I love to decorate! My home especially but I have loved styling weddings, parties and events too. I'm trying to start a home decorating side gig where I show up to your house and decorate for the season or holiday using your own items (or shop for you too). How fun would that be? To see your items displayed in a different way thru fresh eyes!
Anywho... I've realized after going thru my photos from a few years that I really love doing Tablescapes.
It's a small area where you can really saturate your design items and the dining table is really the heart of the home isn't it? I just love sitting around the table praying, talking, eating and laughing with family and friends. It's the place we spend most of our time when guests are over leisurely eating and catching up so why not make it pretty too!!
Here are some basic ideas to help you get your tablescapes going...
Tablecloth or not... it all depends on the look you are going for. I have a beautiful antique trestle farmhouse table that I love to expose most of the time. I'll use runners and sometimes tablecloths. I have one handmade crocheted heirloom one (that was made by my Japanese adopted mom who went to live with Jesus almost 7 years ago) that I use for special occasions or big holiday dinners because then it feels like she is still with us. But in the end, it's all about what you want.
I love cloth napkins and napkin rings or special folds for them. It's fun and feels more elegant than paper napkins but I also am ok with paper when it's going to be a messy meal especially!! I usually search on Pinterest for fun napkin folds. Napkins can really make the color stand out for the season or holiday you are decorating for.
Chargers or large dinner plates make for a good base of color or texture. I do love dishes and I have tons, but a good rule of thumb is to have a full set of white dishes, then you can just add colorful chargers or round placemats to set underneath. I collect 6 small dishes like dessert or appetizer size to set on top of the white dishes to make it more festive too. Seasonal paper plates work WONDERFULLY for this! So much cheaper and don't take up cupboard space. I have a set of white dishes... just basic nothing fancy and a full set of Green Pfaltzgraff dishes my hubby bought me. I feel these two colors can be utilized as my base color for just about any season or holiday.
The centerpiece is where the creative fun is! I never have the same one for the same holiday because I just lump all my seasonal decoration for the whole house in tubs and pick out whatever my heart wants for the table at that moment! But of course, you can find a look you love and recreate it every time! Use what you have, mix and match.
