I found an amazing piece of wood in a woodpile that inspired this simple French farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape.
Sometimes that’s all it takes for inspiration ~ a piece of wood.

I wanted to incorporate it into a tablescape and to me, it totally represented the French farmhouse style. It’s old, rustic, and white yet has a sense of elegance. You can see by its shape that it was once probably part of an attractive railing.
French farmhouse decor has a lot of vintage inspired pieces. It’s a casual, clean design with a little more feminine than your standard farmhouse style. I absolutely love it!
With this wonderful piece of wood as my inspiration, and Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought that creating a French farmhouse for my Friendsgiving dinner would be perfect. A casual meal with friends ~ sweet!

Now I just needed to figure out how to create a simple Friendsgiving tablescape that would have a French farmhouse style.
Here is how I did it, so you too can easily create a French farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape…
How to Create a French Farmhouse Friendsgiving Tablescape
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. I may get commissions (at no cost to you) for purchases made through these links. You can read my full disclosure for more details.
Step 1: Find inspiration and shop your house for your French farmhouse tablescape
As I mentioned above, a piece of old weathered wood was the inspiration for my simple French farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape.
Maybe you don’t have an old white weathered piece of wood like mine, so look around your house for something that makes you think of a French farmhouse. Look for vintage, or vintage-inspired, items that are white, raw wood, feminine, and have a sense of elegance. Something you can envision being in a farmhouse in France.
What do you find? What piece(s) do you have that inspires you?
When I shopped my house, I found quite a few other items I felt could be in a French farmhouse:
- an old-style white pitcher with a worn-looking design around the top
- salad plates that matched the pitcher
- a white table runner with charcoal colored stripes
- pewter candle holders and napkin rings
- green vintage style goblets
- French flatware with green handles
As I pulled all these items together, the color scheme for my French farmhouse table setting became apparent: it needed to be white, grey, and green.
Once you go around your house, what items did you find? When you look at what you have, what color(s) stand out? That will be the color scheme for your farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape.
Cool!
Step 2: Set your French farmhouse tablescape
The French farmhouse style has raw wood and lots of white. My dining table isn’t either of those and doesn’t have that look.
If you’re in the same boat as me, start with a white tablecloth like I did. It will cover your table and provide a foundation for the farmhouse tablescape.
I had a white table runner that had charcoal-colored stripes running down the middle of it. Total French farmhouse look. I put that over my white tablecloth. It almost blends into the tablecloth as if I had a tablecloth with stripes on it.

If you have a similar runner or a tablecloth with lines or stripes, use it on your table.
To create the place settings for your French farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape, start with a simple white charger. I found these white enamel ones at a local thrift store totally by chance. I knew I would be creating this farmhouse tablescape and they were perfect for it! Total luck!!
Then, on top of the charger add your dinner plate and your salad plate. I found that the dinner plate as one of my accent colors worked great. But if your salad plate is colored, and your dinner plate white, that works well, too.



Next, I added my silverware, diy linen fringe napkins, and pewter napkin rings. Then I place my water and wine glasses above the plates.
*For you table stylists ~ yes, I know I have my water and wine glasses in the wrong order. But for this table, I didn’t care to stick to the table-setting rules. It’s a casual table and the green glasses looked better above the water glass. So, for the “look” of the table, I broke the rules. LOL!
I absolutely LOVE these glasses!!! The feminine detail on them, along with the vintage design ~ totally French farmhouse style! And combining a green glass with a clear one ~ can’t you see that on a farmhouse table?




Then to complete my French farmhouse Friendsgiving place settings, I added diy enamel place cards. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out!

The worn enamel look of them totally feels like you’d find them in France. They’re super easy to make! And personalizing them is perfect for a Friendsgiving table. A cute gift for your friend to take home to remember the meal. Bonus: with the added twine, the diy enamel place cards can be used as a Christmas ornament, too!

Step 3: Create the centerpiece for your Friendsgiving table setting
With my place settings around my Friendsgiving table, I can see the French farmhouse style. Can you?

It’s important that the pieces you use in your place settings impart the feeling of sitting at a French farmhouse table.
Next is to create a simple French farmhouse inspired centerpiece.
One of the items I found around my house was a white water pitcher. I thought it would work perfectly as a vase on my table. But I needed to incorporate the wood piece that inspired this French farmhouse table setting.
I wanted to make sure my guests would see it, so I put the wood piece in the middle of the table.
It was perfect as a short riser for my pitcher/vase.

I filled the vase with flowers from Trader Joe’s that I thought could be found around the French countryside. As if they were picked that morning.

I especially love the flowers that drape over the sides of the pitcher.
To complete this simple French farmhouse centerpiece, I place short taper pewter candle holders on each end of the wood piece and added green candles to coordinate with the theme colors of the tablescape.

Note that I placed the candle holders far enough from the flowers to not be a fire hazard.
I love the rustic elegance of this Friendsgiving centerpiece. Isn’t it totally the French farmhouse style!

Check out how it looks when you step back from the table.

Isn’t it feminine with a rustic quality? Definitely French farmhouse.
Step 4: Incorporate French farmhouse style around the room
After you’ve completed your French farmhouse Friendsgiving tablescape, look around your room and see if there’s anywhere else you can carry the theme.
This will tie your table setting together with your room. Especially if there are pieces you found around your house that you didn’t use as part of the tablescape. Find places you can use them close to your dining table.

I have a buffet table next to my dining table. It’s the perfect spot to place those extra pieces and highlight the theme of my simple French farmhouse tablescape.
If you have a buffet or kitchen island close to your dining table, they’re excellent places to set up your Friendsgiving food buffet.
I created two small vignettes on my buffet. On one side, I had an old wire basket with a flour sack towel and white dough bowl, next to which I placed an old crock and milk bottles. And on the other side, I had more candle holders and serving plates, along with extra utensils and napkins.
I also included a farmhouse style clock and a fabulous old newel post topper (it came with the old wood piece – if you wanna read the quick story on how I found these, read treasures from the wood pile).

Most of these items can be used when I transform the buffet from decor to using it for serving food. Not only are they pretty, but they’re also functional.

My favorite thing about any farmhouse decor style is how it combines old and new items. It’s not all about the newest trends. So it’s a little easier (and affordable) to create a tablescape.

Just remember to first shop your house. Check out every room to see what you have.
I bet there are items you can use that you forgot about that would look good on your Friendsgiving tablescape.



Have a wonderful time with your friends around your pretty Friendsgiving table.
**If you’re looking for more AWESOME Friendsgiving ideas, you need to check out what my friends have created.**
Check ’em out: You’ll find fun Fall games, great diy projects, and more tablescape ideas.
- A Loverly Life
- Happily Ever After Etc.
- 5th Sparrow No More
- Chas Crazy Creations
- Design of Your Life
- From Farmhouse to Florida
- Shop at Blu








Check out the easy DIY projects used to decorate this tablescape:
Shop the Table (if you don’t have time for a DIY)
Check out other table settings:
- Simple Modern Thanksgiving Day Tablescape: On a Budget
- Chic Minimalist Thanksgiving Day Buffet
- Simple Fall-Inspired Table Setting
- Creepy Halloween Table Setting: Black & Red
- Cozy Fall Table Setting: Navy & Tan
- Ode to 1970’s Vintage Fall Tablescape
- Simple Summer Outdoor Tablescape
- Coastal Grandmother Table Setting
- Setting a Pretty Table for Your Girlfriends: Pink & White
Nicole,
That table, chairs & buffet look familiar. 😁
Yep ~ and well-loved! They make me think of Nana often.
Such a lovely and elegant table for the Thanksgiving holiday, Nicole! So glad to have you join us at Tuesday Turn About! Pinned, and I’m happy to be featuring your post this week!
Julie ~ Thank you SO MUCH! I’m honored to be featured on your Tuesday Turn About.
Love your tablescape, Nicole! I especially like the chippy white piece of architectural salvage! Thanks for joining us on the hop today!
Kimberly ~ SO nice to hear that someone loves salvage pieces as much as I do. Thank you!
What a lovely tablescape, and I really love your green glasses (my favorite color). Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Chas! I love the green glasses, too.
Such a loverly tablescape – thank you for joining the Friendsgiving Blog Hop today and sharing your fabulous ideas
Thank you Juliet! And thank you for including me in the Friendsgiving Blog Hop!!
What a beautiful tablescape! Are those lovely green glasses Fostoria? That overhead shot is fabulous. I’m a big woods and whites fan and you nailed this French Farmhouse look without the clutter. Fun hop!!
Sue ~ You’re too kind! I truly appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
This turned out so pretty… I love the dark green colors you picked. They really pop while being a bit unexpected. The wooden piece you found was the perfect riser for your centerpiece! It looks great.
You’re too kind! Thank you!!
The green is such an unexpected, lovely touch for a Friendsgiving table! Love it
Alicia ~ I love the green, too! I truly appreciate your kind words.