10 Festive Entertaining Ideas for Fall

Create a colorful and cozy spread for your fall party guests with a mix of dark and bright colors, organic texture and vintage touches.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Photo By: Flynnside Out Productions

Serving Station With Fall Flair

The arrival of fall also heralds the start of the holiday entertaining season. Host guests stylishly by setting up a serving station with an autumnal feel.

Cozy Up to Tea Time

Nothing knocks off a fall chill like a warm mug of tea. Make it easy for guests to serve themselves by neatly storing an assortment of herbal teas in antique serveware, like these old pewter pieces. The metal's aged patina adds to the warm feeling of a cozy autumn afternoon.

Add Autumnal Elegance

Bring a touch of elegance to your fall fete with colorful flowers, fruit and warm woods. This arrangement was made by placing bright orange ranunculus in glass votives set inside a reclaimed oak plank, then filling the votives with pomegranate seeds for a richly hued effect.

Woodsy Chargers

Fall decorating is all about cozy touches that remind you of the great outdoors. Bring a woodsy vibe to your table setting by placing dinnerware on log slice chargers. They're readily available online and in some craft stores -- or, head outdoors with a chainsaw and cut your own.

Seeded Eucalyptus

Seeded eucalyptus is an excellent filler for fall tabletop arrangements and centerpieces. The rich organic texture and warm green-grey tones are ideal for evoking a feeling of fall.

Centerpieces: Think Beyond Flowers

Instead of fresh flowers, consider adding the homey look of cotton stems to your fall setup. Place five to seven long stems in a large urn-shaped container to create a display that will last long after fresh flowers have faded.

Nut-Tastic Topiaries

Nuts remind us of the harvest, making them a natural choice for fall decorating. Give this humble material a sophisticated spin by using them to cover an inexpensive foam topiary. Just attach assorted nuts with hot glue, then fill in the spaces between with dark peat moss.

Personal Pies

Small single-serve pies and tarts are a smart way to serve a crowd and ensure you offer a variety of flavors to please picky palettes.

Opt for Neutral Linens

Neutrals are a popular choice for fall decorating, especially oatmeal tones that blend perfectly with oranges, deep plums and browns. Bring warm texture to your fall spread with table runners or tablecloths made from thick Belgian linen, antique sackcloth or even inexpensive burlap.

Press Heirloom Pieces Back Into Service

Time to dust off that hand-me-down tea service and put it to good use to serve your guests. Guests will love hearing the history of family pieces, plus antiques are sturdier and often of a much higher quality than serveware you can buy today.

10 Tips for Easy Entertaining

10 Festive Entertaining Ideas for Fall

Related To:

Serving Station With Fall Flair

Cozy Up to Tea Time

Add Autumnal Elegance

Woodsy Chargers

Seeded Eucalyptus

Centerpieces: Think Beyond Flowers

Nut-Tastic Topiaries

Personal Pies

Opt for Neutral Linens

Press Heirloom Pieces Back Into Service

Shop This Look

10 Tips for Easy Entertaining

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