8th Day Of Christmas: Table Setting Inspiration
Photos compliments of Marcus Edwards Photography
You're hosting Christmas at your house this year and presentation is important to you. However, you're not really all about the cookie-cutter table layouts. Or perhaps, you're budget doesn't support your vision. Or maybe it's a combination of both!
So before you go out and splurge or just throw in the towel, let's come up with a game plan. First of all, look around your house to see what you have that you can use as is or can upcycle. Next, hit the thrift stores and/or the local businesses to see what treasures and sales they have. THEN supplement with the items you need from the bigger stores. I am going to share with you some pictures of inspiration and how I made it all happen with some great resources.
Let's start with the few items I had that I knew I wanted to use. The table runner and the apathecary jars. I purchased these awhile back from "The Shop" for a very reasonable price. I think for everything together, it was about $30.00 . The Shop was created by a local talent Arica Martinez. Her vision is to give homes new life with all of the treasures she finds thrifting. She loves reusing and repurposing home decor and furniture. She want to pursue her dream but also keep her commitment to being a stay at home mom, so she does everything right out of her home which keeps her costs down. She has definitely caught my attention and I just love everything she does! When she posts an item, she stages it so you can visualize it in your own home. Sometimes that is all we need, right? She also can help you out with Home ReDesign. So be sure to check her stuff out.
I knew I needed to fill those jars with something festive. I chose potpourri because I always have a bunch on hand. I typically hit up the sales at Target and Ikea and buy "season neutral" potpourri so I can use it year round. Then I just have to purchase a small bag of colored potpourri for the season. I tend to hang on to these as well and just store them away in a ziplock bag.
Let's talk about what's on the table runner. Still using what I can find around my house, I get that "ding-ding" moment to use chopped up logs we have in the backyard. Texture is always great, so this is perfect! I think a welcoming message would be lovely too so I grab a piece of old fence and use acrylic paint to write "All You Need Is Love". I finish the runner with some silk plants and candles from Ikea as well as some wooden balls I got for 80% off at Hobby Lobby.
Last but not least are the place settings. My husband had some old, tarnished, real silverware passed down from his family. They had been in storage so I pulled them out and shined them up with a silver polish. I did splurge on the plates and napkins at Ikea, although still a great price. $90 for 12 linen napkins, 12 dinner plates, 12 salad plates, and 12 bowls. I stood in Ikea FOREVER trying to decide on colors. They had a great plum color but I decided it was best to go with neutrals so I can use them year round and bring the colors in through more cost effective ideas. On the plate, I added a touch of greenery and gold by buying 1 bunch of Christmas flowers from Hobby Lobby at 50% off. Just cut them up and set them on the plate. Simple!
The coasters are made from old tiles and pictures my husband had taken. The glasses are made with candle stick holders and Ikea glasses. Both can be used year round. Just change it up by adding a drink tag. These are made with gold wire and sliced up and painted wine bottle corks.
Other great inexpensive resources for the DIY stuff is Craigslist, recycling yards, and salvage yards. Most communities have these if you do a little research. I use Drop'N'Swap for paints and Uncle Benny's for things like tiles, mesh, woods, etc.
I hope you got some great ideas and inspiration to create your Christmas table! Now go and create!