Cozy Rustic Winter Tablescape {Simple & Affordable Ideas}
Do you long for simplicity after Christmas? A clean, uncluttered look? Me, too! Check out how I created an easy, minimalist winter tablescape without sacrificing cozy farmhouse charm! Come see mix of rustic and modern farmhouse coziness without the overload!
An Uncluttered Home to Start the New Year
After all the “much” of Christmas and holiday decor, when New Year’s rolls around and I’m getting my house in order, I just want simple. Uncluttered. Natural.
When I did this last year, I snapped a picture of my dining table because it just spoke of that same simplicity to me. It was just a few trees I had left from my Christmas decorations, mixed in with a lovely centerpiece (my sweet neighbor sends up floral centerpieces for winter just about every year), and it spoke calm to my over-stimulated heart.
When American Farmhouse Style magazine was looking for winter tablescapes, I sent in that photo on a whim. And y’all. They decided to do a feature on it.
What, what?!?
They really wanted one with a place setting as well, so I recreated it and decided to share the full thing here.
(I had shared a few photos in my winter minimalist decorating post, but I felt a rustic winter tablescape with table setting and all the things deserved its own post.)
Winter Farmhouse – Rustic- Modern Farmhouse – Minimalist Home
As I mentioned in previous posts, I’ve defined my home decor style as a modern rustic… it sometimes leans more modern farmhouse or industrial; it sometimes leans more minimalist or Scandinavian. Occasionally, a little boho (hello, house plants).
But I generally like my house to feel cozy and full of lots of natural elements. I like to fill my spaces with DIY projects, meaningful pieces, things that are more original when possible.
When I think of winter, I think of nature: pine cones, bare trees, evergreens for bursts of color… I try to incorporate that feel inside my home, too (you can see more pictures of that here!). Even though those things are associated with cold, when you’re indoors, it drives you to cozy up.
Let me share how I put together my winter tablescape, full of the rustic vibes.
Winter Tablescape Ideas with Rustic Elements
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Table Runner
This is a simple neutral table runner with grey under tones that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I love it because it works well with different shades of wood – you’ll see that we switched out our dinner table for a larger one, which is a different color wood.
I think it worked fabulously with both dinner tables.
Centerpieces
For my winter centerpieces, I spread out pairs of trees along the table with one focal centerpiece.
The first time around, as I said, fresh greens and fresh flowers seasonal to winter was a lovely gift from a neighbor.
When I recreated it, I used an empty apple cider jar and filled it with faux tree branches and pines, some with faux snow on them.
I would have loved to place it on a wooden stump, but since I didn’t have one, I used a DIY tray that I made, using thin, wood rounds that you can get at Hobby Lobby or craft stores, wood beads and a little hot glue!.
To me, I think that the lush greenery adds a bit of life to the stark feel of winter. I also think that something simple like this can keep your table functional, as it’s simple and not overbearing (super pretty & easy for winter weddings, too!).
The trees were mostly Christmas clearance items from stores like Target or Walmart.
I love how some are wrapped in brown paper bags, which is a fun change from typical mini terracotta pots. The brown bags also tie into the paper snowflake stars hanging from the winter (which is both Christmas and winter decor!). It’s a whole look, lol.
If you didn’t want to use a vase of greens for your winter centerpiece, a wooden log candle holder surrounded by brass candlesticks and taper candles would be a wonderful alternative as well!
Just about anything from nature in the wintertime will create the rustic look you’re going for and be a very pretty centerpiece.
Place Settings
For the place settings, I used round jute placemats. Again, these are neutral in color, so I use them pretty much all year at my dining room table. But I also love the natural fibers for winter, too.
If I had them handy, a wooden slice on top of a placemat would have been a fun way to do add a charger plate.
You can even use them as wood slice placemats instead of chargers. {Pro-tip: wood slices are free if you have trees chopped in your yard and add instant rustic vibes!)
But as I said, I was focusing on simple and functional, more than fancy.
I love white plates to brighten up and add contrast, as opposed to a fully white tablescape. The winter whites from the plates contribute a snowy feel.
For the napkin rings, I used concrete faux birch rings from Hobby Lobby. And again, I love these because these are multi-seasonal. You can use the from fall through the winter season all the way up through Valentine’s Day for a cozy and romantic tablescape.
I kept the linen napkins neutral as well (these are actually Christmas linen napkins flipped over to hide the text, lol), and add a just a sprig of faux cedar to brings some color.
Background Wall Decor
As I mentioned, I used paper bag snowflakes to hang from my windows to add some extra interest. There are also more green trees on the shelf behind it.
Winter decorations can sometimes be a little bland, so adding vibrant greens helps with that. I personally don’t like to go for a full-on rustic winter white setting and need some color and life added in, especially when winter can feel a little bleak and overwhelming.
Fairy string lights can also be added to the windows for some extra cozy and romantic ambiance, but still staying with a farmhouse rustic theme.
Cozy Minimalist Winter Tablescape with an Eclectic Flair
I mixed all of my favorite styles – rustic, modern farmhouse, minimalist, Scandinavian – to create this table. I know it’s an eclectic arrangement, but I’m good with this!
I recommend being true to your own style – this is YOUR winter wonderland, so your dining table, your coffee table, your living room, your den, your porch, your front door – all of it should reflect what makes YOU feel cozy and warm.
The good news is that it’s easy to do, without a lot of extra cost, using what’s free in nature and probably what you already have.
More Winter Decor Ideas
If you want inspiration for more decorating ideas for winter, check these out!
21 Cozy, Easy, & Elegant Winter Tablescape Ideas
Get Cozy this Winter with 30 Fantastic Mantel Ideas
35 DIY Winter Wreaths (Easy Non-Christmas Ideas)
35 Cozy DIY Winter Decor Ideas (Farmhouse Style)
Cozy Rustic Farmhouse Winter Decor Ideas (This one is a Reader’s Favorite!)
If you try any of these ideas, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram @100affections and I’ll share in my stories!
Other thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
{And I’d be so grateful if you’d share this post on Pinterest or social media!}
