Let’s be honest: the holidays are going to look a little different this year.

Most of us are usually looking forward to slowing down, and heading inside with big gatherings of family and friends. Instead I’m hoping this year we’re all going to heed advice from health experts and keep our gatherings small and within our “bubbles”.

Since there’ll be less family and friends, maybe we can instead focus our effort on bringing our creativity to the table.

Leaves, fruit and mini pumpkins make for simple and lovely decoration.

Here are some simple ideas I’ve come up with to bring your table to life.

Hang things. This is a great trick if you’re in a pinch for extra table space. Use clear fishing wire to hang natural items from above: flowers, grasses, pine cones, etc. Just be sure nothing is going to fall on your delicious food. Give it a good shake before hanging to make sure it’s secure!

Mix vintage and modern. Don’t fret if nothing you have in your home “matches”. Use a mix of new and old, vintage and modern. Then use color to bring everything together.

Mix tall and short. Create variety for the viewer by using taller arrangements mixed with low arrangements or simply items artfully set on the table.

Use twigs and sticks. Almost all natural objects look cool and funky when brought inside. Place twigs in a glass vase or arrange them on the table. The best part is they don’t need water. My faves? Spruce and birch. But get creative! Can you find colorful twigs this time of year??

Use bud vases (or my favorite - empty glass spice jars). Your flowers or other gathered items will go way farther if you divide them and place 1-3 stems in a bud vase or jar. You can then artfully arrange items all the way down the table so that each diner has a nice view of something beautiful.

Use fruit. Whole or cut open fruit looks gorgeous and really gets the taste buds primed :) Grapefruit and other citrus, colorful apples, papaya, etc. Play around with what you think might look interesting.

Buy some flowers. Nothing brightens up the home like flowers! This winter we are partnering with other American farmers to bring you a fresh, gorgeous and seasonal bouquet for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. These will be for pre-order only and will go on sale the week of October the 26th. I can’t wait to share these with you!!

For additional ideas and some fun inspiration photos go here!

And lastly, after your holiday celebrations send me a photo of your table: turnstonefarm@gmail.com or tag me on Instagram @turnstonefarm! Can’t wait to see what you create :)

Tablescape Inspiration for your Holiday Table