How to Style a Fall Tray: Easy Vignette with Leaves and Flowers

As the leaves start to turn, there’s no easier way to bring the season indoors than styling a fall tray. Today I’ll show you how to put one together step by step, using faux leaves, flowers, and a few cozy touches.

A tray is the perfect foundation for seasonal decorating. It corrals all your pieces into one tidy grouping, and when the season changes, you can swap everything out and start fresh. That makes a fall tray one of the most versatile ways to decorate your home for autumn, whether you think of it as a vignette, a centerpiece, or simply a pretty arrangement.

For this one, I chose a natural palette of creams, soft whites, and muted fall tones, then added a few pops of orange for contrast and plenty of organic texture. I’ll walk you through every element I used and share my simple process for styling a tray, so you can create your own.

Best of all, this idea works almost anywhere in your home: a coffee table, dining table, entry or console, kitchen island, or mantel. Let’s get started.

A rustic basket tray is the foundation of my fall vignette. To really embrace the season, I included a stunning white vase filled with faux leaf stems. The vase instantly adds fall texture while capturing the essence of a crisp autumn day.

Faux leaves are always available to use in arrangements all year round. They add color, texture, and a fall-inspired vibe to any seasonal vignette.

Let’s talk about creating a lovely floral focal point in your family room, living room, entry, kitchen, or bedroom.

What Accessories Can You Add to a Fall Tray Vignette?

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Fall offers a wide variety of accessories for any seasonal vignettes. I hope that you’ll use these simple tips to inspire your own fall tray vignette. Here’s a list of accessories you can use to create a similar look:

1. Basket Tray: There are so many tray styles to choose from. As the foundation of your vignette, it “corrals” all the other accessories.
2. Faux Leaf Stems: To capture the essence of the season, you can choose faux maple, oak, or other autumn leaves in varying shades of red, orange, cream, brown and green. Fall foliage is always a great way to bring in the feeling of the season.
3. Fresh or Faux Flowers: In addition to faux leaf stems, you can add fresh or faux flowers. They can either match the color of the faux leaves or contrast with them.
4. White Vase: A classic, elegant vase to hold your faux leaf stems. It offers a beautiful contrast to the vibrant fall colors. Your vase can have a smooth texture or a more natural texture for a casual rustic look. The finishes you choose can change the feel of any floral arrangement. 
5. Faux Pumpkins: For that touch of whimsy, consider adding a group of pumpkins. You can choose from various sizes and fall colors to suit your color scheme. Your pumpkins can be painted. You can also use velvet pumpkins, rope or twine pumpkins, DIY yarn pumpkins or yarn pumpkins like the ones I recently made.
6. Candles: Scented or unscented, candles in fall-inspired scents like apple spice, cinnamon, or pumpkin spice can bring warmth and fragrance to your vignette. You can use a pillar candle or votives. This is a good time for faux battery-operated candles.
7. Pine cones: Natural pine cones add an earthy element and can be scattered throughout the display for an extra touch of nature. And, if you are lucky, you can find them in your own backyard. If not, pinecones are available online in different sizes: large, medium, and small.
8. Autumn Accents: Miniature scarecrows, real or faux acorns, or decorative gourds can be used to add extra fall charm to the vignette. Check out these easy DIY acorns that I made.
9. Vintage Items or Handmade Pieces: Any decorative object that lends itself to a fall vibe will be a great addition to your fall tray vignette. Vintage pieces, such as a stack of old books, old frames with an inspiration photo, a vintage glass, or a small old sign, can add a whimsical point of interest to your home decor.
10. A Cozy Throw in Fall Colors and Texture: Use a throw in fall colors as a base for your fall tray vignette. This step is an easy way to add more seasonal color, pattern, and texture to a setting. Your throw could be cotton, fleece, wool, or fur.

Where Can You Add a Fall Tray Vignette?

Is there only one place to use a fall tray vignette? Not at all. The best part of styling a fall tray with fall leaves is that there are so many opportunities to use it in your home.

Whether you are limited to a small space or have large areas to create a tray arrangement, you can use these ideas for many years to come.

A fall tray vignette can be a versatile and delightful addition to your home. Here’s a list of various places and spaces where you can incorporate a fall tray vignette to infuse the warmth and charm of autumn:

1. Coffee Table: The living room coffee table is a classic choice. It’s a focal point of the room, and a fall tray here can set the mood for the entire space. This is where I chose to place my fall tray vignette with fall leaves.
2. Dining Table: A fall tray vignette in the center of your dining table can create a cozy atmosphere for family meals and gatherings. It can be the focal point of a fall centerpiece for a dinner party or an everyday pretty focal point.
3. Console Table: Place a fall vignette on your console table in the entryway or hallway to welcome guests with the season’s warmth.
4. Mantel: Decorate your fireplace mantel with a fall tray vignette to frame the hearth and add a touch of autumn to your living room.
5. Kitchen Table or Island: Add a cozy, seasonal touch by styling a fall tray vignette on the island or countertop. Here’s where I placed my most recent fall vignette using a tray.
6. Bedroom Dresser: Bring the spirit of fall into your bedroom by placing a tray vignette on your dresser or vanity.
7. Bathroom Vanity: Add a small fall tray vignette with autumn accents to your bathroom vanity for the fall season.
8. Side Tables: Place mini fall tray vignettes on the end tables in your living room or bedroom to add a subtle touch of fall to these spaces.
9. Bookshelves: Incorporate a fall vignette on a shelf or bookcase to break up the regular decor and introduce autumn colors and textures.
10. Window Sills: If your window sill has enough depth, line it with small fall vignettes, letting natural light illuminate the faux leaves and create a beautiful display.
11. Home Office: Brighten up your home office with a fall tray vignette on your desk, keeping you motivated and in the seasonal spirit while you work.
12. Outdoor Patio or Porch: Extend the fall decor to your outdoor spaces with a vignette on your patio table or porch, creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests and neighbors.
13. Wall-Mounted Shelves: If you have wall-mounted shelves, use them to display a fall tray vignette. This creates visual interest and seasonal charm.
14. Sideboard or Buffet: In the dining room, place a fall vignette on your sideboard or buffet table to enhance your seasonal dinner parties. 
15. Bar Cart: Add a touch of autumn to your entertaining space by styling a fall tray vignette on your bar cart, incorporating seasonal drinkware and spirits.
16. Bathroom Decor: Even your bathroom can benefit from a small fall tray vignette. Place it on a decorative tray on the countertop or a built-in shelf.
17. Bookcase: Bookshelves may not be deep, but there is enough space to style a vignette. Use the same accessories as you would in any other space. This is a great place to use battery-operated candles.

Remember, the possibilities are endless. You can adapt the concept to suit any space in your home. The key is to have fun, get creative, and let the beauty of fall shine throughout your living spaces.

Here is another of my favorite fall vignettes – one styled with a confit pot on the kitchen island as the centerpiece.

What Am I Using in My Fall Tray Vignette?

For our fall tray vignette, I wanted a natural color scheme in creams, soft white, and muted fall colors. I also wanted organic elements with different textures. Then I added pops of orange for contrast.

For my fall tray vignette with faux leaves, I included the following elements:

• Round Woven Tray – This is a tray that I’ve used many times. Since our rectangular coffee table is the setting for this fall tray vignette, I like the contrast of a round tray. I chose a woven basket tray because it provides a rustic, warm base for a fall display. If you need a different shape, I love this rectangular woven tray.
• Round Wood Slice – I love this 3/4-inch wood slice for adding a natural element. It also adds height when needed.
• Raffia – Raffia is an inexpensive and easy way to add organic material and natural color to any vignette. I used it to cover the wood slice and raise all the elements in my vignette. It works great as a filler and can be made into bows.

• White Texture Round Vase – This vase was a freebie from Joann a few years ago. It has a rough texture with an organic shape and design.
• Faux Leaf Stems – Using faux leaves is always a great addition to any fall vignette. Fortunately, I had several stems that provided the natural creamy look I wanted. I’ve used these faux leaves before.

• Vintage Elements – For a whimsical addition, I added a vintage sugar mold that I bought at Cedar Chest Antique Mall in McGregor, Texas, a huge store full of vintage treasures. The sugar mold added a shade of brown to contrast with the white vase and straw-colored raffia.

• Plaid Throw in Orange and White – At this point, I stepped back and realized that something was missing. It needed a better connection to the glass coffee table. I also wanted more color and texture at the base of the tray.
  To fix that, I added a plaid throw I made last year for a fall tablescape. I made the throw by sewing two tablecloths together for a larger throw. I love the fringe with little faux crystals.

• Yarn Pumpkins – I made these yarn pumpkins in different fall shades of white, oatmeal, gold, and orange. These adorable little pumpkins are not only cute but also add wonderful texture, giving the arrangement a cozy, handmade feel. They provide a soft texture and the perfect filler.

• Butterscotch/Orange-Colored Votives – I didn’t like the look of the empty holes in the sugar mold, so I added fall-colored votives to fill them in.

• Fresh Flowers – To balance my fall tray vignette on the coffee table, I added a ceramic orange pumpkin planter that I found on my same vintage shopping spree in Waco, Texas. I found this pumpkin (It does have a top.) at a shop called Central Goods. I found the chrysanthemums at Trader Joe’s on our pumpkin-buying trip.

• Vintage Cutting Board – for more depth and another vintage treasure, I set the pumpkin on a wood cutting board.

NOTE: After looking at my entire vignette, I wasn’t crazy about the votives in the sugar molds. I had just bought a package of orange paper napkins. I folded one napkin in each hole. I like the pop of orange and the shape of the napkin better. What do you think? Votive or napkin?

Shopping for Your Fall Tray Arrangement

Process for Styling a Vignette

That completed my fall tray arrangement. This was an easy vignette to design. I followed my standard process of styling home decor vignettes:

1. ​Clear the space that you are working with.
2. Decide on a color scheme and a design aesthetic.
3. Add your largest element first – your thriller.
4. Fill in with medium-sized elements – your filler. They should contrast in color and texture with your major focal piece.
5. Finish your arrangement with smaller elements to fill in empty spaces.
6. Step back and view your vignette from different angles.
7. Rearrange and tweak the arrangement: add or remove elements for a more cohesive design. 
8. Aim to use an odd number of accessory elements when you add them to your tray base.

Fall Tray Styling: Your Questions Answered

Creating a fall tray vignette is a delightful way to celebrate the season’s beauty in your home. So, gather your favorite fall accessories, get creative, and bring that warm and inviting autumn ambiance right into your living space. I hope my process inspires you. 

Here’s another one of my favorite fall vignette posts with different information.

I hope that you will PIN this fall tray project to your Pinterest Boards and check out these inspiration-filled Boards: Autumn Ideas, Fall Home Decor, and Home Decor.