Recently I opened up the holiday issue of Traditional Home Magazine.  As I flipped through pages of gorgeous home decor I came across a lovely table setting.  It was exquisite.  Beautiful china and crystal and elaborate centerpieces.  I enjoyed the eye candy that was presented on those pages.  And it inspired me to look at my cupboards and see what I have in a new light.

How could I creatively put together a lovely holiday table without going out and spending a lot of money?  What a great challenge.  Have you taken on such a challenge?   It would be easy to whine and whimper and slink off with a frown to the floor and believe it isn’t possible.  But, what fun is there in that?

As Thanksgiving approached I rose to the challenge and you’ll see my table setting here.

Last weekend I hosted some friends and set my table for just eight.  This time, I spent a little bit of money and bought a can of silver spray paint and some silver chargers for ninety-nine cents each.  I guess you could say I did a little tablescaping with silver.

You’ll remember the nutballs that I refreshed with gold spray paint for my Thanksgiving table?  This time I took three of the balls and transformed them with silver spray paint.  I did the same for a handful of nuts, some pinecones, and a few faux leaves.     Now seriously….all of this is soooo easy to do.  Doesn’t it look beautiful on the table?  It gives the table a sort of icy feeling.  Tablescaping with silver is really fresh and new to me and…I love it!

Don’t be surprised if I pull them back out sometime later this winter with another twist. The best part is that tablescaping with silver is as easy as putting your finger on the spray can trigger.  Plus, there’s no way to mess it up.  However you arrange the silver pretties is perfect.  And as the Nester always says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”  I guess that’s what makes this more beautiful to me.

Does this table look a little bit familiar?  If you stopped by for A Very Merry Christmas House Tour you just might have spied this holiday table.

Here’s how the table came together….

First, I dressed the table with a lovely deep red tablecloth that closely matched the Royal Staffordshire Clarice Cliff plates in red.  Then the fun began with the silver chargers I purchased.  The leaves and nuts and pinecones and nutballs  from my stash were all spray painted brilliant silver to match.  If you do this, allow several days before putting them on the table.  The silver spray had a strong odor which took a while to wear off.

I wanted the nutballs to be elevated rather than directly on the table so I added some crystal dessert dishes for their pedestals.  After placing the nutballs on the table I added the vintage triple candlestick holders.  Then I simply placed the leaves, then the nuts, and finally the pinecones down the center of the table evenly.  This really makes for delightful eye candy, but doesn’t get in the way of the dinner guests.  And finally I added my grandmother’s silverplate, Longaberger crystal goblets, and my Longaberger napkins for a bit of Christmas color contrast.  A truly easy and low-cost, but beautiful table setting.

After all this, I thought it would be more convenient for my guests to have their dinner plates on the buffet, so they didn’t need to carry them from the table.  So, at the last-minute the table changed to look like this.  Do you like it?  I do.  It’s simple elegance and yes, I got lots of compliments.

What’s most important though, is not that the table was pretty.  What means the most to me is when guests tell me that it feels good to be in my house and they say they have such a good time when they come.  That’s what really counts.  So however you set the table….blessing the guests is the priority.  And that makes for the perfect dinner party.  Yes?

Will you be entertaining over the holidays?
What do you do to make your guests feel special and loved?

Wishing you the most extraordinary and blessed Christmas!

Diane

This is your special invitation to join me for A Very Merry Christmas House Tour here.
If you’d enjoy a few creative tree trimming ideas, be sure to click here, too!

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