Tag Archives: holiday table

Holiday Gatherings

Decorating blogs have spawned a new language, with words and phrases like “impactful,” “pop of color,” and “tablescape” becoming so common that we barely notice them anymore.  Mostly we feel too old to use blog neologisms here, but we both have holiday gatherings coming up, and we are planning to scape the heck out of our tables.  Here are a few of our favorite table decor ideas from around the web:

We love this simple table; white pillar candles, loosely scattered greens, and pretty red apples make for an inviting and un-fussy centerpiece.

Here’s a variation on the theme, but in a tighter arrangement with pomegranates, rounded eucalyptus leaves, and sleek black dish ware.  We can tell you already that we’d be asking for seconds.

house in the hills tableThis arrangement is softer, more old-fashioned, and very inviting.  We love the single leaf and sprig placed on each plate, the cascading florals, the rumpled linens, and the silver candlesticks.

This Otomi-clad table is very different, but no less festive.  Plus, what’s more fun than fondue?

The mix of black, white, rose and gold in this arrangement is very pretty and sweet.  Ground it with a white a table cloth, and it would be magical.

source

source

How about getting a jump on 2016 by incorporating rose quartz, the Panton color(s) of the year, into your holiday table?  We love it here with the mix of copper, greens, and beautiful cut glass stemware.

km15

Speaking of cut glass stemware, we both love these blush colored beauties, especially here with the pretty grain sack runner and sprigs of rosemary.

Do you have dishes and decor that you use year after year to adorn your holiday table, or do you do something different each year?  We love to hear your inspired ideas in the comments!

 

Katie’s House: Holiday Table Setting

Don’t you love it when you see something inspiring and it snowballs into a creative whirlwind?  That happened to me this weekend with this photo I saw over on the blog Making it Lovely:

Gold Leaf

The navy wall is probably what drew me in initially, and I love the way it offsets the other colors in this picture, but it’s that gold leaf sitting on the shelf that got my mental gears turning.  Let’s get closer:Gold Leaf zoomSince sharing images of our favorite holiday tables last week I’ve been thinking about creating my own, and this leaf was the perfect starting point.  I went and sifted through my crafting stash and pulled out some sheets of black poster board, a utility knife, a pencil and a cutting mat.  I used the inspiration picture as reference for drawing the leaves with a pencil, then used the utility knife to make the cut outs.

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Once I had six leaves cut out I put a sheet down in our carport, waited for the wind to abate, and then I gilded them with Krylon metallic spray paint in Gold Leaf.  I let the paint cure for 24 hours before bringing them inside.

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Red House West//Holiday TablescapeI wanted to set off the gold of the leaves with a dark tablecloth, so I purchased a canvas drop cloth from Home Depot and a bottle of RIT Dye in Navy Blue from the craft store.

Red House West//Holiday TablescapeI’ve never dyed something this big and heavy before, and it was kind of a nightmare.  I ended up needing three bottles of dye (and approximately a zillion gallons of rinse water) to get this color, and it’s still not as dark as I originally planned.  I was too afraid to put the dye straight into the washing machine even though the directions on the bottle assure me I can – any dye veterans out there who can put my mind at ease?

Once I’d cleaned up the tidal wave of blue, I assembled my tableware – glasses, plates, and flatware – all of which was gifted, thrifted or borrowed.  I made the candles in blue and yellow goblets from the thrift store using the teacup candle tutorial but, since I don’t like perfumes mingling with my food, I left out the fragrance.

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

I really love the nubby, organic texture of the dropcloth – Mera thinks it looks like handmade paper.

I’m not a fan of tall centerpieces – nothing stifles a dinner conversation quite like having to peer through a a decorative hedge  – so I kept it low and pretty simple.  I love the story of Persephone and pomegranates, and at this time of year I start to really need the promise that from these dark nights we’ll emerge back into the light.  I cut a couple pomegranates in half and set them out along with two ceramic ones my mom brought back from Crete.

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

I’m not sure just what the greens I used are, but if you hear any stories about a lady purloining berried greenery from the edge of the grocery store parking lot, they ain’t true.

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Red House West//Holiday Tablescape

Making these leaves was really fun, and I think they’d look beautiful hanging in front of the window as decoration too.  If you’re feeling real fancy, you could even make little ones to use as place cards.

And in case you missed it, Julia over at Cuckoo 4 Design did a feature last week on Mera and her glorious herd of creatures – definitely go check it out.  If you’re one of our new readers who found their way over from there, welcome!  Check back in on Wednesday for a fun post from Mera about holiday attire!

Thanksgiving Table Top Ideas

Well folks, the imminence of the holidays can no longer be denied.  We’re both looking forward to festive dinners with friends and family in the coming weeks, and today we’ve rounded up our favorite holiday table settings from around the web.  We’re both drawn to settings that are unfussy, a little quirky, and that have a bit of sparkle.

Debra Szidon’s mix of gilded leaves, pink dishes and gold flatware is pretty much perfection.  And that textile?  YES PLEASE.

This centerpiece of green leaves, persimmons, magenta flowers and white candles is simple and pretty.

This one’s pretty fancy, but the addition of succulents, artichokes and brown glass bud vases adds nice texture and interest.

We love the eucalyptus leaves and be-pom pommed indigo runner!  This is elegant, but perfectly unfussy.

We also love the idea of using a plaid wool blanket as a table cloth.  A striped Hudson Bay blanket would look great too!

Combine the ideas in the next two photos and you would have a magical holiday table:

Justina Blakeney always gets it right, and the mixed patterns (made of scarves and wallpaper!) on her tables are the perfect backdrop for colored glassware, quirky vases and the little brass animals perched at each setting.

Are any of you hosting Thanksgiving this year?  What are your favorite elements for a festive table?  Have a wonderful weekend!