It just so happens that Heather and I love the fall season. It’s one of those happy little details that we learned about each other whilst dating. There is just something about this time of year. Maybe it has something to do with summer finally passing, with its mix of both oppressively humid and hot weather. When fall arrives, it is literally ushered in with a breath of crisp fresh air. It might have something to do with the trees turning all different hues of red, yellow, orange and brown. Or maybe it’s just the pumpkin pie. Or in Heather’s case, pumpkin anything, because she is truly a fan of any pumpkin dessert one could conjure.
Speaking of those earthy tones, Heather and I borrowed heavily from a color palette eerily reminiscent of a Bob Ross oil painting. Yellow ochre, burn sienna, some van dyke brown and a splash of crimson red. Okay maybe a lot of brown and maybe I’m stretching that a tiny bit. I just really wanted to work in a Bob Ross reference to go with this awesome picture I found…
<3 Bob Ross
We wanted our Autumn Harvest table to convey a little something to everyone that feels the same way we do. And even to the people that don’t like this time of year, we hope we made it nice enough that it might appeal to them as well. Traditional colors, familiar textures, and comforting foods and sweets. One of the other things we wanted to accomplish was to see how inexpensively we could put together a dessert table, without it looking all “jacked up” as my stepfather is known to say. It’s amazing how many of the most iconic images of fall are available to anyone free of charge from that thing outside of your computer office called Mother Nature. Pine cones, acorns, chestnuts and every color of fall foliage are all just sitting around waiting to be raked up. (Pro tip: Make sure that if it does come from the great outdoors that 1. It doesn’t touch any of the edibles. 2. Make sure you check for AND remove any little creepy crawlies. And by creepy crawlies, we mean spiders.)
If you do happen to live somewhere that these natural elements are not ready for the picking and totally F-R-E-E, you can always buy them at most craft stores like Michale’s, AC Moore or our new favorite online store Save on Crafts! Another element we incorporated that is inexpensive and easy on the eyes are dried beans. They come in huge bags at the grocery store and cost next to nothing. We used them as filler in our platter and on our plates to add a bit more color and texture.
Our secondary task was to re-use several props from previous tables we have done, again keeping costs low. Items like our home made heirloom white cake stands from Heather’s gorgeous Southern Heirloom table. Those particular cake stands just matched perfectly with a ROMANTISK platter/serving tray we picked up from IKEA, $9.99. Also from IKEA were the SOCKER galvanized milk jug and co-ordinating planter pot that doubled as our Candied Nut dish, $4.99 and $1.99. And even more IKEA, the white KALASA Plant pot which we filled with our apples, at $5.99 (since discontinued in that size) and the BJURON Plant Pot which we used for height and decor at $4.99. All of these items are neutral enough to use again and again so we considered them a good investment.
We also frequent our local Jo-Ann Fabric quite a bit for inspiration and deals. Our tablecloth and backdrop were both steals on the clearance table there. We spent approximatly $30 total for several yards of each of those fabrics, and another $6 on the burlap fabric you see as our table runner. The galvanized props and the inclusion of the small hay bale that held our Caramel Corn Stalks and the vase of wheat (borrowed from the mom-in-law, and originally purchase at Wal-Mart), added a touch of country farm charm without it looking like something out of Hee-Haw. No offense Hee-Haw. (Update: I’ve just learned that Heather used to watch Hee-Haw with her great-grandfather when she was little.) For anyone keeping track that is awesome 80’s reference number 2. - Jason out!
OK enough with all that decor jazz, let’s talk FOOD! All of our desserts and edibles were really simple and easy to create without sacrificing on taste. Seriously, just a few hours in the kitchen and you too can have a veritable fall feast! Please look for our follow up post in a couple of days with the how-to’s on all the recipes and where-to’s on the things we bought ready made! For now though here is a quickie overview:
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Topping, recipe linked from Annie Eats. These are deliciously moist and sticky!
- Gingerbread Spice Cookies - Store bought but still super yummy. We picked up several varieties from Wal-Mart that were perfect.
- Red Delicious Apples - Yep just plain ole Red Apples, but they are so beautiful, tasty and classically fall.
- Caramel Corn Stalks - Please see our future blog post about how to make these cute harvest desserts!
- Mulled Apple Cider - One jug of apple cider + one packet of mulling spices stewed on the stovetop = fall in a jiffy! Just add cinnamon sticks for the complete experience!
- Candied Pecans - This is a classic recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Red/White Cookbook. It also happens to have a bit of sentimental value to me as it was something my grandmother made for our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday get-together. Miss you Grandma!
- Acorn Cookies - Super simple, super cute and delish!
- Pumpkin Cake - Tried and true recipe from Williams-Sonoma, it never disappoints.
- Sugared Pears - The easiest, most elegant way to serve up a pear.
We hope you enjoyed this Autumn / Fall theme as much as we enjoyed putting it all together. It is a perfect design for Thanksgiving or any family gathering you may be planning this autumn.
Our Autumn Harvest Printables set includes everything listed below in as many quantities as you need!
- 5x7” Invitation
- Straw Flags
- Pie Bunting
- 5” (Large) Food Tags
- 3” (Small) Food Tags
- 4 Decorative Patterned Cupcake Wrapper Designs
- Wine Bottle Labels
- 2” Party Circles
- Napkin Rings / Bottle Wraps
- 5x7” Banner Cards
How are we doing? Any comments or questions about our Dessert Tables are always welcomed and answered as quickly as possible, so feel free to chat us up!
Want to know what we are really diggin’ this week? Join us on Pinterest for daily inspirations!
