pretty open floor plan and our kitchen table sits between our kitchen and our family room.

You don’t have to wait for a big party or celebration to create a fun seasonal inspired tablescape. Dress up your every day table for a change and have a nice, slow family dinner. It doesn’t happen around here too often – but it’s so lovely when it does!

Harvest Moon

When I started to put this tablescape together the light reflecting through the amber glass reminded me of a harvest moon.  And then I realized that it actually was the Harvest Moon!  So, of course, I had to play Neil Young’s Harvest Moon on repeat and embrace the whole glowing harvest moon idea. It’s kind of funny how inspiration hits sometimes. 🙂

In case you’re not sure what a harvest moon is, it refers to the first moon rising nearest the September equinox {it was September 13th this year}. Since the moon is near the horizon at this time of year, it tends to look bigger with a beautiful orange glow. The name likely comes from farmers who used the extra light of the moon to gather their fall harvest. Spiritually, the harvest moon is supposed to help you release and reset for a magical season to come. All in all, I’d say that’s a pretty good reason to celebrate!

Harvest Moon Fall Tablescape Ideas

Putting together seasonal tablescapes is always a favorite of mine. I love seeing random items come together to create such a cohesive and beautiful display. Today, I thought I’d try to share my thought process behind designing a tablescape. Although this is technically a fall tablescape, the steps can be used to dress up any table at any time of year. Here we go!

Pick a theme or color scheme.

I always start with some kind of theme or color scheme in mind. Usually this ends up evolving a bit throughout the process, but it gives a good starting off point. For this fall table, I knew I wanted to use some amber glass bottles as the focal point of the table. Since the amber is quite a strong color and I wanted it to pop, I ended up keeping the rest of the colors quite muted and neutral.  As you’re putting the rest of your elements together, be flexible and just kind of go with the flow. Like I mentioned above, all I really started with was the idea of the amber glass bottles. Everything else just came together as I went.

Start with a base for added texture and coziness.

I almost always start with some kind of textured base – a table runner, a tablecloth, placemats, chargers – just something with added textures and interest. Layer them on for extra depth. For this tablescape, I used a blanket that I keep in our front entryway to take to hockey games. I loved the muted colors and the coziness of the blanket was perfect for fall. Just make sure whatever you’re using can be washed. 🙂

Add some seasonal dinnerware.

While seasonal dinnerware is not actually needed, it does add a cute touch!  I like to use white dinnerware for everyday use and then dress it up every now and then with a special seasonal item. Buying a new set of dishes or glassware is expensive {and hard to store!}, but just some small seasonal plates can add a big impact. I purchased these ones from Pier 1 a few years ago and, when they’re not being used, I use them for decor in our fall dining room. {TIP: If you’re having a larger dinner party and don’t have enough seasonal dishes, alternate the place settings with plain white ones.}

Seasonal salt and pepper shakers are another way to add a sweet seasonal touch. They’re inexpensive, cute, and functional! Plus, they’re easy to store in the off-season.

Start with a centerpiece and work outwards.

When it comes to decorating the table, I always start with a larger centerpiece in the middle and then move outwards to either side. I tend to gravitate towards symmetry, so I generally do a very similar pattern on either side of the centerpiece. If you have a few items that you’re putting together for a centerpiece, place them on some kind of tray or cutting board to tie them all together and anchor them on the table.

For my centerpiece I gathered some amber bottles together on a rustic wood tray, then added some golden fall stems, some white pumpkins and some random faux leaves. {Most of these had actually just fallen off of garlands, wreaths, or other faux stems.}

As you move outwards down the center of the table, use similar elements to tie everything together. I carried the white pumpkins throughout the table and added some pumpkins on wood pedestals to give add some height variance. I also used a couple more amber bottles at either end. The lighted amber pumpkins pulled a little from each of the other elements – amber from the bottles, the shape of the white pumpkins, and the glow of the amber string lights.  The faux leaves worked well to fill in any gaps that looked too bare.

Turn on the glow.

If you’ve been around here for a while, it should come as no surprise that the lights and candles are my favorite part of a tablescape! For this table, I used a string of pretty amber glass lights and some amber “glass” pumpkins that I bought at Superstore {one of our Canadian grocery store chains}. They created such a pretty glow against the amber glass and really created that harvest moon feeling. The amber lights run the length of the table so it kind of pulls everything together.

If you’re using candles in a tablescape, make sure that they’re really secure or use battery operated candles instead. You also want to make sure you pick odorless candles so they don’t interfere with all of those wonderful dinner scents!

Shop the Post

The nice thing about tablescapes is that they’re often easy to put together using items that you already have around your home. I encourage to shop your home as much as possible or at least purchase items that you will use in other decor. A tablescape only lasts for such a short period of time! If you’re interested in any of the items that I’ve used, I’ve tried to provide links {or at least sources!} for whatever I could. Just ask if you have any other questions!

Large Amber Bottles – Target
Small Amber Bottles – Amazon
Amber Glass Lights – Pier 1
Faux Eucalyptus Stems – Pier 1
Gold Pampas Grass – Michaels
Pumpkin Plates – Pier 1 {they’re from a few years ago, but they still have some on clearance}
Blanket – HomeSense
Wood Tray – Decor Steals
Wood Pedastals – Michaels
White Pumpkin Tureen – Superstore {linked a similar one}

I hope you enjoyed our Harvest Moon inspired fall tablescape! Now take some time to enjoy the season with a relaxing dinner with your family or friends.

More Fall Tablescape Ideas

For more fall tablescape ideas and inspiration, check out these beautiful fall tablescapes from some of my talented blogging friends. I hope this inspires you to decorate a pretty fall tablescape of your own!

Nick + Alicia | Sincerely, Marie Designs | Craftberry Bush | Clean and Scentsible

Home Made Lovely | The DIY Mommy | The Wood Grain Cottage | The Turquoise Home

Rooms FOR Rent Blog | Kim Power Style | The Wicker House | Caitlin Marie Design

Lolly Jane | The Learner Observer | Satori Design For Living | Summer Adams

Taryn Whiteaker Designs | This Is Simplicite

More Fall Decor Ideas

For more fall decor ideas and inspiration, visit these posts…

Fall Kitchen Decor Ideas

Fall Family Room Decor

Rustic Farmhouse Style Front Porch