|
Thanksgiving is traditionally a day when we invite our
loved ones into our home and give thanks for all we have. But
with Christmas and other holidays looming just around the
corner, it sometimes can be tough on the budget to put out a beautifully decorated table.
No problem, The Budget Decorator is here to help you create a tablescape for
your home that represents your creativity, and gives you yet another thing to be thankful for....money saved!
1.Develop a theme. A natural for this time of year, is, well...natural! Use the beauty of nature and the harvest
as even our ancestors did to provide a beautiful and
delicious theme for your Thanksgiving feast.
2.Provide a backdrop to your table setting. You don't
need fancy tablecloths for this day. Layer simply flat
sheets, old bedspreads or quilts, and pretty fabric placemats
all on the same table. Keep a solid color between each pattern,
and it will shine!
3.Go all out setting your table! I DON'T mean run to
your nearest department store and buy the best china.
Nonsense. This day is about simpler things than that. I do mean
use what you have, all of it, even if it doesn't match. Set
out plates and salad dishes and soup bowls. Use all your glassware. Bring out separate forks for salad and main
dish.
Fold pretty fabric or paper napkins and place at each setting. Go to a craft site and find a little place card
you can make out of materials on hand. Here's a secret: The
more generous you are with your table settings, no matter
what the nature of the plates and cups and silverware, the
more festive and lavish the room appears!
4.Create a shimmering centerpiece out of natural
materials!
Gather 2 or three ceramic bowls, and fill them with
nature finds...fir cones, acorns, nuts or seeds, even old potpourri! Nestle a pillar candle in each bowl, and set
in the center of the table. Add a few pressed or silk fall leaves to the table around the bowls, and viola! Simple, elegant, and except for the candles (which you may have
in your cupboard already) free! Never leave the candles unattended, and always make sure they will not burn down
to or be blown into anything flammable.
5.Use a small pitcher from your cupboard to bring fresh flowers or branches of fall leaves to the table. Use in
the center of your candle arrangement for height and
interest.
6.Display pumpkins and gourds in the corners of the
room, piled as they would in a barn. Add a few baskets to hold apples and pears, or smaller gourds and corn.
7.Invest in one roll of fall hue ribbon for your
tablescape. Tie a bow to the back of each chair, wind ribbon over
the table through the centerpieces. Even use it as tiebacks
for the curtains!
Use what you have, bring in the bounty of harvest, and
enjoy your loved ones without stealing from that holiday fund!
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget decorating ideas and to sign up for her free newsletter and ebook, visit her at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com
|
Decorating and interior design tools for apartment - home - studio or dorm. |
|
