As the holiday season arrives, many of us look forward to gathering with family and friends around a beautifully decorated table. This year, why not make your tablescape not only festive but also eco-friendly? With a few thoughtful choices, you can create a warm, inviting table that celebrates nature and supports sustainable living. At One Planet Life, we believe that every holiday gathering is an opportunity to showcase the beauty of nature and our commitment to a sustainable future. Here’s how to craft a gorgeous, eco-conscious tablescape for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday gathering.
Embrace the Beauty of Edible Decor
This season, let fruits be the stars of your holiday tablescape. Fruits like apples, cranberries, limes, lemons, and oranges add a burst of natural color and serve as a reusable, zero-waste choice. Arrange fresh apples or pomegranates at the center of your table for a vibrant pop of red or green. Nestle cranberries in small glass bowls or let them cascade across a runner for a whimsical touch. Sliced lemons and limes add a fresh scent and bright hues that complement your holiday color palette.
Best of all, these fruits can be eaten, composted, or repurposed after your celebration. Consider using leftovers in homemade potpourri or refreshing holiday drinks. Each element becomes a meaningful, sustainable choice.
Add Warmth with Natural Elements
Bring the outdoors inside with pine cones, pine branches, and cinnamon sticks for a cozy, earthy touch. Scatter a few pine cones around your fruit display or place them between candles and greenery for texture. Arrange pine branches or needles down the center of your table for a festive, woodland-inspired garland, and add sprigs of rosemary, basil, or thyme for an aromatic and fresh green element.
Cinnamon sticks add a delightful holiday fragrance and look elegant tied in small bundles with twine. Scatter them around the table or place one on each plate as a thoughtful, fragrant accent. These natural elements add warmth and depth and can be composted or reused after the season.
Use What You Have
Creating an eco-friendly tablescape doesn’t mean buying new decor. Instead, look around your home for items that can add to your design. Candle holders, glass jars, or even wine bottles can make lovely additions. Mix these with natural elements to add charm without waste.
I recently created two tablescapes using only what I had on hand—one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. For Thanksgiving, I incorporated small pumpkins and gourds from Halloween, added pine cones I had previously collected, and used a driftwood piece from my patio as a centerpiece base. I filled a small flower pot with moss and topped it with a tea candle, then added a couple of green sprigs taken from one of my indoor plants. To complete the look, I wrapped each place setting’s flatware in a cloth napkin, tied it with jute, and added a dried lavender sprig—a sprig of rosemary or thyme would work just as well.
For Christmas, I embraced a natural theme with more red, silver, and gold. I used a silver tray as the foundation, topped with planter moss and pine cones, then added a decorative red pail filled with battery-operated candles. I displayed fresh flowers in small cranberry-colored vases found in the back of my hutch and used crystal candle holders with tall candles for an elegant touch. To finish the look, I folded red napkins like trees, adding a creative pop of color against white plates.
Finding new uses for items we rarely use feels rewarding, doesn’t cost anything, and leaves more budget for the meal itself.
Choose Reusable Cloth Napkins
Cloth napkins are an impactful swap for an eco-friendly table. If you don’t have many, check your local second-hand store for unique options. I found the red cotton napkins used in my Christmas tablescape at Goodwill—originally from World Market, a set of six was only $4. Cloth napkins are reusable, add charm and color to any tablescape, and reduce the need for disposables.
Consider buying a few different colors that can be mixed and matched for multiple holidays. At One Planet Life, we encourage this simple, sustainable approach: buy once, reuse many times, and give items a second life.
Mix Fresh Flowers with Natural Elements
A small bouquet adds a lovely accent to your table without needing an elaborate arrangement. Intermingle a few flowers with your fruits, pine cones, and herbs for subtle elegance. This minimalist approach reduces waste and lets natural elements shine. I purchased the fresh flowers I used for my Thanksgiving tablescape from Trader Joe’s for $7.99—proof that beauty doesn’t have to come at a high cost.
Be Thoughtful About Post-Holiday Clean-Up
Once the celebration ends, consider how to reuse or recycle your decorations. Fruits can be eaten, dried, or composted; herbs can be used in winter dishes or teas; and natural items like pine cones and cinnamon sticks can be saved for future decorations or added to homemade potpourri to keep your home smelling festive.
By being intentional with both setup and clean-up, you’ll enjoy a holiday that’s not only beautiful but also aligns with your sustainable values.
Creating an eco-friendly tablescape is a wonderful way to bring loved ones together while embracing sustainability. This holiday season, let your table reflect nature’s beauty and the joy of giving back to our planet. With these ideas, your holiday tables will be both festive and earth-friendly, setting the scene for memorable gatherings that honor nature’s bounty and celebrate a brighter, more sustainable future.
Make sure your menu is as sustainable as your table! Read our blog for inspiring recipes and menu suggestions to make serving a snap!
Written by Amy Bates
CMO and Community Builder
“At the core of everything I love are people – family, friends, and colleagues. The opportunity to focus my skills on an effort to leverage the capabilities of technology to improve the quality of life and help protect the planet brings my professional and personal lives together toward a common goal. One Life. One Planet. One Planet Life.”
