A Happy Groundhog's Day Winter Tablescape

February 01, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

Groundhog’s Day (February 2nd) is my husband’s favorite holiday (go figure!). He has always loved that day and when we took our six week driving trip across the country and back in the fall of 2022 we made a special detour to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to see groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and his wife Phyliss. Every February 2nd Punxsutawney Phil looks for his shadow at Gobbler’s Knob to see if he has a shadow. If he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. It is always on the national news and Hubby always sends the results out to family on that day. I have thought about a tablescape celebrating Groundhog’s Day for years but I couldn’t find anything related to the theme here in Southern California. I knew there would be Groundhog’s Day things for sale in Punxsutawney and I was right so this tablescape was off and running. (A google search will turn up items as well now.) I decided to use a simple white polyester tablecloth on the table, I probably bought it on Amazon.

Here is Hubby in front of Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Zoo at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Phil can be seen with his wife Phyliss all the time through this exterior window in the wall of the library. They were in hibernation when we were there but you could see them sleeping in their burrows. Their zoo is climate controlled and light regulated. Hubby was so excited to see them!

This is the statue of Punxsutawney Phil at the library. We then drove out to Gobbler’s Knob where Phil actually looks for his shadow and I found several things at the gift shop there.

Where Punxsutawney Phil actually looks for his shadow. You always see this stage on national news on Groundhog’s Day.

There were no salad plates for Groundhog’s Day but I found these decals and I knew I could set them on a solid colored plate and that would work.

These simple white salad plates probably came from HomeGoods several years ago. They are marked elite, Gibson bone china. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying salad plates here.

These black porcelain dinner plates were made by 10 Strawberry Street and they were called Classic Black Porcelain. I bought them at HomeGoods several years ago. It’s always good to add dinner plates in basic colors to your tablescaping collection especially black. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

These chargers were made by Juliska and the pattern was called Ruby Berry and Thread. Several years ago I bought these chargers a few at a time over several months from various places online until I had the number I needed. I like the simple design on the rim and it is a bit larger than some of the chargers I have. It is a darker red than a true red.

I wanted another set of black flatware that was all black and different from my Ginkgo International LePrix set to use on my Halloween tablescapes a few years ago and I found this set on sale at Macy’s online. It was made by Lenox and the pattern is called Portola. I love the simple design and shiny black color. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These napkin rings are actually buttons that I found at Gobbler’s Knob and I attached them to a white napkin ring. When I found a Ralph Lauren red brocade tablecloth at HomeGoods a few years ago I also bought the matching napkins. I really love the rich red color. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I found these small Punxsutawney Phil figures at Gobbler’s Knob also and I set them on a clear square place card holder. I bought these crystal place card holders at HomeGoods several years ago when I first started tablescaping. They were made by Oleg Cassini. They are heavy and solid and I really like the design. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

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 wish now that I had bought more. The goblet with the black bowl and clear stem on the right was made by Classic Touch and is called V-Shaped Water Glass, Black With Clear Stem. I bought them at Houzz online a few years ago. 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 was really hoping to find a groundhog centerpiece in Punxsutawney and when I saw this plastic Punxsutawney Phil bank at Gobbler’s Knob, I knew my search was over. He was just the right size. I set him on a small black cake stand that I found at HomeGoods.

I couldn’t resist this Punxsutawney Phil salt and pepper set either!

I added a small Punxsutawney Phil figure to the table too.

I found the garland in Punxsutawney too. Hubby loves this tablescape!

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings 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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

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

Pine Trees on a Winter Tablescape

January 19, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I did a Pine Trees Winter tablescape a few years ago. You can see that one here. So when I saw these pine tree salad plates at HomeGoods, I walked past. But Hubby was shopping with me and a bit later he brought them up to me and said he liked them because they reminded him of the area where we grew up so then I had to buy them. I knew I already had everything that I needed for this tablescape. The tablecloth was a bit of a struggle however. I started with a cream colored tablecloth and I finally realized that it just wasn’t working no matter how much I changed colors around so I switched to forest green. It is so much better. I found this Biscaynebay textured forest green tablecloth on Amazon a few years ago. I love the rich deep forest green color.

These pine tree salad plates are marked Eli + Ana Handmade Ceramics and they feel like a pottery plate. It is always interesting to see what turns up at HomeGoods. These plates were really cheap! You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying salad plates here.

I found these dinner plates at Pottery Barn online a few years ago. They are called Mason Stoneware and the color is Wheat. They are very simple in design but a great basic plate to add to a plate stack when you need a beige color. You can read about what you need to think about when you are buying dinner plates here.

This photo is showing these chargers as a lighter color than they really are, they are a dark forest green. The first photo shows their correct color. This is a Mikasa charger in the pattern Color Spectrum and color Hunter Green. If you read my blog, you have seen this charger in other colors as well on other tablescapes. I bought them all a few at a time as I saw them on Ebay several years ago. I love these chargers, they are the perfect size and shape. To read about what you should consider when you are buying charger plates please click here.

This cream colored flatware set was made by D & D Inox in Italy. I bought it at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale several years ago. I love this flatware pattern, I have it in a few other colors as well. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I can’t remember where I bought these simple beige cotton napkins, I have had them for several years I think. I can’t remember where I found these pine tree forest green napkin rings either. I think we painted them this forest green color for another tablescape but I ended up not using them. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

These metal forest green pine tree place card holders were made by Style Me Pretty and I probably bought them at Michael’s a few years ago. I think they were black and Hubby painted them green for me. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I decided to use two goblets that were the same color but a different style on this tablescape. I can’t remember where I found the sage green glass goblet on the left. The green acrylic goblet on the right came from our Pier 1 store before it closed several years ago. 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 used this centerpiece on the other Pine Tree Winter tablescape that I did a few years ago. When I was looking for a centerpiece for that tablescape I knew that I wanted some kind of simple wood pine tree for a centerpiece so I went online and then looked around. I found this set of wood pine trees at Hobby Lobby online but the trees were different colors and patterns. I decided to go and take a look at the set and Hubby went with me. When I saw it I knew Hubby could paint it for me and he agreed. I am really happy with the way it turned out. It has been perfect as a centerpiece.

When I started this tablescape I wasn’t sure it was going to turn out the way I wanted it to but I am happy with it all now.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

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

A Sweater Weather Winter Tablescape

January 12, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I have been trying to pull this winter themed tablescape together for a while now. I was looking for a good centerpiece but I finally gave up and just set some trees in the center of the table. (I was really hoping to find a cookie jar shaped something like a sweater but no such luck!) Sometimes you just have to settle. The sweater tablecloth is a favorite however, I found it at Spoonflower online. It could easily be used on a Christmas themed tablescape too.

After a Google search I found these melamine sweater shaped salad plates at Mercari online. I couldn’t believe it! They are perfect for this tablescape. They came in a set of four with four different designs and I used three of the designs on this table setting. I love the bright colors.

I have had this dinner plate for several years. It was made by Fun Factory and the color was called Apple Green. I think I found them at HomeGoods several years ago. I have green dinner plates in a few different shades of green and I like the bright green color on this one. You can read about what you need to think about when you are buying dinner plates here.

This is a Mikasa charger in the pattern Color Spectrum and color Royal Blue. If you read my blog, you have seen this charger in other colors as well. I bought them all a few at a time as I saw them on Ebay several years ago. I love these chargers, they are the perfect size and shape. To read about what you should consider when you are buying charger plates please click here.

Such a busy tablecloth pattern but a fun one, the flatware is a bit difficult to see! This Milano Red flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it. I now have it in other colors as well. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These red cotton napkins came from Pier 1 several years ago. They are my go-to napkins when I need a basic bright red colored napkin. I can’t remember where I found the winter cottage napkin rings a few years ago but it was probably Ebay. There are a couple of different house designs in the set. From time to time I do a search on Ebay using the terms vintage napkin rings and often interesting sets pop out.

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

I found these small wood sweaters on Amazon, they are actually Christmas ornaments. There were several different sweater designs in the set so I used a few different ones on this tablescape. I set them on a clear acrylic place card holder that I found on Amazon too.

To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

The green goblet on the left came from Macy’s a few years ago. The pattern is called Qualia Glass Meridian. I like the height and the beautiful green color. Hubby likes to go to estate sales and he found the blue goblet on the right at one last year. They both are the perfect color combination for this tablescape. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

These forest green trees came from different stores over the past few years, Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods probably. Hubby repainted them because I wanted them all to be a darker forest green color.

I found this sweater salt and pepper set online at Servette Home. The other side has candy canes on it so I just turned them around for the photo.

It is really sweater weather right now!

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

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

A Winter Village Tablescape

January 07, 2024 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

This tablescape has been in the back of my mind for a few years now. I did a tablescape using these plates a few years ago (you can see that tablescape here) but they are some of my favorites so I wanted to use them again. This heavyweight Jacquard tablecloth was made by Benson Mills and I found it on Amazon last year. The color of it in these photos is not really correct. It is a darker red and leans toward burgundy.

These winter snow scene stoneware plates were made by Juliska and the pattern was called Country Estate Winter Frolic in Ruby. They were manufactured starting in 2012. These plates were called party plates and they were sold in a set of four with four different designs on the plates. This one was called Winter Stable with the horse stable in the background and the horse pulling a sleigh in the front. I bought this plate set a few plates at a time over a couple of years until I had the number I needed. I can’t remember where I bought them but it was online and probably on several different sites. Although these designs are no longer being made, Juliska has plates that are very similar still in production I think.

This party plate was called Winter Manor House with the large home in the background and people riding sleds in front.

This party plate was called Winter Conservatory with the conservatory building in the back and people building a snowman in the front.

This party plate was called Winter Boathouse with a boathouse building in the back on the edge of the lake and people ice skating in the front. I love the simple drawings on these plate and the heavy scalloped edges.

The dinner plates all have the same design on them and some of the designs repeat the designs on the party plates.

This white charger is one of the first charger sets I bought when I started tablescaping. The pattern is called Antique Beaded and I bought them at Williams Sonoma several years ago. I use this charger constantly in my table settings. If you look back through my blog at my tablescapes, you will see it often. A simple white charger is a great first purchase if you want to create more interest in your table settings. To read about what you should consider when you are buying charger plates please click here.

I bought this frosted white flatware 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 I would like but I really liked the frosted color. Wayfair has really good sales on flatware sometimes. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I can’t remember where I found the red pottery napkin rings online. I have had them for a few years. I bought the poinsettia and holly napkins at HomeGoods a few years ago, they were made by Ralph Lauren. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

These Robert Stanley white house place card holders probably came from Ebay a few years ago. I was trying to think what would work on this tablescape for a place card holder and I suddenly remembered these. Perfect! To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I decided to use two of the same red goblets on this table. These goblets were made by Cristal D’Arques-Durand and the pattern was called Antique Ruby. They are a pressed glass diamond and fan pattern. I think I bought them years ago a few at a time on Ebay until I had a set. They were made between 1990 and 2008. They are not quite as dark as these photos show. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

I bought these ceramic white houses at Sur La Table online several years ago. I have been waiting to use them for quite some time and this tablescape seemed the perfect opportunity.

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

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

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