How To Style A Rustic Coffee Table With Thrifted and Budget Decor
Y’all know that I love using thrifted decor to style our farmhouse. Today, I’m excited to share some tips on styling a rustic coffee table using thrift store finds and other budget-friendly decor options. Our repurposed coffee table is the focal point of our living room, and I frequently change the decor there, so staying within budget is important. As part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge, I used an inspiration photo to create a stunning and very budget-minded living room coffee table vignette. Let me take you step-by-step through the decorating process.

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Pinterest Challenge Inspiration
Each month, Cindy at County Road 407 provides us with an inspirational photo and challenges us to create a design of our own using the image. This month’s inspiration comes from Beth at Home Stories A to Z. If you are joining me from Cindy’s Stunning Coffee Table Decorated With Colorful Vintage Pieces, welcome. You’ll see links to all the creative ideas at the end of this article.


Coffee Table Styling Elements
First, let’s look at the elements Beth used to decorate her coffee table. My coffee table is much more rustic but I plan to use these elements to create a similar look.
- A wooden tray filled with a greenery vase, a candle, and wooden beads
- Stack of Books
- A cute pet under the coffee table.
Budget Rustic Coffee Table Styling
As you probably know, most of my decor is thrifted or repurposed. If not, it’s usually a budget-friendly option. I began by gathering the elements needed to create a rustic centerpiece for the table.
# 1 – Wooden Tray
So the first item needed was a wooden tray to anchor the other objects on the table. I repurposed a wooden tray last fall using napkin decoupage and decided it would be a perfect choice for this coffee table challenge. The tray was painted green which works for all the seasons.

# 2 – Tray Fillers
Next, I added the items to fill the tray. When creating a vignette, you want to think in groups of three or odd numbers. So I wanted to add three key pieces to the tray. One focal point and two smaller accessories.
For the focal point, I wanted a vase for the greenery. I recently purchased a small pickling crock and decided its rustic texture would perfectly complement the repurposed coffee table. I filled the crock with cuttings from my garden and added a faux cosmos stem to brighten the arrangement. This thrifted decor element adds texture while creating rustic charm.

Next, I added a thrifted candle holder with a greenery ring and a battery-operated flicker candle. The final touch was a vintage copper bowl which was thrifted many years ago. I filled it with moss spheres and a ratten decor chain.

# 3 – Stack of Books
A stack of coffee table books helps to balance the tray vignette. I used a stack approximately the height of the copper bowl with the chain. The books are all decor inspiration books that add decorative flair to the table.

# 4 – Architectural Element & Brass Candleholder
To add another element of three, I placed two inexpensive, chippy fretwork elements on the books and a single brass candlestick holder next to them. The candle is another battery-operated flicker candle for safety.


# 5 – Add A Variety of Shapes
When planning your vignette, be sure to include a variety of shapes and sizes to make the arrangement visually interesting. Since the coffee table is square and I used a rectangular tray and books, adding some circular elements to the design was important. The crock is round, and I included the lid as an extra circular punch. I also added the round candle ring and holder, round moss spheres, and the oval rattan chain. In addition, the brass candlestick holder is circular in shape.

#6 – Cute Pet
Rudy is such a good model. Whenever I’m snapping photos, he loves to be included. Since Beth included her pet in her photos, I couldn’t resist including Rudy!


# 7 – Final Tip
When creating a coffee table centerpiece, vary the heights of your decor. Here, the vintage crock filled with greenery is the focal point and is the highest in the arrangement. I included two candles of different heights. The stacked books and architectural elements provide a mid-range height and help balance the other elements.

Insider Tip
If styling a coffee table in the center of a room, ensure that the vignette is appealing from all angles. Use items that don’t have a backside so that regardless of where you are in the room, the vignette is styled from all sides.
Rustic Coffee Table With Thrifted Decor
All but a few elements used to decorate the coffee table are thrifted. I’ll share a few links for the new items.
All the colors are neutral and therefore work with the blue and white colors used in the living room for spring.

Resources: Shop This Post
See exact and similar items to create this coffee table style!
Pinterest Challenge
Now it’s time to see what the other talented decorators used to style their coffee tables. Up next is Cindy at DIY Beautify with her Cozy Cottage Coffee Table Styling Tips. Click the images below to follow along.

Dear Rachel,
Coffee table looks beautiful. Really love the greens!
Sending positive thoughts and prayers to you.
Sincerely,
Carol
Always so stylish and creative. Great tip about viewing from all sides! And how fun that your fur baby would cooperate with his photoshoot.
Diane,
he’s the best model. He will sit forever as long as I’m praising him.
Girlfriend, you hit this challenge out of the ballpark! I love everything about itโespecially Rudy and your chippy elements on top of the books. We are headed to the farmhouse this evening and I can hardly wait to find my chippy pieces and use them somewhere. pinned
Cindy,
Thank you for your kind words. Chippy architectural pieces are a must. Have fun decorating.
I love your rustic elements from the table to the spindles. I’m hoping to update one of my trays very soon, and will be checking out your post for tips. I agree with Cindy, you hit this one out of the park!
Michelle,
You are so kind. I’m glad you liked the tray. It’s easy to make.
Awww, Rachel, I LOVE your pup!!! He is a happy sport underneath your coffee table. ๐ I missed Beth’s photos with her cat as I hadn’t read through her whole post (my bad!), but I have pinned both yours and hers to my Animal Friends board. <3
I love how you've used a small chain in your coffee table vignette, too! It's interesting how prayer beads or a chain "tie" everything together, plus they look cool. I'm glad you can use your green tray all the time; it turned out lovely and I do remember your sharing it awhile back. Lovely coffee table!!
Enjoy,
Barb ๐
Barb,
Thank you so much. Yes, I scrolled her post and saw that kitty and knew I had to include Rudy.
Great coffee table styling Rachel! I love the addition of the chippy pieces.
Cindy,
I really appreciate this.
Love your coffee table and how you styled it with your special pieces. The cutest part is your Rudy looking so cute under your coffee table. Rachel, when I saw the picture of the cat sitting in the basket, I just knew that Rudy would have a special part in your styling! Love your coffee table, Rachel. As usual, you have done a fabulous job with your coffee table vignette — just so pretty!
These are all such great tips, Rachel. I love how budget friendly and totally doable they are too. I can’t wait to try them out. Rudy….gah that little cutie pie just gets me every time. His expressions make my day! Will share on From the Front Porch, sending you hugs and lifting you up in prayer, CoCo
CoCo,
I appreciate this so much.
Rachel, you are the queen of rustic. Lovely arrangements on the table.
Carol,
I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you for stopping by.
That rattan chain is super cool, and love the blues and greens in your vignette. So cute to get Rudy in there, too:)
Lora,
Thank you! Yes, he’s the best model. Have a blessed day.