Living out in rural Maine, like anywhere, has its drawbacks and its perks. A major drawback is an absence of Target(s) within a two-hour radius, and a major perk is daily minimalistic inspiration to utilize surrounding nature as decor. There’s actually a functioning Christmas Tree farm on our property, so I’ve been picking up superfluous amounts of acorns, pine cones, dried berries, and (of course) aromatic Christmas Tree branches on my daily morning walks. So far, I’ve been so amazed at what I’ve been about to create, primarily thanks to Pinterest. It’s insane what a little spray metallic paint and glitter can do!

From gold glitter-dipped pine cones to rosemary wreath napkins rings, pastoral fall table decorations create the perfect tablescape for a country Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even a routine Saturday night shindig with friends. And when combine a simplistic Maine ambience with the right wines for the occasion, like Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, you’ll have some pretty darn smitten dinner guests. Keep reading for more on my favorite Georges Duboeuf wines and two “how to” design tutorials for this homemade center piece and rosemary wreath napkin rings.

Kyle and I have become red wine snobs (we average about a bottle a night, no big deal), and our favorite Georges Duboeuf wine for this season is Beaujolais Nouveau 2016, which can be thought of as the first taste of a new vintage, the first wine of the harvest, and an indicator for the quality of that year’s vintage. The wine, which is fresh, fruity, and delightfully festive, is always released on the third Thursday of November, making it an annual tradition that also ushers in the start of the holiday season. Vibrant bright red fruit is always the signature color and flavor of Beaujolais Nouveau, and it is best served chilled and combined with friends, family, and seriously good food.

A very close second favorite wine of ours is Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2016, which pairs well with just about anything– including burgers, pizza, grilled fish, and asian takeout. If you’re not familiar with any Beaujolais wines, Beaujolais-Villages is a great entry-level wine for those who are new to Beaujolais, especially since its price point is much higher than what you would get out of a French or even Californian Pinot Noir. Plus, it makes a great fall sangria base! 

Perhaps the most important of any fall table decorations is a nice festive center piece. Kyle patiently accompanied me to around six stores until we found this perfect long wooden flower box at Home Depot. I know you can find similar boxes on Etsy, but we had an early Thanksgiving with Kyle’s mom last week, so I didn’t have an extra two weeks delivery time to spare. As a box filler, you can use:

• scented potpourri balls
• pine cones (which look great painted and dipped in glitter as shown)
• pine tree trimmings, acorns (which also look great painted and dipped in glitter)
• dried or fresh flowers and berries
• ultra-slim wire lights (great added source of table light)
• whatever best fits with the rest of your fall table decorations.

Plant white pillar candles, preferably of two different sizes for contrast, in the box for pleasant table lighting. You can also experiment with candlestick candles, but I didn’t like the way they looked quite as much. I personally wanted the table to look a bit more rustic, so I forewent a white tablecloth and opted for a gold runner with scattered white candle votives instead.

In addition to the rustic centerpiece, I wanted to add a little more greenery to the table. I took an idea I saw on Pinterest for rosemary place cards and adapted it to make rosemary wreath napkin rings instead. The craft process is very similar, but napkin rings obviously require a little extra structure to hold a napkin within their grip. Here’s all you need:

• sprigs of fresh rosemary
• durable neutral-colored craft string or thread
• scissors

Unless you grow you own elongated rosemary sprigs in a private herb garden, you’ll need to bind at least two sprigs together to make a large enough circle. Don’t focus on tying a pretty bow– just wrap the string around each spring to securely hold them together.

Next, bind the two loose ends with string. Again, instead of tying a pretty knot, wrap the string around each spring to secure the ring.

Lastly, tie additional string on each rosemary wreath to tie down any stray rosemary needles. Once you’re confident that the string will hold, gently thread each napkin through.

Super simple, right? For more ideas about fall table decorations, check out my Fall Playtime board on Pinterest! Happy hosting!

_{I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.}