Having a garden party? A few friends over for an outdoor dinner? You can give the table a lovely garden theme by using a few things you already have - growing or not. Living things plucked from your yard or garden, as well as things normally used for gardening, can help you quickly and elegantly set your garden-theme dinner party.
Make leaf votives by choosing leaves that look similar from the garden or yard. Wrap a rubber band around a votive candle holder - a little below the center line. Slide the first leaf under the rubber band, then the next, and so on, until the leaves wrap all the way around the candle holder. Tie a ribbon around them, just above the rubber band, then remove the band. If needed, trim the leaves to be level with the top (or bottom) of the candle holder. For the best look, leave tips of leaves level with the top of the holder while trimming the bottom leaves even with the bottom of the holder.
Make something different by attaching a single rose or other flower to each votive candle holder. Just tie it on with a ribbon. Make something a bit more unusual by placing a tall taper under a hurricane lamp shade then tying the ribbon around it to hold a tall flower - or small group of them. Use clean, clay pots and saucers to serve your guests. They can be painted or used as-is. Take a hand towel and push the center of it inside a clay pot. Position the edges of the towel out and over the top of the pot. For a saucer simply lay a napkin or other cloth over it. Use these to serve bread, crackers, lollipops, finger foods and more. Crumble a baked, chocolate cake into a new garden bucket for a dessert meant for a large crowd. Top by pouring chocolate ice cream topping all over it. Serve it with a new hand spade. Edible flowers, like pansies, roses or snapdragons, make it easy to create luscious drinks or desserts with a floral appeal. Use only the petals from the flowers; wash and dry them on paper towels. Do not buy flowers to serve guests; they can be treated with pesticides and arent intended for eating. Use large, supple, green leaves as coasters for your dinner party. They fit right in with the theme of things and work well for keeping moisture off the tablecloth. Another quick leaf project is done when you fold a napkin, tie a string or ribbon around it, then tuck in a single leaf. Make a different version by tucking in a single flower. Make a different kind of coaster by pressing leaves and/or flowers flat. stack books on them for a few hours, lay one on a paper doily, then cover it with a circle of clear contact paper. If you use clear plates you can make gorgeous place settings that take only minutes. Press flowers and leaves under books until flat and lay them on a colored charger plate. Set a clear plate over it and youll be shocked at just how elegant the arrangement is. Dont have a garden? You can still join in on the fun! Clip blades of grass and glue them to pillar candles - short or tall ones. Cut the blades to different lengths but leave the points intact. Align the bottom of the blade with the bottom of the candle and glue it on with white glue. Group some blades together; space others apart, or create your own design. When the glue has dried brush a layer of glue over the grass. Your guests are really going to think you went all-out to decorate the table for them but youll know it was no big deal. All you had to do is take a walk around your garden - one of your favorite things to do, anyway! See clear flower plates here.
No comments:
Post a Comment