Simple Dining Table Centerpiece Ideas for Autumn

Are you hosting Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving this year? Or, do you just want to make your evening meals with your family festive? Either way, I’m sharing some simple dining table centerpiece ideas for autumn.

There’s nothing better than gathering around the table on a cool autumn night and eating a delicious and piping hot chicken pot pie with family or friends.

The crispness outside and the warmth inside that makes it feel right. There’s also nothing like eating said pot pie with turkey plates and candlelight, either.

You don’t even need special occasions to come together over a good meal, but fall is a great time to plan something.

This summer, I went to a friend’s house (Hey, Sarah!) and she had an adorable beverage carafe on her counter. I asked where she had bought it at and she told me Tuesday Morning.

Needless to say, I stored that away in the back of my mind and when I decided that I wanted to get some simple, but festive dinnerware for our autumn meals, I made a plan to head to Tuesday Morning and see what they had available.

Great Places to Find Simple Centerpiece Decor

There are so many places that you can look to find budget friendly options for your dining table decor.

I love searching for treasures at antique stores and thrift stores, but there are also other places I go.

TJ MAXX

TJ Maxx is a great place to get pretty baubles for a good price point.

They have an entire section dedicated to the kitchen and dining area, plus more for just decor.

Home Goods

Maybe you don’t have a TJ Maxx, but you have a Home Goods. They are the same thing, essentially.

Home Goods has a huge selection of specialty food items, table dressings, tiered trays, floral centerpieces, and simple decoration for your kitchen table centerpiece or formal dining room.

Tuesday Morning

If you’ve never been to a Tuesday Morning, it’s basically a one-stop shop for all of the seasonal things you will need. You will find things in every nook and cranny of the store.

The thing I love about Tuesday Morning is that it has great, name-brand products at affordable prices. It makes purchasing something a little less painful when you aren’t spending a bundle on the item.

When we went to get stuff for our dining table, the girls and I loaded up in the car, list of “needs” in hand, and hit the road for a fun girls’ trip to find our goodies.

As always, I don’t want a bunch of random items, but rather items that can transition from autumn to winter and than can be used in other areas of my home as needed.

A few of the items I was looking for were:

candle lanterns
reusable napkins
copper mule mugs
a white baking dish for pretty food presentation
and something for the centerpiece

Creating a Dining Table Centerpiece

The key to creating the perfect fall table that is inviting and cozy is to layer items and light candles.

Drinkware

The first items I found at Tuesday Morning were the copper wine mules. I was so excited because they feel fancy for the ladies, yet manly for the guys around the table.

You don’t have to use copper, if you are wanting a more casual look. Mason jars would would perfectly for the table.

Dishes

Whether you are throwing a fancy dinner party or just having friends over, dishes can elevate a meal.

These turkey plates called my name and I couldn’t resist their simple charm.

Since the plates were filled with interest, I paired them with a vintage looking, simple cotton napkin with a red stripe. Once I found those items, I then moved on to the center of the table.

Focal Point

There are several ways to create a focal point on a dining table, but a main way is to layer and create a centerpiece with some height.

Here are several creative ways you can make a beautiful centerpiece:

use a bouquet of flowers in a large vase or a large flower arrangement
put together a contemporary centerpiece
make a dramatic statement with a potted plant
stack hors d’oeuvres on a tiered tray for people to enjoy
pumpkin centerpiece with muted, pastel colored pumpkins
for a mid century modern look, stack green apples in a simple wooden tray with some miniature green plants lining the center of the table

Since we use our dining table as a school table during the week, I needed to make sure the centerpiece could be repurposed around the house.

I loved each of the centerpiece layers- wooden trivet, cotton wreath, and candle hurricanes.

Base Layer

For the very first layer of the table, you will either lay out a table cloth or table runner.

This anchors everything else for the table. If the decor is simple, then go bold with your base layer.

Creating Light and Ambiance

The bottom layer is a simple cotton wreath that I hang on our peg rack when we aren’t hosting dinner. The next layer is a beautiful wooden trivet that has candles clustered on top.

One of my favorite finds were these two small lion tea light holders (to the right of the trivet) that I am smitten by.

I have them on our mantle when they aren’t in use here on the table and they transition into the Christmas season, as well.

You can grab some basic clear glass candle holders to create a warmth, too.

The last pieces to our centerpiece are the oversized, black lanterns that were half the price of other lanterns the same size that I’ve found elsewhere.

I looked for large lanterns and was baffled by the price. If you look long enough, you will find what you’re looking for at a price that works within your budget.

Invite in the Cozy

I couldn’t help but cozy up the chairs a bit, too. They seemed cold and lonely with the table being so festive, so I threw a blanket and some pillows on them and- voila!

This small addition invites guests to stay around awhile and chat.

Repurposing your Dining Table Centerpiece

Remember, you can use your centerpiece elsewhere when you are finished with your meal.

If you made a floral arrangement, put it on your kitchen island afterwards.

Simple table decorations and natural elements can transition to another time of the year or another room in your home.

Simple Dining Table Centerpiece Ideas for Autumn