Nature Walk Inspired Fall Tablescape ~ DIY Friday

Now that the Halloween candy bowl is near empty I thought it was time to start thinking about Thanksgiving.  I wanted to create a Fall Tablescape that coordinated with my Neutral Fall Mantle.  So I grabbed a bag, my two year old by her hand and headed outside for a nature walk to forage for acorns and pine cones.  Little did I know that my sweet little lady would take my plans in a whole other direction...but it turned out just perfect!

Now I had a little time on my hands because this DeClutter Week we are focusing on the Landing Areas, and mine are still clean!  But I do have the tendency to put stuff on my dinning room table so making it pretty I figured would help me keep it clear.  My (original) plan was to gather acorns and pine cones to fill up a particular wooden box I have.  You might of seen the long one I usually keep on top of my kitchen cabinets in my Vintage Box Turned Mail Center post.  

When we ventured outside I quickly found an acorn and showed the little lady what we were looking for.

A few acorns later and things started to change.  She pulled her little hand away and shouted "A stick with hair on it!" followed by giggles upon giggles.  An old branch covered with lichen had fallen and became the only thing she wanted to put in my bag.  The only thing.  She became completely obsessed with finding hairy sticks.

Lichen is like a Halloween candy bowl for deer, and apparently now for the lady.  As I pointed out to her all the hairy sticks still in the trees she saw even more hair on the trunk of the tree and started to pull it off amidst more giggling.

I know there is an old saying that moss grows on the north side of a tree but our Oak's are covered with moss a full 360 degrees.  During out walk I managed to find a few more acorns and (unsuccessfully) tried to turn her attention to any thing other then hairy sticks and moss.  Circling around to the firewood pile she stuck to her guns and picked up big pieces of hairy bark.

 My bag, and now arms, were getting pretty full so we headed back to the house.  My mind was starting to flash ideas like a rogue Pinterest board of what I would do with our nature walk collection when the lady took off towards our Lemon Balm Mint plant.  The kiddo's like to munch on the leaves and she was now pulling out handfuls of this stuff.  Geesh, maybe next year I'll fill her trick-or-treat bag full of mint leaves!

 I laid out all our treasures on a table outside to encourage any creepy crawlies to find a new home.  I noticed we had a theme going, shades of woods and greens, which would still coordinate with my mantle.  I put the lady down for her nap and started on my new decor plan.  With a few new touches of white candles and shimmery glass punch cups and Mason Jars, my nature walk inspiration began.

I started by adding some of the lichen and moss to the punch glasses as well as a tea light.

I put the glasses in a group of three with one glass turned upside down and a larger candle sitting on top.

 I added a bit more lichen and moss to a couple jars with hinged lids.  A third jar (hard to see in this picture) holds the handful of acorns I managed to sneak in the bag.

What did I do with the hairy sticks you ask?  Well I added a few to a couple of Mason Jars, one on each end of the wooden box.

Included in each jar is a branch with a vine wrapped around it.  My luck the vine is from a Poison Oak devil-bush and I'll be completely covered head to toe in a torturous rash.  

I'll keep you posted.

Around the Mason Jars I placed the pieces of bark along with sprigs of mint and the rare few pine cones that the squirrels hadn't torn apart for their winter stash.

 Any left over hairy sticks (giggle giggle) were layed in the box in between the jars and punch glasses turned candle holders.

My nature walk with my little lady was so much fun, and special.  Every time I look at our collection from our walk, and how beautiful it turned out I smile.  Making memories...isn't that what this life is all about?

I even managed to add some of our leftover collection to create a vignette on the built in china hutch.

Here is my dinning room table before.

 

And my new Nature Walk Inspired Fall Tablescape.

Thanks little lady!  I will never look at a 'hairy stick' again without thinking of our special time together.  And I'm so glad I resisted the urge to ignore your treasures and only focus on mine.  It turned out so much better with you in my hand  =)