This has been the summer of flowers.

 

Cheery sunflowers set the stage for this gorgeous table. Don't miss the tutorial for making cheap and easy sunflower napkins rings for fall or thanksgiving

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It all started when my little grocery store started carrying locally grown flowers in the spring.  I almost did flips when I saw ranunculus. In the most beautiful colors, ever.  So, of course, I purchased some, and arranged them, and took their picture… over and over again.

As spring became summer,  there was a constant flow of flowers each week into my store. And when I could, I purchased a bouquet and arranged it, and took more pictures.  For the past month, there’s been a steady flow of sunflowers in every bouquet.

 

Easy and cheerful sunflower bouquet

 

I found the sunflowers a little bit challenging to arrange with the dahlias, cosmos, and cockscomb that have been in the weekly offerings. So, I pulled them out and arranged them on their own.  Once I figured out how… they were easy to arrange.  It became great fun to place a small bouquet on an end table, or in this case, my breakfast table.

Oh… in case you’re wondering “how?” All I did was rubber band them together near the tops of their stems, cut the stems SHORT, and plop them in a small pitcher or creamer.  Almost as easy as pushing the red “easy button.”

 

Sunflower Themed Tablescape and How to Make Sunflower Napkin Rings for Fall Decor

 

My neighbor girl had been asking me if could take her someplace so we could do something together.  She doesn’t have those fun mother-daughter times that you have with your daughter or mom.  So one day, on a whim, I left a note on her door inviting her to join me for lunch and shopping.  I had created a modern farmhouse tiered tray and needed a few items to style it. So I figured, I should invite her to tag along.  She got permission to come and we had lunch at the Grand Traverse Pie Company before going shopping. This was the first time Sarah has eaten at a restaurant that wasn’t a big chain buffet or fast food.  Everything was a first and she loved it.

 

Set a sunny fall table with fresh sunflowers and faux sunflower napkin rings made with the tutorial here

 

First on my shopping agenda… hit a couple of nearby thrift stores.  The first one had a stack of brown Staffordshire luncheon plates that made me think of the sunflowers’ dark brown centers.  At $4.99 for 8 plates, I hurried to the checkout.  They aren’t perfect… they have a few scratches in their shiny finish, and they also have some iridescent marking which I cannot get off.  I’m guessing it was from some crazy dishwasher detergent and only shows because of their dark color.

 

Sunflower table setting complete with sunflower napkin rings with this how to tutorial

 

I’ve been a perfection seeker my whole life and because of that, I’ve missed out on many of life’s treasures.  You see those plates are not perfect.  And countless other things have not been perfect either.  But, instead of passing them by… this time I brought them home, gave them a good cleaning, and started to dream about how I could use them on the table.  They coordinate well with my vintage dishes, but I wanted to do something a little bit different.  And then I remembered.

 

Sunflowers are the perfect happy fall home decor. They make this breakfast table sparkle with drama and color

 

In the spring I joined some friends for a blog hop that featured a spring centerpiece.  To complement the centerpiece and dollar store plates, I found some bright yellow placemats for 40% off at Hobby Lobby.  It was a bit of a stretch using those for spring because they were sunflower placemats.  But, the sunflower middle couldn’t be seen under the generous dinner plate, and their pretty petal edges looked nice with all the daffodils I had in the centerpiece.

Here I was trying to figure out the perfect complement to my brown luncheon plates and I had it tucked away in my cupboard all the time!

 

Sunflower placemats and brown luncheon plates create a beautiful sunflower table setting to complement nature's beauty

 

Not only did I have sunflower placemats… I had sunflower napkins which an old friend had gifted me a few years ago.

As I began putting together my place settings, none of the napkin rings I had were appropriate.  These April Cornell napkins are smaller and their fabric is lightweight.  They just were not bulky enough for the chunky napkin rings I had

I had a couple of ideas, so I picked up a floral bush of faux sunflowers at Joann’s.  There were 7 flowers on the pick.  A couple of my ideas did not work, but I did have an idea to find a different kind of napkin ring at a nearby thrift store, so I drove over there on the chance they might have something.  And they did.  Actually, they only had one package of napkin rings… a set of 5.  I only needed 4.  Perfect!

 

It's the small personal details that make the difference - Stunning sunflower napkin rings you can make

 

Because these are so cute… yes… I LOVE the way they turned out.  I thought you might want to make some too, so I put together a little tutorial for you.  You might not find these exact napkin rings to work with, but hopefully, they will inspire you to work with something you might find.  I have to tell you that when I was done, I thought, these look as good as the ones I’ve seen at Pier 1.  It was a win.  For less than $3 I have a set of four crazy cute sunflower napkin rings that I’m sure to use often.

 

Would you love to DIY your own Sunflower Napkin Rings for Fall Decor or Thanksgiving? So EASY & CHEAP! This set of 4 cost just $3 and they look like something from Pier 1

 

How to Make Cheap & Easy Sunflower Napkin Rings


Supplies

  • Napkin Rings – I found squatty oval rings worked great, but use what’s the cheapest or available.
  • Craft Paint – Spray paint would work too.  Use what you have and skip the paint if your rings look great.
  • Faux Sunflowers – approximately 3-4 inches in diameter.
  • Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
  • Wire Cutter
  • Paint Brush
  • Optional – Floral Foam still encased in plastic.  Add quilting pins to the top.  Makes a great drying rack.

 

Instructions

To begin… paint your napkin rings to coordinate with your flowers.  Mine required two coats of craft paint.  Allow to dry.

 

Sunflower Napkin Ring Tutorial

 

Us a wire cutter to cut the stem from the flower as close to the flower as you can get.  Most wire cutters have a flat side.  Push that up against your flower to get the closest cut.

Next, pull the leaves off the wire stem.

You’ll see that there is a plastic cap on the leaf which the stem threads through.  You need to carefully pull this apart with your fingernails.  Grasp each side of the plastic cap from each side of the leaf and pull hard.

You are then left with the two cap portions (discard these) and a fabric leaf.

 

How to Make a Sunflower Napkin Ring with a Store Pick Flower

 

Place a dot of hot glue on the base of the sunflower.

Lay the leaf over the sunflower’s base. Try to line up the leaf hole with the flower’s stem hole.

Press firmly, being careful to not burn your finger.

 

How to Make Cheap Sunflower Napkin Rings that look Expensive

 

The last step… hot glue the base of the flower to the napkin ring.

You’ll notice that I didn’t paint that portion of my napkin ring where the flower would be glued.  I did this because I wanted to be sure to have good adhesion.

Place a napkin in your beautiful napkin ring and set the table!

 

Easy and Cheap Sunflower Napkin Rings Tutorial

 

Wasn’t that easy?!

I’m sure you could do the same with daisies and other flat-faced flowers surrounded by petals.  You know I’ll be experimenting in the future with more flowers.

Have you made your own napkin rings?  I’d love to hear what you did.

 

I’m totally in LOVE with this sunny table setting and the sunflower napkin rings came out even better than I hoped.

All of this was created for a breakfast tea.  I’ll be back soon with more photos of the tea for you.

 

Let go of those Hospitality Fear Forever - Simple Gatherings will change your negative mindset

 

My friend Melissa is launching her new book, Simple Gatherings, TODAY! I love how she shares her heart of hospitality and shows you the secret sauce to getting outside your comfort zone and opening your home to others.  The book is really a hospitality handbook…. filled with gorgeous photos and tons of tips and ideas from finding a reason to invite friends to thoughtful ways to freshen your home to menus and serving suggestion, even things to do with your guests along with conversation ideas.  She covers everything.  I know you’ll want to get a copy, too.  Click on the link below to order…

You’re also invited to participate in her launch party.  It’s a progressive party and there are dreamy GIVEAWAYS I know you’ll love.  You can find out about the launch party HERE.

Thanks so much for popping by today!

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Comments

  1. Minnie says

    OH MY STARS!
    This could not be any cuter!! I love all of it, every little sweet detail.
    You go girl!
    Blessings to you!
    Minnie

    • Diane says

      Awww… thanks, Minnie!! I really do feel so blessed with how it came together in the end. Thanks for enjoying it with me!! {hugs}

  2. Gwen says

    What a fun post!!! This must mean you’ll be having company to enjoy this fun table setting. The Lord is so good to give you what made everything pull together to make such a put together table setting!! This looks grand!!! Oh I took a quiz! I’m a Nervous Nester I think was the term. I think they are right. The book should have great tips for me?

    • Diane says

      You… a Nervous Nester! Me… Perfectionist. I think I’ve come a LONG way… guess I still have a long way to go!! LOL Gwen… I do feel so very blessed with how it all came together and really it is so simple. 🙂 That’s God!!

  3. I love all your decorations. Thanks for the easy-to-follow directions!

  4. Lucy Beliveau says

    These are lovely, Diane! It’s such a fun project I shared it on my Facebook!! Your directions are so clear and your finished Sunflower Napkin Rings are perfect for FALL!!!

    Thanks for giving us an organized tutorial for such a beautiful end result!!! You’re the BEST!!

    • Awww… you are so sweet! It was a fun project to do and a great way to take something inexpensive and make it look fabulous. I’m so happy to hear that you love the tutorial, too! Just the other day I was at the thrift store and they had napkin rings. I should have bought them since they were just $1/set. I could have fashioned them into another idea. 😉 Instead, I bought a little white crock for my flowers (another new post on the blog) and some small pewter bread plates that I hopefully can use for way more than just bread. 😉 Have fun creating and thanks for sharing, Lucy! xoxo

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