Books on a Fall Tablescape

Since many are starting back to school soon I decided to do a Books themed tablescape. I did a schoolhouse themed tablescape another year, you can see that one here. I love some of Spoonflower’s tablecloth designs but I have only bought one in the past because they cost more than I want to spend but they were having a sale a few years ago and I saw this Staxx Books tablecloth online. As a retired librarian I felt that I must have it! (I bought another one on sale too, you will see that one on a blog post later.) I love the bold graphics and bright colors. Their fabrics are thick and they wash and iron well.

I bought this book shaped white plate in four different sizes several years ago online from Webstaurantstore.com. They still have them for sale but unfortunately you have to buy a case of the plates because the web site is a restaurant supply store. Find a friend or two to share the cost with! I bought them anyway because I felt a librarian who does tablescaping should have these plates! (I was still working at the time.) They are labeled CAC China. If you google book shaped plate you might find some at another site. This white appetizer plate is on top of the plate stack.

The salad plate is the same design but a bit larger. I like the bright white color of these plates.

The dinner plate is a bit larger than that. I used this plate a few years ago on a reading and witches themed Halloween tablescape. You can see that tablescape here.

I needed a basic square black charger and I found these on Amazon a few years ago. They are melamine and they are made by American Atelier. I think you can find them in other stores too. If you are a tablescaper, it’s a good idea to have basic plates in neutral colors that you can use over and over again. To read about what you should consider when you are buying charger plates please click here.

I wanted another set of black flatware that was all black and different from my Ginkgo International LePrix set to use on a Halloween tablescape and I found this set a few years ago on sale at Macy’s online. It was made by Lenox and the pattern is called Portola. I love the simple design and shiny black color. I suspect this set will get a lot of use. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These A to Z napkin rings are homemade. I bought the unfinished wooden letters at Michael’s and Hubby painted them black for me and then glued the letters together. Then I temporarily attached the letters to some black napkin rings I have with masking tape. The letters A and Z are on the tablecloth so I wanted to match them. You can read about other homemade napkin ring ideas here. The lime green cotton napkins came from Pier 1 several years ago before our store closed. I added them to match the green color on the tablecloth.

I love these tiny typewriter place card holders. I have had them for a few years and I have been waiting for a chance to use them on a tablescape. I found them at The Knot Shop online.

The lime green goblet on the left is my go-to goblet when I need that color for a tablescape. They came from Pier 1 several years ago. I have black goblets that are shorter than the black goblet on the right and black goblets that are much taller than this goblet but I wanted goblets this height. I was delighted to find these black plastic ones on Amazon a few years ago. It said that they were disposable but I plan to keep them for a while until I can find some glass black ones that are the same height. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

I knew I wanted to use black letters for the centerpiece to match the black letters on the tablecloth and I was looking at single letters but I found this a and z wood book end set on Amazon a few years ago. They were blue and white but Hubby painted them black for me. I have books in every room in the house and I went around and looked for books with covers that were the same colors as some of the book covers on the tablecloth. It caused an unusual collection of subjects!

I love this tablecloth and the color combination of black and white and lime green.

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!