Whether you’re entertaining a crowd or just enjoying the togetherness of a family meal…any gathering around the table is truly a special event! And since it seems harder to do than in generations before us, I really love the times that I can make a meal shared together look as wonderful as it really is! With Thanksgiving on its way, many of us will have just this opportunity to fancy-up a table to celebrate all our blessings and those we hold dear! My inspiration for this year’s place cards I’ll be making for my holiday table came when I was cleaning out my cupboards a while back. You might remember I found all sorts of little containers buried behind closed doors. I also had duplicate, and sometimes triplicate containers of spices…clearly I don’t double check when I construct a grocery list! And as I was getting ready to trash some of the extra spice containers it came to me…the inspiration to create something special for the gals who will be seated at my table! Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan for the guys too! And during a season to be giving thanks…I’m thankful I didn’t throw these supplies away!
say “hello” to holiday recycling!
it’s kind of a catch 22…you need to give or throw things away in order to lighten the load in your home but it seems like some things you toss out you find a need for once they’re gone! it really is a tricky balancing act! I’ve come to the conclusion that if i have a DEFINITE thought about how to use an item AND i have room–i’ll keep it for a while. i just need to keep eliminating things i haven’t used within a year or two so i don’t end up with a hoard! luckily these little spice jars don’t take up much room and when my guests leave, they’ll take them along! so with some simple supplies i re-purposed the bottles into tiny holiday vases…and some artificial acorns from the Target dollar bin will adorn the rim…
i just picked out the ones with the biggest stems and wired them to the bottle with a strand of gold wire…
a simple name tag and fresh flowers…so simple & pretty! i’m not sure what flowers i’ll have blooming on Thanksgiving but if everything is gone a quick trip to the grocer will do! i think the girls will love these little bouquets that they can take with them when they leave…not to mention that they’ll make my table look lovely!
and for the boys…
figuring that the guys might not appreciate the blooms as much…i decided to compliment the mini bouquets with something simple, disposable, but festive for the holiday! so a few walnuts in the shell would be just right!
naturally beautiful…but i decided to paint them and give them a little shine! a can of gold spray paint and they’re all glam!
the embellishments for the walnuts…some tags & die-cut leaves from Hobby Lobby
and small brass nails…found in any hardware store
a name tag & leaf was attached to each walnut with the brass nail. i experimented with nailing directly into the nut as well as using a small drill to make a hole. i was actually able to nail several without them cracking as long as i stayed clear of the seam! but after splitting a couple, i decided to drill the remaining walnuts since i didn’t buy very many. if you don’t have a drill…just make sure you have extra!
the final result…
so fun! i can’t wait to see them on my holiday table!
i love it when you can turn simple supplies into something special! whether you recycle, craft, or a little of both…
make your place cards pretty this holiday!