How to Create a Rustic Winter Tablescape

This post comes courtesy of Heather Libbey, blogger at DIY du Jour.

It seems like eons ago that we packed up our holiday decor; however, winter is here to stay for quite a while longer. We still have a few months before the vibrant spring colors emerge unless, of course, our trusty groundhog friend tells us otherwise. Why not embrace what we have now, bare trees and all, and bring a little of the beauty of the outdoors inside with an easy-to-do and budget friendly, elegant, yet simple, wintery tablescape?

Here is a tablescape I have created with items from around my home and a little DIY creativity. It didn’t cost me a dime, unless you count the $8.97 that I spent on three white, ceramic produce pieces I purchased on clearance a few weeks ago, before I knew what I was going to use them for.

I started with a plain, white tablecloth as my blank canvas. I had just enough burlap leftover from my wreath project to cut two runners to place on the table the short way (versus one runner the long way).

The ceramic produce pieces were placed  on a silver tray I received as a wedding gift, on a bed of raffia I already had on hand. The tray was placed over a scrap of canvas I had leftover from another project as well.

I have a habit of saving random bottles and other glass items. For a water bottle, I used a bottle I had on hand and wrapped it in a scrap of burlap. I finished it by tying a few strands of raffia around it in a bow and trimming the ends off to make them even.

The same method was used on the silverware.  Several strands of raffia were tied around a fork, spoon and knife and finished the same way.

And lastly, the vintage pitcher shown was purchased at a thrift store months ago. I snipped a few bare twigs from a bare tree outside and gave them a quick coat of white spray paint and placed them in the pitcher.

A few helpful tips:  

• Use layers. This tablescape has a tablecloth, burlap and canvas.  Small plates are placed on top of larger ones for a more dramatic effect. You could also use chargers.
• Pair old pieces with new pieces. The plates used are square and modern, yet the linen, burlap and vintage pitcher give the table a rustic feel.
• Be resourceful. Use items from around your home, and avoid spending more than you need to and buying everything new.
• Think outside the box. You can paint anything white! See some faux produce at the dollar store? The possibilities with a can of spray paint are endless.

About the author: Heather has always had a love for cooking and baking. Now she loves to plan meals for her family. She looks for ways for ways to make comfort dishes a little healthier without sacrificing flavor, but she also believes all things are fine in moderation and has recently started experimenting with making French pastries at home. She shares her tried recipes and other projects on her personal blog, diydujour.com. Heather is also a contributing author at thebakeryspot.com.