Designing a Seasonal/Nature Table

Anyone who has known me on line or visited in our home would know how much I enjoy setting up a rotational seasonal table (or two or more)
Before any other understanding of other ways of celebrating this I first read about Seasonal Tables in Sarah Ban Breathnach's Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy 

I have had this book since 2000 and it was one of the first books I ever got on creating environments in the home.
Here are the pages that actually tell about it.
Above and below are the pages, along with many others from this book were my inspiration in creating a nature/seasons table.

Over time we have changed and created new ways of adding to our seasons table and we have learned and evolved through this process.
Needless to say I still enjoy changing and building on this.
Sometimes I create and design items for display and sometimes the children add on their own.
Then there are times we create together.

What are some of the items we have to create a seasons table?
We have colourful silks and pane-velvet cloths in which to decorate the table with and backdrop with.
Lots of colourful ribbon in seasonal colours
Over the years we have made or bought many seasonal items that we store in boxes for each season.
Below I show two 'dressing of the seasonal table- one Winter, one Spring that we did this year

Next we have our table with a white cloth on it (oops yes it is a little stained but that isn't seem under the colourful cloth

Next place a coloured cloth that represents the season you are decorating for on top of this

One of the original items we have is what we call "The Seasons Tree"
I still remember going to a friends parents place and getting the grape vine to make this. Braedon who was 12 at the time was my helper. In fact that might  have been the start of his starting making things for me.
I remember how the grape vine even after it had been soaked for a couple of days was still very difficult to weave in and out the chicken wire and I got really scratched hands.

Well on with the details!
Now we wrap a variety of the ribbon around the 'seasons tree'

We may add more cloth the the table or as a backdrop  behind, once again using colours we think represent the season.

Now is the time to add additional items that represent the season in some way for you.
These really do vary for us year to year.
Sometimes we have the same things with nothing new added and other years we add a little new item or just rearrange items differently.

It certainly has proven a new experience being in a new house and so having to arrange our different items in new ways and spaces in our new home.

And so it is that easy.
A few odds and ends, a little creativity and time to put it together.

I pray you may find some time and space to find such a place in your own homes and hearts
Blessings to you and your homes,