Continuing on with the cutely packaged store bought items, I was able to meld together two of my fall inspirations (apples and cranberries) for one adorable presentation.  Presented in tiny little baskets, chocolate covered cranberries take on a decidedly apple-like appearance.  I love that they add a playful and unexpected element to the table.  Again, a lined galvanized steel tray was all the backdrop I needed to arrange my little army of baskets symmetrically and simply.

By no means should you feel like you need to create everything for your table.  Half the fun of a project like this I think is coming up with creative ways to display already beautiful items.

Case in point – how amazing are these cookies?  I have already documented my obsession with SweetAmbs Cookies.  Simply put, the girl has some serious skills with a pastry tip.  This project proved to be the perfect excuse reason to work with Amber on my very own custom cookies.  I sent her a few inspiring images and my list of brainstormed “themes”.  A few weeks later a, flurry of cookie pictures, each one more gorgeous than the last, arrived in my inbox.

Quite frankly any of the designs would have been perfect, that’s how good she is.  You can see the others that didn’t make the cut here. (I hope they went to a nice home in someone’s belly!)  A clear glass cake pedestal lined with decorative paper is all these beauties needed.

In the Carolinas, Fall marks the beginning of the peanut harvest.  In keeping with my “Fall’s Bounty” idea, I decided to incorporate some peanut brittle into my table design.  This was seriously SO easy and really fun.  If you’ve never made peanut brittle before, it can be a little intimidating at first.  But with a little help from You Tube I was well on my way.  I totally messed up the first batch but then I found Cindy who walked me through all the steps.  Isn’t You Tube awesome?

Some cute boxes, labels and ribbon are all you need to complete the look (don’t worry, big post on where to get all this stuff coming up tomorrow morning).

{NOTE} Download the free font Artistamp Medium to get the same look as images above.

What says autumn more than apple cider?  Nothing could be more appropriate at a beautiful, Fall inspired affair.  I knew I wanted cider to take center stage on my table and I achieved that by presenting it beautifully in 2 gallon glass jars with pretty wood ladles.  I always think it’s important to tell guests what they’re drinking so I personalized each jar with a cute label and some velvet ribbon.  To up the festive factor another notch, I decided to include both traditional apple cider and a more adult appropriate version that includes Calvados, a yummy apple brandy.

Here’s my favorite recipe for what I like to call {really} spiced apple cider (via Epicurious).  You’ll need to multiply these ingredients by 4 in order to fill your 2 gallon jar.  Just combine in a very large stockpot with your apple cider and it’s that simple.

• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 whole allspice berries
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 whole cloves
• Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup Calvados, or to taste

Cinnamon definitely came up in my brainstorming session but rather than present it traditionally inside the mugs, I decide to take a more playful approach and used a vase filler I found in the candle aisle at Target to create a fragrant bed for my mugs.  Simple, low cost and a really cute result (if I do say so!)

{NOTE} Download the free font Artistamp Medium to get the same look as images above.

As with any project, I think it’s always important to start with a good sense for the elements that will inspire your overall design.  For me, a single trip to the farmer’s market sealed the deal – APPLES!  They are so abundant this time of year and their colors provide the absolute perfect color palette to draw from.  But challenge yourself to think beyond color.  Get out a notebook, close your eyes and brainstorm a list of textures, flavors, and even scents that you associate with your main inspiration (I’ll be sharing my brainstorm “sketch” in a later post).

For my Fall inspired table, my brainstorm list looked like something this:

Textures – burlap, baskets, straw, wheat, galvanized metal, weathered wood, velvet

Colors – chocolate brown, caramel tan, reds, golden yellows, plaid

Food & Flavors – wheat sheaves, apples, cranberries (I grew up near the Ocean Spray factory…fall will always mean flooded bogs and cranberries to me!), peanuts, apple cider, apple pies, cinnamon, caramel

Don’t worry about your list being “right”!  This part is all about idea generation.  Just let your mind run wild and get your ideas down.  You’d be surprised how you can incorporate some of your inspirational brainstorm elements into your table.  If you’re like me, you’ll have way more inspirational elements then you need.

And now for the #1 thing I want you to take away from this post:

THE KEY TO A BEAUTIFUL, MAGAZINE-WORTHY TABLE IS PICKING 2-3 ELEMENTS (COLORS, TEXTURES, SHAPES, ETC) AND USING THEM THROUGHOUT.

Once you’ve generated your exhaustive list, you’ll be tempted to use everything you’ve come up with on your table.  RESIST! Repeating patterns, textures and colors is pleasing to the eye and will lend a cohesive, professional look to your table.  More tips on how to achieve “the look” coming up in a later post.