An Elegant Black and White Poisoned Apple Halloween Tablescape

An Elegant Black and White Poisoned Apple Halloween Tablescape

Looking to design an elegant black and white Halloween tablescape this year? How about one with a poisoned apple theme? I have you covered! Check out this article to help inspire your creativity!

When you mix fun, sophisticated non-spooky elements like apples, black trees, and cauldrons with natural textures like moss, pumpkins, and rustic wood you create a table that’s both stylish and memorable.

Let me help you to create a black and white Halloween tablescape with a poisoned apple twist! 

Tips for decorating your Black and White Halloween table

How to start your tablescape- find inspiration

When first starting to brainstorm on what you want to do for your tablescape theme it’s important to have some sort of direction. 

My first piece of advice I say to everyone (including myself) is look for an inspiration piece first. Inspiration for me usually comes from one of these things: An inspiration piece, a theme, a holiday, a movie or even just a color. 

What is something when you see it you’re like- yes! I love this! Or this would be so fun to decorate a theme around! 

Sometimes I find one right away, or sometimes it’s a few months before the actual holiday and I think “Oh! This could work really well with “X” holiday!” So I grab it and save it for later.

Or there have been multiple times where I know the celebration is coming up and I run around and for weeks and nothing is making me excited.

But something eventually catches my eye and I just go with it! 

Usually it’s an item I see as I’m roaming the aisles (typically the HomeGoods aisles lol) and I find something that speaks to me. And when I see it then I design around a centerpiece or a style or around it.

Or I focus on a theme (think like a Nutcracker theme for Christmas) or a movie and design everything around it. Or even just a color or holiday like this Pink Halloween theme or this Elegant Blue and White Thanksgiving.

Inspiration Piece

For the poisoned apple theme I was walking around HomeGoods (of course I was) and I found this large black poisoned apple and I immediately thought- Poisoned apples theme for Halloween! I love it!

And it was June lol. I bought three on the spot and my wheels started turning …

You will notice that once you have your inspiration piece the creativity starts to flow. You will be out shopping or roaming the internet and you will see things and think “oh that would go with “X” “theme” Or you will start to get creative and think “I need to find this (whatever the item is) because it goes with my inspiration piece” 

And when you don’t have an inspiration piece, theme or color to guide you, have you noticed you feel lost?

You wander around, throw some items in the cart, and then when your done with your shopping trip you end up putting them back because, well, you second guess yourself and you’re still just not sure? 

Or you throw the items in the cart, buy them (because, hey you’re thinking “I’m out for this reason, I better come home with “something” so I feel like I accomplished something. Maybe when I get home it will all come together.”)

So you come home with all the bags, take it all out and think “now what do I do with these?” And you still feel lost because nothing goes together.

Now you’re getting overwhelmed. Nothing is flowing, like you thought it might,  and then you take everything back, frustrated, lost and now uninspired. 

Well let’s not have that happen anymore! Hopefully this blog post will help guide you! 

Use what decor you already have to start 

The best place to shop for items is in your house!

The easy thing about a black and white theme is, more than likely, you have some great decor pieces already on hand.

Just look around at what you already own. What do you have that is already black and white? I bet you can find some! 

Think vases, plates, candle holders, tablecloths, placemats, runners, candles, flatware, books, the list is endless!

Walk around your house with a new perspective.

See what you can find! It’s like an easter egg hunt! The best part is: 1 – it’s free and 2 – it’s already in your own style! WIn win!

So you’re off to a good start! You’re gonna love it because it’s already what you like! 

Collect your base items 

I like to have items that are “base” decor items. Think of it like this- It’s kind of like when you hear people talking about a capsule wardrobe when you travel, do you know what I mean?

If you don’t know…

The capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create items that all go together.

The whole point of the capsule wardrobe is to have a small collection of items (clothes, accessories, shoes) that you can use over and over that coordinate and can be styled multiple ways to create whole new looks.

Plus, then you aren’t having to bring all different outfits on vacation and take up room in your suitcase. 

So essentially, with seasonal decorating, think of it in the same way.

If you have these neutral base items you can use them in so many different decor styles and they are classic and timeless. You’re not having to go out every season and buy new seasonal items.

Also, it keeps the look sophisticated, classy and matches with the rest of your home’s style. Oh, and less to put away in storage! WIn WIn WIn and Win! 

Ideas for base items (and are used in this tablescape)

• White table runner
• White placemats
• Wood pedestal
• Wood lanterns
• Copper tray 
• Black candlestick holders 
• White candlestick holders 
• Wood pieces with feet
• Tree slice
• Flatware 
• White vases 
• White plates 
• White bowls
• Wood chargers
• Black chargers 
• Clear wine glasses 
• Battery operated candles 
• Moss 

Halloween decorations (I already had as base items)

• Black spooky trees 
• Clear glass pumpkins (can use for halloween and thanksgiving) 
• Black feathered trees 
• White greenery
• White battery operated taper candles I use FOR EVERYTHING. I LOVE THESE 

What I bought to make this tablescape a Poisoned Apple theme

• 3 large black apples 
• Matching creamy ivory apples and pears 
• 2 velvet pumpkin stems 
• Black eucalyptus stems 
• White cauldrons 
• Book of poisons
• A bag of fake plastic small green apples

You can change the decor to match

Do you see the perfect piece, but the colors don’t match your theme? Well then have you ever thought of customizing it to your taste? Yes- do it yourself! Here are two examples- using Washi tape or paint. Let me explain…

Change it up using washi tape

The black apple inspiration piece had gold leaves and I wanted the leaves to match with the other copper pieces but I didn’t want to permanently change the color because I still liked the gold. So I used washi tape to change it up. Washi tape is basically tape that’s sticky, but is easy to use and remove. The best part- it transforms the look and it’s not permanent! 

I also changed the leaves on the white apples and pears too, so all the stems and leaves throughout the table matched.

Paint it if you can’t find what you want

Or see the perfect piece, but the colors don’t match your theme and washi tape isn’t going to do the trick? Well, customize it to your taste!  

Grab a can of spray paint and then anything you want to change up- then all your colors are the same!

I’ll give you an example- have you noticed how when you are looking for an outfit and there are so many different shades or white, reds, blues? They are in the color family, but they are a shade off so they actually don’t go together, even though they are in the same “color”?

Well, this way if you paint them, you get to control the color by making them all synergistic! And it looks amazing!

And the feeling you get when you look at what you created and you did it yourself?  It feels so good! 

Go to the dollar store and grab that ugly colored vase and voila- Amazing what a can of spray paint can do!

Or you’re at a thrift store and that candlestick is the perfect size and style, but yikes, the paint on it is a hot mess. It’s so beat up- Well not any more once you get a hold of that bad boy and paint it! 

Another example is the apples that are used as place card holders were originally faux green apples I bought off of Amazon and I spray painted them black. It gave them an immediate Halloween feel.

And the stems on the apples were brown. I added the copper washi tape to them and instantly they were transformed to match the copper leaves and stems on the other pumpkins and apples on the table.

Set the stage for a black and white Halloween tablescape

It seems obvious… but clean your table first! It’s easy to forget this part in your excitement and it’s much harder to clean around everything after it’s all laid out.

Also, make sure you put down your base items first. The table runner or tablecloth.

Nothing worse than experimenting with different items and getting on a roll and then remembering “oh I forgot the table runner underneath” duh (not that I am speaking from experience or anything). 

To get the black and white theme going I started with a white table runner. Great simple start! Now let’s move on to the next step- the centerpiece.

The black poisoned apple centerpiece 

Time to start building the centerpiece. After laying down the runner I put the copper tray on top of it.

Then the book of poisons goes next.

And on top of that is the wooden pedestal, followed by the reindeer moss in the pedestal and finally the mac daddy piece we have been waiting for…

The one that started this whole obsession…

The black poisoned apple!

Layer in accents and what you already have

Next up is adding the greenery. This is to soften up the pedestal and the hard lines of the book.

Lay some white and black greenery stems and reindeer moss on top.

Also, I added black velvet pumpkins with copper stems to pull in the black poisoned apples with copper items together.. 

After that place the twig and feather trees behind the centerpiece and along the sides to balance it all out.

And at the far end put black eucalyptus in white vases. This all brings the Halloween feel to the table.

Time to add in the accents you found around the house and already have in your halloween collection from years past 

How can you repurpose and give life to them in a new way this year? 

Now it’s time for the white cauldrons. You want to elevate them ever so slightly so take some pieces of light colored wood and put it down first. Then put your cauldrons on top. 

Add some wood toned lanterns at each end to bring in and tie together the wood tones throughout the tablescape.

Use battery operated candles only inside of a wood lantern. Not real candles. I only ever suggest fake battery operated candles. Real candles are too risky and unpredictable.  

Black and White place settings 

Then put assorted black and white candleholders also with white battery operated taper candles in the middle for more height. Have you noticed that Halloween decor always seems to need tall taper candles to just feel like “Halloween?”

Do not use real candles. Too many items like the feathered trees are too close to real lit candles.  

Now I’m sure you have realized that obviously this table has some pretty high pieces that would be hard to have a conversation and see your guests at the table!

You can either remove the 2 feathered trees and the middle tall twig tree when you go to sit down and eat or you can use this tablescape as a buffet table and remove the place settings and have the food set around the edges instead.

This table setting would be a great space if you are having a party to have the food surround the tablescape so everyone can admire it! 

How exciting! It’s all coming together! Next are the place settings.

To start add a white placemat.

On top of the placemat add 2 chargers. A black one and a wood toned one.

Then a white plate for contrast and a white bowl that will hold the place card holder. And to top it off black flatware and a clear glass to match with the clear pumpkins on the table.

Black poisoned apple placecard holders 

To complete the look add the place card apples.

As I said earlier I spray painted fake green apples with black spray paint and put on the copper washi tape.

To get the names type them up on your computer and print out the guests names on 110lb cardstock. Then cut them into flag looking shapes and use a hole punch on the end of the flags to be able attach them to the stem.

Then tear off a piece of washi tape. Fold it over and over onto itself to make it thin. Then bend it into a circle shape and take one end and push it through the hole punch and attach on the other side to place them on the stem.

Then I took a step back and admired the vision coming to life! 

Keep it elegant and classy. Not spooky 

NO gore, blood, or anything scary.

I am not into the energy I get of that kind of decor and I certainly don’t want it in my house.

Especially when I’m walking around at night!

I have never liked scary movies or anything like that. It’s just not my style so I enjoy having a sophisticated look to my holiday decor.  I like to keep the decorations friendly and happy.  

Make it easy – Can easily use the base decorations for the next holiday table

One thing that is tough is Halloween is so close to Thanksgiving.

Changing out the tablescape, with the other 100 other things going on around the holidays can be overwhelming. And sometimes you wait a couple of weeks before you do it and then you realize “oh boy, I only have a couple of weeks to figure this one out”!

So what is an easy alternative? 

Keep the main non-seasonal base decor and swap out the Halloween accents. Let me explain…

One really great benefit of keeping it classy and neutral and not so many Halloween accents added is you can easily convert this table to Thanksgiving with just a few swaps, like this one, and viola!

Instant Thanksgiving! 

Just swap out the book of poisons, black apples, black pumpkins, moss, cauldrons and black twig and feather trees and eucalyptus and replace them with a Thanksgiving themed color like this blue Thanksgiving example.

Change up the pumpkins and greenery. You could keep the copper tray or exchange it. Up to you!

Replace the black apple centerpiece with a turkey or pumpkin. Also, swap out the other black apples with the same color pumpkins as your new centerpiece and you have your renewed tablescape! Super fast and easy!

I love to decorate and change up my tablescapes and every year I make a new theme for each the holidays. Decorating for them lights me up and I get so thrilled when I know another fun holiday is coming!  My favorite area in my house to decorate is my dining room because I love to tablescape! We have made so many great memories in that room.

I hope this helps you do the same this Halloween and create a memorable black and white Halloween tablescape with a poisoned apple twist! When you mix fun, sophisticated non-spooky elements with natural textures like moss, pumpkins, and rustic wood you create a table that’s both stylish and memorable. Whether it’s the black and white pieces, the chic centerpiece, or the carefully layered textures, each detail adds your personality and charm. 

Use these Halloween table decor ideas to elevate your celebration, and don’t forget to share or pin this inspiration so friends and family can enjoy the magic of a fun, chic, and elevated Halloween tablescape too!

Happy Halloween! 

Michelle