Dress up your Dining Room: Easy Everyday Table Decor on a Budget

Lately I’ve been putting more effort into making our home a prettier place to live. One thing I try and do is keep the dining room table covered and decorated on a daily basis. This can be tricky when you’re working with a tight budget, but I’ve learned how to bring out the beauty in everyday things to create tasteful table decor on a budget.  

Everyday Table Decor Staples

Table Cloth Keeping our kitchen table covered is a must for me. We have a very old, ugly table that has permanent tempra paint stains on it from years of kids’ crafts. Ick. I routinely swap out a variety of table cloths but for this simple table decor I’m using a plain white linen one. The other linens I have on the table right now (pictured below) are a cut of grey fabric that I made into a runner and a quilted table topper that I was given by my mother-in-law.     

Layers, layers, layers! They key to creating eye-catching table decor is to give it some layers. If you can, mix up the patterns, fabrics, and elements such as glass, paper, florals, metals, etc. The candles from my centerpiece are from the trendy Hearth and Hand collection at Target. They were pricey, but the sugared birch scent they give off makes the expense sooooo worth it! Their sweet fragrance fills the dining area with a cozy, clean aroma. I highly recommend these over the Amazon alternative.

Simple Centerpiece Garlands make easy centerpieces, and since I can snip off leaves from the eucalyptus or magnolias in our neighborhood, those are my go-to choices. Big pillar candles like these add some height to the arrangement. Another idea I love is to place an arrangement of flowers or plants on a cake stand. Don’t these centerpieces look beautiful?  

Make this with a glass footed platter, some pillar candles, and pine cones, all on Amazon Prime! 

Dressing up the dining table can give your home a warm, inviting feel.

Even though we have small children, we still try and keep the house decorated. It’s nothing fancy, but these subtle decorations make the home look ready for welcoming company.  

Find pretty table decor on a budget

You can make your own table cloth and runners if you prefer to go the DIY route. I actually did buy these fabrics at the store, then later found the same linens wayyyy cheaper online. Don’t tell my husband, but making my own runner and table cloth was almost $60! The options listed below at the time of writing this were listed at under $10 each. Don’t forget to keep an eye on thrift stores and consignment shops for vintage finds at low prices.

Shop this look on Amazon: 

Blue Table Topper |  Large Pillar Candles  |  Cake Stand  |  Eucalyptus Sprigs or Magnolia Garland  |  Grey Table Runner  |  White Linen Table Cloth