Sneaking in One Last Summer Tablescape: Welcome to the 160th Tablescape Thursday!

If you've been reading BNOTP for very long, you know I love summertime. I'm always a bit sad to see it go.

Since the first day of fall is still a little over a week away, I wanted to share one last summertime table setting here on the porch.

I had fun creating the centerpiece.  It's carved from a small watermelon.

The inspiration for the centerpiece came from watermelon napkin rings I found while antiquing over a year ago.

Cabbage leaf salad plates work well with this summer themed table setting.

For chargers, I'm using platters in a watermelon motif.  These were a find at 50% off at Old Time Pottery two years ago.  This is the first time I've used them in a table setting for Tablescape Thursday.

Can you tell what shape I carved the watermelon centerpiece in this overhead shot?

Here's a view prior to it being filled with fruit.  He's a sassy little whale and his tail is flipped up over his back.    I saw this years ago in one of my recipe books and I've been itching to give it a try.  It was much easier to carve than I expected it to be...much easier than carving a pumpkin.

This centerpiece is perfect for a summer party.   It would be great as one of the appetizers for a cookout or as a centerpiece on a buffet table for a large gathering.  If you're expecting a lot of guests, you'll probably want to purchase a larger watermelon than the one I used here.

I know we're at the end of summer, but if you're interested I'll post a tutorial showing how to carve this centerpiece.  You'll be all ready when next summer rolls around.  Update:  Here's the tutorial for carving this Watermelon Centerpiece.

I placed the centerpiece atop a pedestal for a little extra height.  Magnolia worked well to camouflage the base of the pedestal.

I filled Mr. Whale with some of my favorite fruits:  Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes and of course watermelon.  I just realized I forgot to put in the fresh pineapple I cut up.  lol  Okay, just imagine pieces of bright yellow pineapple tucked in among the berries and grapes.

Update:  Here's how it looks with pineapple added.

The stem of the watermelon became the whale's nose. :)   If you like, you can poke a little hole in the top of Mr. Whale's head and add a sprig of dried flowers for his water spout.

I love the color of the seed pods on the magnolia this time of year...such a pretty red.  Do you see it there on the lower left of this picture?

A view down the length of the table...

Let me know if you would like a tutorial for carving this "whale of a centerpiece."

I guess it almost time to say hello to fall.  I can't fight it forever, can I? ;)

You'll find another tablescape using similar "chargers" in a corn shape instead of watermelon, by clicking HERE.  Click on the category Tablescapes/Napkin Folds/Recipes at the top of this blog to view tablescapes for all seasons and holidays.

Watermelon Carving Tutorial can be found HERE.

Resources:
Chargers:  Watermelon Platters, Old Time Pottery
Dinner Plate:  Lenox, Butler's Pantry, Gourmet
Salad Plate:  Bordallo Pinheiro, HomeGoods and Ross
Napkin Rings: Found antiquing a year ago
Flatware:  Gourmet Settings, Trebel Clef, HomeGoods 2-3 years ago
Stemware: Mikasa, 1 year ago
Candlesticks:  Hobby Lobby, 3 years ago
Candles:  Colonial Candle


Looking forward to your beautiful tablescapes!

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