I think most of us neglect the most focal piece of furniture that we have – yes the dining room table. Also I noticed several times in the different families… tables become a dumping ground for mail, homework, craft projects. Are you one who pushes everyday life aside, just to be able to sit and eat together?

These are just a few reasons that we should treat our dining area, whether it’s in a dining room, kitchen, patio, or other area with tender loving hands. Who knows? You may even find time to sit with your family again!

With these ideas, tips, and trends, you will be able to create tabletop masterpieces in minutes! Using what you have on hand, buying new, and reinventing the existing pieces you already own, puts a whole new spin on things. Decorate your table for special occasions, holidays, seasonally, or “just because”, and reconnect with the most basic element in a household – the family meal.

So let’s decorate…for:

Party in winter

It’s a beautiful cool day, and I have a blank table in front of me. After collecting pruned twigs of our front yard papri tree. I am inspired to re-arrange my table!

Pruning my tree and shrubs always leads to a new look in my house!

I cover the table first – I love linens, and use them regularly. This time I am going to choose an antique crochet work of my great grandmother’s that is collecting dust in my linen closet. The bright colors of flowers with black around will work well for this theme. Mix it up from your own stash of linens. A tablecloth, lace curtains, bedding – all will work as a cover-up.

If you have an exceptional table, perhaps just a runner or table square will do the trick. I always use runners and/or placemats on the diagonal on my rectangular table. By setting up my “mini table’s cape” on one end of the table, I do not have to remove it every time we sit down to eat.

Now, back to my pruning…

I gathered up the pruned twigs of papri dogwood (pussy willows or flowering branches would be great for this also) in a terracotta painted vase one to two feet in height. Certainly switch out the rocks with marbles, aquarium gravel, dried peas or lentils, anything that you have in your pantry or closet. No need to add water- they will stay intact as they are. This is your tallest piece, so do not be afraid to let the twigs and vase soar to the ceiling, ideally three feet or more from the table top.

Best out of waste

What else do I have in the house? A pretty cake plate in white ceramic will do the trick. If you do not own a cake plate, take a canning jar (I love the shape of these and use them for everything), turn it upside down and put a pretty plate on top of it. Instant cake plate at the height we need! What to put on the plate? Back to the garden, an empty bird’s nest will work. Spray this for little creatures, or purchase one at the craft store. A soft “nest” of ribbon to set it on, or realistic eggs to scatter are part of the look.

Position this next to the vase with your “prunings”. We now need a third item of a different height. I may fill a colander or bowl with apples for the color pop, or scatter candles around the base of the cake plate. Using three objects of varying heights balances your main centre piece on this tablescape.

Pull out that fine china, and use it! Use the large plates as a charger plate underneath your everyday china. The table will always appear set, since the charger can stay in place while you wash the other plates. If you have multiple sets of dishes, mix up the patterns and stay in soft tones of color for our spring-like feel. Now is the time to use that floral pattern, the fiesta ware in multiple colors, or the all-white palette.

If this is a special-occasion tablescape, and you are using party favors, think terra cotta. They have been sitting there all winter, screaming to be filled and used at each place setting! A pretty fresh rose plant will kick the table up a notch.

For an everyday tablescape, you can still utilize the roses, or small flowering plants in your centre piece. I am a firm believer that fresh flowers make everything special, and these can be planted outside when the weather is right.

With this theme in hand, think fun!

By Biimla Arya