Tag Archives: Gold

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Tablescape Décor Ideas Evoking Love’s Pure Light

Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with tablescape décor ideas evoking Love’s pure light. Placing a nativity as a Christmas dinner’s centerpiece places the message of Christ into the center of the Christmas celebration itself. It’s a beautiful way to remember the greatest gift of truest love.

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“Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon Virgin Mother and Child! Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!”

The focal point of the centerpiece vignette is a gilded nativity sculpture ensconced within a sheltering angel’s wings inset with shimmering glass mosaic. A gilt cross is placed as a reminder of the resolution of the ultimate gift. Beaded tree forms stand in deference to the difficult journey made to Bethlehem.

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“Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly Hosts sing Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour, is born! Christ, the Saviour, is born!”

A golden polyptych rising as the gates of Heaven reflects a glimmering mosaic Holy Family sculpture and presiding angel aglow with proclamation. Glories stream as jeweled fabric swirls from a beaded wreath representing He that is all seeing.

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“Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth! Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!”

Radiant light reflects as the looming dawn from a large beaded ornament poised over the nativity. Reproductions of renaissance art featuring Madonna with child are exhibited with various gilded crosses in the background.

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“Silent Night, Holy Night Here at last, healing light From the heavenly kingdom sent, Abundant grace for our intent. Jesus, salvation for all. Jesus, salvation for all.”

Ornamental golden levels rise as the stairway to Heaven whose path may be traversed by means of the prayers of the faithful and Love’s pure light, symbolized by lit votive candles of golden beads and frosted glass.

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“Silent Night! Holy Night” Sleeps the world in peace tonight. God sends his Son to earth below A Child from whom all blessings flow Jesus, embraces mankind. Jesus, embraces mankind.”

Heavenly blessings as signified by vintage gold embroidered tulle envelop the earthen colored cloth. Gold-leafed chalices bear remembrance to Holy sacrament.

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“Silent Night, Holy Night Mindful of mankind’s plight The Lord in Heav’n on high decreed From earthly woes we would be freed Jesus, God’s promise for peace. Jesus, God’s promise for peace.”

Brass utensils with wooden handles echo tools suggesting earthly toil and mankind’s plight. A simple wooden plate hearkening to the apostles’ era is ringed by a halo of righteousness in the form of a golden charger. Christmas messages of “hope” and “joy” mark handcrafted napkin rings which encircle cloth napkins implying the fabric of humanity.

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Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14 KJV

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Though there are actually several versions of “Silent Night, Holy Night”, I have quoted the most complete translation of the original German Hymn (whose words were written by Rev. Joseph Mohr in 1816, and music composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818).

P.P.S. Print free nativity Christmas cards and learn how to easily make the coordinating napkin rings here: Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Free Printable Nativity Cards and Easy Craft Tutorial for Hope & Joy Napkin Rings for Christmas Dinner

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Free Printable Nativity Cards & Easy Craft Tutorial for Hope & Joy Napkin Rings for Christmas Dinner

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Easily craft beautiful hope and joy napkin rings for Christmas dinner with this quick tutorial, and then send free printable nativity cards that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. In this way you may offer the message of abounding hope and joy for the Christmas season.

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In order to make the napkin rings, you will need a wired ribbon of 1.5 inch width. Choose any pattern of colors to coordinate with the table linens you plan on using. You will need to cut a 6 inch strip for each ring you plan to make, and then you can use the leftover ribbon for coordinating wreaths or packages. You’ll also need miniature word ornaments or scrapbooking embellishments. (This ribbon was 40% off at Hobby Lobby, as were the adornments which were available in various metals and words.) You can also go a step further by bending wire to form a cursive word… but on this day I was going for a quick and easy 5 minute project!

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Place a line of glue along the decorative side of the short end of the ribbon. Slightly overlap that edge over the other, and press firmly for lasting adherence. (Use a silicone finger guard to protect yourself from the heat while pressing.)

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Flatten the rings with the seam centered on the underside. Use a glue like E6000 to adhere the metal to the glittered ribbon, as it grips unlike surfaces well. Just use a dot of glue at the center of the word. Let them dry overnight.

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My free printable card is a great way to send Christmas blessings celebrating the true meaning of the holiday to everyone on your list. Print out the exact number you need, when you need them, without having to go back to the store for extra boxed sets. It’s much simpler and far less expensive to buy bulk boxes of envelopes for year round use. (Check my arts & crafts webpage or index webpage for my ever-growing selection of free printables… free for noncommercial personal use only!) To print the cards, simply right click on the image above and select print. One page equals one 5×7 card… so choose the number you want to make, and select color and photo quality settings.

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Cut along the colorized edge of the rectangle and fold in half. If you really want to make the card shine, spread opalescent glitter glue over the halos and stargazes, and then let them dry overnight before sending. (In person, the dramatic difference is worth the 10 seconds per card.) You can handwrite a line of scripture (like the one below), or use a dollar bin stamp as an easy way to add a special Christmas message of your choice to the inside of each card. (Le fidèLe Designs affiliate store Michaels offers these often.) This is a great project to involve the whole family with an assembly line of printing, cutting, folding, stamping, glittering, and then group signing. You spend less money, and the hand crafted card is appreciated more by the recipient (at least from what I’ve experienced.)

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“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13 KJV

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. See the napkin rings within a Christmas dinner setting in my article here: Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Tablescape Décor Ideas Evoking Love’s Pure Light

Meet me at the End of the Rainbow Tablescape Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Party Décor

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Meet me at the end of the rainbow for a St. Patrick’s Day party tablescape filled with whimsical décor ideas. Shamrocks, gold coins, rainbows, and a leprechaun enliven an event fit for fairy Queen Mab herself. So pull up a chair and delight in the sights of a table set for the most fortunate of sorts… lucky you!

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“May your pockets be heavy— your heart be light,”

A mischievous leprechaun caught gold-handed must offer 3 wishes in exchange for his freedom… so there he will stand waiting as part of the centerpiece until all has been thought through when the meal has ended.
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“And may good luck pursue you each morning and night.”

Light shines through the trees illuminating a diaphanous fabric rainbow and trailing shamrock banner acting as the harbingers of good fortune.

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“May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold—“

Glasses with golden basket weave patterns hold all the liquescent happiness a pixie could delight in. Layers of earthenware plates are providentially heaped upon chargers reminiscent of gleaming gold coins. Napkin rings seemingly made of celestial rainbows fortunately hold useful cloth napkins. Wooden handled golden flatware will soon carry all the delicious colcannon an elf could devour.
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“And at the end of all your rainbows may you find a pot of gold.”

Capturing the luck at the end of the vibrant rainbow is an antique wooden farm bucket overflowing with gilt coins and auspiciously sprouting felt shamrocks.

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“Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you.”

Lush emerald green grass ostensibly growing from rich soil conveys the feeling of Ireland. Dotting the table’s landscape are propitious shamrocks and glistening coins heralding the luck of the Irish.

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Now let us raise a glass and toast “Sláinte!” (“slawn-cha”) to our health as they do in ancestral Ireland!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The leprechaun is actually a vintage Mark Roberts Christmas fairy whose seafaring Neptune features have been temporarily disguised with shamrocks for the occasion.

P.P.S. Learn how to make the napkin rings and get my free printable sky card / invitation by clicking here: Easy DIY Rainbow Napkin Rings Tutorial & Free Sky Printable Card / Invitation Craft for All Occasions Including Parties & St. Patrick’s Day!

Elegant Chinese New Year of the Monkey Dinner Party Décor Tablescape Ideas

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This Chinese New Year of the monkey dinner party contains many ideas for elegant tablescape décor with which to inspire your own celebration. As this is a time for provoking good fortune, customary New Year colors where replaced with those which are luckiest for the monkey sign. Favorable shades are white, gold, and blue while the traditional red is regarded as inauspicious. The typically shunned white funerary color is actually a propitious one for the primate, so it is utilized in the dishware. There are touches of blue in the ceramic vessels, and many shades of gold are included in the setting. Further yellow toned gold cording was selected for the napkin rings, as yellow is also regarded as a lucky royal color as it was once reserved only for use by the emperor. The handcrafted napkin rings were fashioned with traditional Chinese good luck knots, each with 8 petal-like loops. This is auspicious as the numbers 1, 7, and 8 are also providential for the monkey. There are 8 chairs in room, though some are off camera. 7 brass candle holders elevate candles with 7 lit wicks, and there are actually 7 good luck knots when the 6 rings are added to the one looped onto a ceramic lid. Of course, the table, table runner, tablecloth, and wall vase are each numbered as one. The Asian wall vase contains blossoming branches which are a prosperous theme repeated in the ceramics. Additionally, little lotus bowls bloom with blessings. Only chopsticks and ceramic spoons are included for dining, because knives unfortunately represent the cutting of relationship ties… and this is a holiday for flourishing connections in the burgeoning of a thriving new year! “Gung Hay Fat Choy, Gung Hay Fat Choy. Sing Happy New Year, Gung Hay Fat Choy.”

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“The new moon tells us, exactly when to celebrate with family and friends.” Gold leaf chargers shine as the full moon beneath gold edged plates and propitious lotus blossom bowls. Delicate teacups accompany vintage ceramic spoons bordered also with gold. Bamboo chopsticks display adornment with patterned paper washi tape.

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“Clean up the house and get out the broom. Sweep out the old year, bring in the new.” A pristine new tablecloth of muted gold matches cloth napkins encircled by plaited rings embellished with opportune good luck knots.

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“Bring out the apples, the oranges too. Their colors bring us joy and good luck too.” Auspicious branches bloom from an Asian wall-mounted vase. Trees neighboring the tablescape are echoed by the table-runner embroidered with leaf filled branches.

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“The dragon dances, the lanterns light. The firecrackers light up the night.” Illuminating pillar candles stand eminently upon vintage scrolled brass candle holders embossed with tiny lotus blossoms. Traditionally made Chinese ceramic vessels lavishly depict scenes of lush bird filled paradises, which are decorated further by dimensional gold paint.

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Gung Hay Fat Choy… Best wishes & congratulations! Have a prosperous and good year!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. The quoted Gung Hay Fat Choy children’s song lyrics are by Nancy Stewart.

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P.P.S. Learn how to make the traditional Chinese Good Luck knots seen here and how to turn them into napkin rings as well as decorating chopsticks with washi tape in my crafting article by clicking HERE!

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P.P.P.S. Read more about traditional Chinese New Year celebrations in my article from last year by clicking HERE!

Love Letter Themed Tablescape (Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Romantic Date Night, or Anniversary Dinner)

This love letter themed tablescape make’s the perfect setting for Valentine’s Day, a romantic date night, or even an anniversary dinner. I find that in the modern era of effortless texting, emails, and social networking, that it can be a lovely quixotic gesture to turn back to the sentimentality of a handwritten letter on actual paper. Then to go further back to capture the romanticism of script, drafted with pen and ink well on paper that’s been sealed with wax… so that none other than the intended may lay eyes on the heartfelt content. Call me old fashioned if you will… I’ll just take it as a compliment.

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“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:”

Verse spells its way across a love letter inspired cloth is laid upon a greater midnight black tablecloth.

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“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:”

Six ravishing red roses rise from a vase overflowing with soft petals. A boundless array of them blankets the table.

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“Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed;”

Luminous brass sextuplet candlesticks cast a romantic golden glow over the tablescape. Beneath them lies a once live rose plated in brilliant 14 karat gold. Gilded studs enhance burgundy pillar candles set upon stacked vintage candlesticks that playfully generate light and shadow in the background.

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“And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;”

Encircling tuxedo black napkins are love letter symbolizing napkin rings trimmed with faux wax seals. Golden utensils bearing wooden handles represent the pens of yesteryear. Waiting to be filled are vintage ruby glasses trimmed with rings of gold that are flanked by golden flecked midcentury champagne vessels.

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“But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,”

Beneath a resplendent tree sit black ladder-backed chairs cushioned with sumptuous garnet pillows.

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“When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st. So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

Italian countryside plates from Mikasa are topped by red dishes resembling wax seals. They obscure all but rings of gold from the gleaming mat chargers below them.

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh & William Shakespeare’s 18th Sonnet

P.S. Click here for my Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Countdown Calendar / Treat Bag Banner & Love Letter Napkin Rings Craft Tutorials.

St. Patrick’s Day Party Tablescape Décor Ideas (with Rainbows, Shamrocks, Money Tree, & Printable Card & Invite)

Discover what is really at the end of the rainbow with these St. Patrick’s Day party décor ideas. A centerpiece filled with pots of gold will prove that money does grow on shamrock laden trees! This colorful tablescape is quick and easy to achieve with inexpensive materials and my Quick & Easy Metal Napkin Rings Tutorial, Money Tree + Rainbow & Shamrock Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day Party Décor article to guide you, and use my free printable card to invite your friends to join you for a wee bit o’ whimsy this holiday.

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This celebration, I really wanted to indulge in a pure state of whimsicality. I envisioned leprechauns dining in Seussville… and this vibrant tablescape is what resulted. This may of course be toned down for your own home, taking just an idea or two if you like… but as for me and mine, it’s whimsy all the way.

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I began with a crisp green field of tablecloth topped with chargers of golden coins. This was layered with green plates and rainbow colored madras plaid napkins ringed in green glittered metal.

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(See how to quickly make your own napkin rings easily here.)

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Utensils were adorned with metallic green washi tape, just as I had previously done for Mardi Gras. (See more on this here.) Basket gilded glassware contributed to the theme as well. (See these in a Thanksgiving tablescape here.)

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The table was strewn with green pom-poms plus mylar and glitter shamrocks as confetti. (The glitter varieties were actually individual stickers that can be used to adorn something later, because their backings remained intact.)

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At the table’s center was a money tree with shamrock leaf ornaments, coin-studded branches, with gold and green lights.

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Rainbow archways and pots of gold were held in its arms, and its trunk was festooned with more polychromatic splendor. (Find instructions for all of this year’s St. Pat’s crafts here.)

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The base of the tree was encircled with a multi-hued feathered boa and apropos greeting. Around that were glowing votive holders and more pots of gold, some complete with their very own rainbows.

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A chair for the guest of honor was draped with a rainbow sash, green sequin tiara, glitter shamrock wand, and metallic beads in various shade of green. This was a device with which to further invite whimsy, because who could maintain a serious façade when someone so adorned is seated across from you? For your celebration, this spot might be reserved for the smallest family member. I confess that I have a lot of fun dressing my grandmother in such crazy holiday attire for her parties at the senior center, and it garners her much attention.

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Glittered holiday signs strewn with rainbow streamers fill the window in the background. Believe it or not, I actually held myself back from adding many more rainbows… using the rest of my 81 foot roll of crepe paper would have mummified the window blocking out all sunlight!

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My free 4 x 6 printable card may be sent as an invite when details like time and place are added to the inside, but it is also serves as a lovely remembrance for any one that’s cared for. The Irish blessing on the card reads, “For each petal on the shamrock. This brings a wish your way, Good health, good luck, and happiness, For today and every day.”

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Simply right click on the small image, and select print. Then print it using the color and photo settings on cardstock. Here, I’ve printed them on both plain white stock and a parchment variety so that you may see how paper choice can alter the look of your card. You can also print it in black on green paper. (I’m offering it, along with my other printables free for your personal use. I just ask that my work not be used for commercial purposes.) You can even embellish it for a personal touch with glitter glue, stickers, ribbon, etc. The shamrock stickers I used on the card here are the same kind seen in the tablescape as confetti. A dab of quick dry tacky glue adhered a bow with the same ribbon used on the pots of gold.

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I will leave you with this lovely St. Patrick’s Day toast, “May the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after.”

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Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Quick & Easy Metal Napkin Rings, Money Tree, + Rainbow & Shamrock Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day Party Décor

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with rainbow filled party décor. Make pots of gold for a centerpiece to prove that money does grow on shamrock laden trees! These colorful crafts are quick and easy to achieve with inexpensive materials like metal ribbon for napkin rings and crepe paper for rainbow arches and votive holders. Find my free printable card & invite at the article for St. Patrick’s Day Party Tablescape Décor Ideas, along with how to complete the rest of the celebration.

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Top o’ this morning’s question is how to fill a party with rainbows without breaking the bank. The answer is with crepe paper streamers in a rainbow print… 2 dollars will purchase 81 feet of decorating power! The trick is to use it in the same way you would utilize ribbon.

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It only took a few inches of crepe streamer to adorn each of the slim handles of glittered baskets, taking them from Christmas to St. Pat’s in a flash. They only needed a few dots of glue to adhere each underside edge to the other, and it only takes a tug to remove the paper and reuse the baskets for the next theme. “Gold” coins atop gold gift bag stuffing complete the pots at the ends of the rainbow.

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Some of you may have seen my last Mardi Gras Party article where I wrapped gold glitter votive holders with an amazing tri-color tinsel ribbon. I used those very same glittered holders and wrapped them with crepe rainbows for St. Pat’s. A tiny piece of transparent tape makes them reusable for another celebration, because nothing is attached that will pull the glitter off. A final touch is to add a piece of shamrock confetti using tape that’s been doubled over.

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I purchased the confetti at half-off for 50 cents, and had more than enough to spread around, so I decided to decorate little Halloween cauldrons as pots of gold. I took a hole-punch to the shamrocks, and then I attached them with strips of two-toned green Christmas clearance ribbon. All they needed to complete them was a bit of green gift bag stuffing and some more gold coins… yes, those are the same ones that functioned as doubloon décor at Mardi Gras.

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Some of these little pots dotted the table, and some sat perched in the shamrock leaved money tree.

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Also gracing the glowing tree were rainbow arches made with the same crepe paper used earlier. I just cut a corresponding length of floral wire and taped it to the center of the underside. This provided a posable structure with which to bend the rainbow to my decorating will… which happened to be filling in some empty space between the branches.

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The tree is the same gilded metal one I used for Mardi Gras, but was filled this time with different branches, lights, and shamrock ornaments. I used holographic branches that were 34 cents each, from last year’s St. Pat’s clearance sale. I filled in with a mylar leaf studded vine that I cut into sections. I found it along with the gold and green lights after Christmas for 90% off.

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The holographic shamrock ornaments were dollar bin finds, but the glittered wooden varieties were made from a party store sign for a few dollars.

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All I needed to do was cut them apart and add ribbon loops as hangers. For a future holiday, I can add rainbows or coins for a completely new look.

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This metal tree has been painted different colors and adorned with a complete range of décor to suit every holiday.

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For this one, I just wrapped the trunk in more rainbows and laid a green feather boa at its base. This too was found post St. Pat’s for less than 2 dollars.

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If you plan your theme a year ahead, it’s easy to gather all the material you need for the cost a burger out. Then you can spend your cash on quality ingredients for a fabulous dinner menu!

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The last, and most fabulous, craft is how to make your own metal napkin rings. These aren’t just for St. Pat’s but will work beautifully for any occasion. This is because you can find its base of decorative metal ribbon in a wide variety of styles and colors. For this party, I wanted to use the green glittered variety to encircle my rainbow colored napkins. Because I found the material on clearance, I made all 6 of them for only 50 cents.

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First I needed to cut 6 inch metal strips. If you have any trouble cutting though yours, just cut a line into the metal with clippers, and then bend each side of it back and forth until it breaks free. This is much easier on the wrists than brute force. Then bend each strip into as much of a rounded circle as you can get it, and overlap the 2 edges a wee bit. Then glue those edges with E6000 in a well ventilated space.

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Just let them cure a couple of days before sliding your pretty little napkins through them!

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May all your crafting days be filled with the luck of the Irish!

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Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Frozen Winter Wonderland Themed Christmas & New Year’s Eve Dinner Parties (+ Optional Crafts)

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With New Year’s Eve trailing behind Christmas so closely, I wanted to create a dinner party theme that could easily be converted from one to the other without spending any more money or time. I’ve seen all of the decorative components in variation at stores ranging from high end home goods to budget craft supply. I’ll even describe how you can craft your own easily and inexpensively. I’ve chosen a winter wonderland theme as a visual narration of the “Frozen” movie that celebrates family and friendship. It makes an enchanting setting for the adults, and provides an extra dose of holiday magic for the kiddos with frozen-fever. And, hey, you can always pick up items on sale this year to use the theme for next year’s festivities!

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For each of the table-scapes, I set the base of the stage with a gold and ivory harlequin tablecloth found previously at an after Christmas sale. If you see something on your shopping trips that might work for next year’s theme… snap it up! This is how I manage to satisfy my high end taste while sticking to my tight budget. It’s really easy to fill in from there, just before the celebration. I did this with beautifully beaded cones in gold, silver, and pewter from Pier 1. (I have seen other versions of these at many of the stores I been to this year.)

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If you’d like to make your own last minute, you have two easy options. One is to buy glitter wrapping paper and double-stick tape it into a cone shape. You can just cut different sizes of paper and wrap each into a tube shape, then tighten one end into a point and tape it down. This only takes a few minutes and is affordable for everyone. The best part is that the paper can be reused for gift wrap later! Another option is to spray inexpensive Styrofoam cones with Krylon Glitter Blast spray. (I really like this stuff. It comes in many colors and is so easy to turn out matching crafts out of very different materials. I’m planning on showing it in use for my next Valentine project.) If you’d really like to go all out with the “Frozen” movie theme, just set the table in aqua blues, silver and white. It would even make a fantastic birthday party for a fan of the film. I topped my harlequin tablecloth with an inherited vintage mesh cloth with golden embroidery. (This layered look is easy to emulate with all of the various sparkly mesh fabric available. I previously purchased some myself from Joann’s with a 40% off coupon.)

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For each place setting, I used my grandmother’s ivory dishes with gold trim atop gilded round placemats that served as a form of plate chargers. I also made use of my daily Oneida silverware, but switched out the butter knife for vintage steak knives with ivory scrolled handles. I love mixing and matching seamlessly!

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I already had two lovely sets of napkin rings that would work beautifully, so I decided to go with vintage brass ones for New Year’s, and those with golden threads for Christmas. I placed extras of these beneath beaded Christmas ball ornaments as tiny stands, with the metal eyelet hooks hidden inside the rings. (I’ve formerly employed this idea successfully with marble Easter eggs.)

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In the New Year’s setting, I placed ivory satin ribbon emblazoned with gold foiled champagne flutes and the exclamation “Toast”. (This ribbon from Joann’s would be equally lovely for a wedding as well.)

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For Christmas, I topped the salad plates with large gold glitter snowflakes. I set more of these vertically throughout the centerpiece. (These can be found at numerous stores or may be homemade with chipboard or wooden snowflakes glittered with spray.) Lastly, I added inherited vintage glassware with pewter and golden touches. (Clear vessels would also be lovely in their place.)

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Both table-scapes had golden scrolled embossed glass votive holders lined with plastic wrap to safely contain white “snowball” candies. Each of the centerpieces also had LED candles covered in gold sequins.

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I added further glow to the New Year’s version with real votives in gold beaded holders. This table was finished off with large foil confetti of silver squares and gold stars. (Another easy addition would be to include metallic noise makers to ring in the New Year.)

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For Christmas, pale gold glass trees were nestled between the cones. (I’ve seen different types of metallic glass trees at both department and craft stores.)

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All of this was surrounded by a chain garland with opalescent bead “icicles”. (This can be made by anyone with jewelry skills using eye-pins, seed beads, and bulk chain. For everyone else, I’ll probably demonstrate this in the future!)

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If your chandelier dips too low (as mine did) to accommodate the center cones, there is a simple solution. Use a small S-hook from a hardware store to hitch up a lower link to a higher one in the chain. Start by setting the S-hook on a link at the height you prefer, then lift the chandelier up, and lastly set a lower link onto the hook. (The photo really illustrates this better than I can describe.)

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You might wait to try this until you have help to lift it while you relink it. The linking isn’t noticeable in person, and it really looks better to not have the chandelier visually conflict with the centerpiece.

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Whether or not you choose one or both of these table-scapes for your next fête, for this year or the next… the idea of making simple changes to perfect your party for its holiday is a notable one if simply for its low cost and ease of transition. Most importantly, it leaves more time for family and friends. Have a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with blessings!

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Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Be sure to check out my Fast & Easy DIY Hand-stamped Polka-dot Gift Wrap & Matching Gift Crafts!