A Sea-ing Stars Summer Tablescape

June 08, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I love starfish and I have been thinking about putting a starfish themed tablescape together for a few months now. We live about a mile and a half as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean and I used to walk along the ocean and watch the dolphins jumping through the waves. I love the sound of the sea. I bought this navy with white starfish tablecloth on sale at Spoonflower online. I have created two other starfish themed tablescapes, one two years ago, and one six years ago. You can see those tablescapes as well as 300+ other themed tablescapes that I have done on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes. This tablescape uses only two colors and that’s exactly the color scheme that I wanted it to be.

I was so happy to see these melamine small white starfish plates at Pottery Barn several years ago and when they went on sale I grabbed them. I had been looking for small white starfish plates for a couple of years. I love the bright white color and the design on them.

I wanted to add cobalt blue Fiesta dinner plates to my tablescaping collection and I finally bought some online at Everything Kitchens LLC a few years ago. This pattern was our everyday dishes pattern before we remodeled our kitchen but they were really worn so we replaced them with red ones after we finished the kitchen because the kitchen design is white with red accents. I now have this Fiesta dinner pattern in several different colors and I use them often on my tablescapes.

This is a Mikasa Color Spectrum Charger in the color Alpine White. I have this charger in several different colors and I bought them all on Ebay as I saw them over several years. The Internet says that this pattern was only made between 1992 and 1993. I am not sure that is true but in any case they are no longer being manufactured. I have been trying to get six of this white color and pattern for years with no success until a few years ago when suddenly I found six at different places online after occasional google searches. You need to have patience when you are looking for things on the secondary market for tablescaping, that’s for sure!

I bought this frosted white flatware set on sale online at Wayfair several years ago, the set was made by Cambridge. It is 18/0 instead of 18/10 so the fork tines are a bit sharper than I would like but I really liked the white frosted color on the handle. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I can’t remember where I bought these white cotton napkins. When I started tablescaping I bought napkin sets in many basic colors because I knew I would be using them often. I bought the metal starfish napkin rings on Amazon. They were gold but Hubby spray-painted them navy blue for me.

To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

I found these white starfish place card holders on Etsy a few years ago. They were made from real starfish. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I had very very tall white goblets in my tablescaping collection but I had been looking for shorter white ones for a long time. I finally found these white goblets at Walmart several years ago. They were made by Artland and the pattern was called Veranda. I decided to use two white goblets with this pattern at each place setting on this tablescape to help break up all the navy blue. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

I wanted a white starfish to use as a centerpiece for this tablescape and so I googled it and this one popped up at Overstock online. It’s made of resin and the base is a clear rectangular box shape. I covered the base with faux white pebbles that I have had for a long time and then set the whole thing on a white drink dispenser stand that I bought at Pottery Barn many years ago to make it a bit taller.

I added two YZHZOM real starfish that I found on Amazon on each side of the centerpiece.

Just for fun I added a glass starfish that I have had for many years to the table. There is a funny family story about this starfish. When the kids were young it sat out on an end table in the living room. One day I picked it up and noticed that one of the legs was broken off and it had been carefully put back together so that the break wouldn’t show. I asked each child about it and no one would confess that they had broken it but the two older ones blamed the youngest. To this day no one will admit that they broke it. I suspect it may have been the cleaning lady but who knows! Hubby glued it back together and it has lived in one of my hutches since then. While setting up this tablescape I put it on the table and while I was putting the faux pebbles on the centerpiece stand one fell and it broke the starfish again, at the old break, and a new break, two legs off! Lol! Hubby will have to glue it back together…again!

Working on this tablescape makes me want to head up the coast and stay on the beach somewhere again!

To see over 300+ different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group (4,000+ members) for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. (200+ members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers last year in the Los Angeles area and we are planning to have another one this fall.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

A Berry Sweet Strawberry Summer Tablescape

June 02, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This post is a repeat of a tablescape that I created and posted five years ago. I do that sometimes now because I have created over 300 tablescapes and I continue to have new followers that haven’t seen the older ones. I had been wanting to use these vintage Cemar strawberry plates on a tablescape for a long long time. The problem was their color, kind of a mauve dark pink. I had lots of strawberry items but they were all red. I had to wait until I could find some things to match them. The green tablecloth probably came from HomeGoods or Amazon, I have had it for several years.

I found these Cemar strawberry shaped plates on Ebay many many years ago, way before I started tablescaping. My daughter’s friends called her Strawberry when she was growing up because of her auburn hair and my mother loved strawberries so they became a favorite of mine to collect. I gathered them a few at a time as I found them online. Cemar was a California Pottery company in business from 1935 to 1955. It was founded by former Bauer Pottery employees Cliff J. Malone and Paul Cauldwell. The company was a part of a large growth in the sale of California pottery during World War II when imports from Asia were restricted or banned.

I was lucky enough to find both salad and dinner plates in this pattern. I found some bowls as well.

This charger was made by Mikasa, it was called Color Spectrum in Hunter Green. If you read my blog you have seen this charger in several different colors. These are really my favorite chargers, they are heavy and well made.

I think I might use this flatware set more than any other color I have. The set was called Madeline Green and I bought it at World Market several years ago. I really like the frosted design on the handles and this shade of green goes well with many color schemes. I use them throughout the year. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

When I was inventorying my napkins I discovered these napkins. I had forgotten that I had them because I hadn’t taken a photo of one yet. As I was pulling this tablescape together I was trying to figure out what napkins to use (all my strawberry napkins have red strawberries) and I suddenly remembered these mauve napkins. I probably bought them at HomeGoods, I have had them for several years. I found the pink strawberry napkin rings on Ebay a couple months ago. They have no markings. I knew they would work with these plates but they were more than I wanted to pay because there were 16 of them. I offered less (sometimes that works) but the seller refused so I kept looking. I finally came back to them because I couldn’t find any strawberry napkin rings that weren’t red. I knew if I didn’t get these, I probably wouldn’t use these strawberry plates on a tablescape for some time if ever. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

Because I had so many, I fudged a bit and I used these napkin rings as place card holders too. They are freestanding so they worked. I knew I would never find anything that matched otherwise! To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

The sage green acrylic goblet on the left came from our Pier 1 store before it closed. Dollar stores often have this goblet in different colors. I looked for tall pink goblets for a couple of years and suddenly World Market had these pink glass goblets a couple of years ago. They sold out quickly so others must have been looking for them too. I like the height of both these goblets. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

I found a vintage cream and sugar set several years ago to match the plates but not a teapot. Just as well, I have no room for one!

I also found a couple of vintage salt and pepper sets that matched.

Cookie jars are one of my go-to centerpieces and I was lucky to find this Cemar strawberry cookie jar that matched the plates several years ago. I have it sitting on a white drink dispenser stand from Pottery Barn. I added a small green doily for more definition.

I didn’t put the matching cup and saucer on the table because they are always to be placed on the table after the meal but I wanted to show one. I found them on Ebay several years ago too.

Time for some strawberries!

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

A Bandana-ful Summer Tablescape

May 25, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I bought this Leacock bandana print small tablecloth on Ebay a few years ago. It had a small hole in it but I knew it wouldn’t show. When I saw the tablecloth I could immediately visualize a tablescape that I could create with it. When I use a smaller tablecloth, I usually set it over a larger tablecloth, in this case, a large white cotton tablecloth that I have had for a long time. It has a label that says KAF HOME. To see my other summer tablescapes and 300+ other tablescapes that I have created that are posted on my blog please click on this link to my blog: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes .

I think I bought these melamine red and blue bandana salad plates at HomeGoods a few months ago. Sometimes I see something and I immediately know that it is coming home with me and that was the case with these plates. I just loved the design and the bright colors.

This large square beaded rim white plate was made by 10 Strawberry Street. A large square plate like this is a great starter plate if you want to begin to do tablescaping and you want square plates. You can use it as a charger or a dinner plate. I have large square plates in black and brown also. I wanted to have a few square plates in basic colors in my collection of dishes. I can’t remember where I bought this plate several years ago but it was probably HomeGoods. They always have a large collection of different white dishes for sale.

I added another square white plate to this tablescape because I wanted the plate stack to be a bit taller. It is just a tiny bit larger than the other square white plate. This plate is melamine and I bought it at HomeGoods a few years ago. It has a Tommy Bahama mark on the back.

I have this Ginkgo International Le Prix flatware set also in black, green, yellow and persimmon orange and I just ordered it in navy blue. I can’t remember where I bought this red set online but if you google it, something will pop up. I like this flatware design because it is a bit more informal like my tablescaping style. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

When I decided to create a bandana themed tablescape I started looking for bandana napkin rings and these red and blue ones popped up on Etsy, exactly what I was looking for. I can’t remember where I bought the royal blue cotton napkins, I have had them for several years. Over the years I have shopped for napkins at HomeGoods, Pier 1, and World Market so they may have come from one of those stores. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

The red cotton napkins came from Pier 1 many years ago.

I bought these mini woven baskets on Amazon six years ago. I knew that I could use them as place card holders. They came in a set of 24 and they were brown so I took six of them and Hubby spray-painted them white for me for this tablescape. I bought a red and a blue bandana print scarf on Amazon as well and cut them down to fit these baskets. I set them on a small square white wood place card holder that I already had to made them a bit taller. To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

When I am working on a tablescape Hubby is always a great help because I tell him or show him a photo of what I want to use on the table and he goes out to the garage and finds it on the many racks of dishes and glasses that are out there. (Sometimes it takes both of us to find things out there!) I sent him out to find different goblets but he came back with these two and I decided that they were a better choice than what I was originally planning to use. He has watched me create tablescapes for several years now and he sometimes comes up with better choices than mine! I think the red glass goblet on the left came from Crate and Barrel a few years ago. I had been looking for some simple red goblets and I grabbed these when I saw them online. I only bought six and I wished I had bought more but Hubby found six other red glass goblets at HomeGoods that are so similar you can’t tell the difference. The blue acrylic goblet on the right came from Pier 1 several years ago. I really like the height and shape of it and I have it in several different colors. Dollar stores sell them sometimes in different colors in acrylic and in glass. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection here.

I have had this white metal basket that I am using as a centerpiece for several years. I don’t remember where I bought it but it might have been at an antique mall. I found the Hananona red and blue faux flowers on Amazon. They came in a set with white flowers too but I decided to just use the red and blue flowers on this centerpiece. The basket is sitting on a small plastic stand that I sometimes use to lift my centerpieces higher. I have had it for years and I don’t know where I bought it.

I sometimes add salt and pepper sets to my tablescapes to add a bit of interest and fill the spaces on the left and right of the centerpiece. I often buy salt and pepper sets on Amazon and I found this set there. They were made by Brighter Barns. They have the words SALT and PEPPER written in white on the back.

I also added a Mosser white glass salt and pepper set that I bought online from Everything Kitchens to this tablescape.

This is a tablescape that could be set before Memorial Day and used through the 4th of July and beyond!

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!

This blog post was featured at Modern on Monticello, https://modernonmonticello.com/ Please visit this blog, you will enjoy it!

An Octopi Your Seat Tablescape

May 18, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I planned this Octopus Tablescape for a long time a few years ago and I finally got it done. I couldn’t decide what color octopus to use but I was leaning toward looking for white ones because I had seen this underwater pattern tablecloth on Amazon and I wanted to use it. You can see several other Ocean themed tablescapes as well as 300+ other tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes

Once I decided on using white octopuses I looked online and I found many octopus salad plates but none with a white octopus. I almost gave up when I found these melamine octopus salad plates at Wayfair online. They were called Whitson Octopus and the brand was called Rosecliff Heights. I love the octopus graphic and the background colors matched perfectly with this tablecloth. They pick up all the different blue and turquoise colors that are on the table.

I found this turquoise melamine dinner plate at HomeGoods several years ago. I like the beaded rim design.

This Ocean Blue Cambria charger or dinner plate came from Pottery Barn several years ago. If you read my blog you have seen a red charger like this one often on my tablescapes. I have this plate in a few other colors now too because I like the design. Pottery Barn sells the plate in several different colors.

This white Antique Beaded charger came from Williams Sonoma several years ago. If you read my blog you have seen it several times on different tablescapes. It is one of my go-to chargers when I need a white one.

I bought this frosted white flatware set on sale online at Wayfair several years ago, it was made by Cambridge. It is 18/0 so the fork tines are a bit sharper than they would have been if it was 18/10 but I really liked the frosted white color. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I found the octopus napkin rings at Walmart online a few years ago. They were made by Fennco Styles and they were dark blue but Hubby painted them white for me. I bought the napkins at our Pier 1 store before it closed several years ago. I love the multi-colored design because I seem to have many different shades of turquoise, teal, and blue dishes and these napkins match many of them. I often use these napkins on my ocean and beach themed tablescapes. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

I am using my white clam shell place card holders on this tablescape. They were made by Andrea by Sadek. I have had them for several years, I can’t remember where I bought them but I see them on Ebay from time to time. To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

I think the blue glass goblet on the left came from Pier 1 several years ago. I can’t remember where I found the turquoise acrylic goblet on the right but it may have been Pier 1 as well. I have had them for several years. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

I had found a gold brass colored octopus mug holder online that we were going to paint and use for a centerpiece but I really hated to paint it. We were in HomeGoods a few years ago and I found this one, perfect! I love the spreading waving tentacles! It is sitting on a navy blue Rhodes drink dispenser stand that I bought at Pottery Barn several years ago.

I found two small plastic white octopuses on Etsy to add to the tablescape on each side of the centerpiece. They were made by a 3D printer.

I love the different shades of blue and turquoise on this tablescape. I have always been fascinated watching how octopuses move themselves through water and they are very intelligent creatures. This was a fun tablescape to pull together, lots of movement here like what goes on in the ocean.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!