A Christmas Village Tablescape

I have had these Christmas Village plates for several years and I have never used them on a tablescape, I decided that it was time! You can see my 20+ other Christmas tablescapes and my 270+ other themed tablescapes on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes . Each blog post will tell you all about that tablescape, where I found all the pieces and parts for it, and how I put it all together. This Snowy Winter Village tablecloth came from Spoonflower online, they have been having some sales recently and I took advantage of them. All the snow covered houses on this tablecloth remind me of our cabin in the High Sierra. I recently had out patient heart surgery for the fourth time and I am still on meds for a few weeks that really slow me down so I pulled this tablescape together pretty quickly.

These plates are marked Exclusively by Park Designs, Beth Albert, Vintage Hometown. There are different designs on this set of plates but I am only using these six designs on this tablescape. The sun was coming in the window when I was taking photos so a couple of the plates have streaks of sunlight on them. I found these plates on Ebay several years ago.

I set the square plates on a FIesta square dinner plate in the color Scarlet. I bought them online somewhere but I can’t remember where.

I bought these square faux wood brown charger plates at Pier 1 several years ago, they are some kind of melamine.

This flatware set is called Madeline Green flatware and I bought it at World Market many years ago. I use it often on my tablescapes. The frosted green color is great for any time of year. This photo shows the tablecloth pattern clearly, it’s a cozy one.

My sister-in-law gave me these brown napkins, they belonged to my mother-in-law. I am so glad to have them and use them. They are a perfect match for this tablecloth. I love true traditional primary colors that aren’t some weird modern variation. These ceramic Christmas Village napkin rings are marked 1993, W. C. Designs, and they came in a set of four with a house, a bakery, a toy maker and a country store. I bought them on Ebay many years ago. I still see them there from time to time.

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

i can’t remember where I bought these red and green wood house place card holders. I have had them for a few years now. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

I think these are Artland Iris Ruby water goblets but they might be a similar pattern. Hubby found them for me at an estate sale. 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 struggled a bit with the centerpiece for this Christmas Village Tablescape and I finally settled on this one because I ran out of energy. I found this set of wood pine trees at Michael’s online a few years ago 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 and I use it as a Christmas and Winter decoration too. I found these three Christmas village buildings on Amazon recently. They are made by Bshine and I bought the Church, the Post Office, and the Gift Shop. They have light cords too.

I added two red tree candles that I found at HomeGoods.

To see over 270+ different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group 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

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area and we hope to have others in the future.

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

A Gingerbread Christmas Tablescape

I love gingerbread decorations and every few years I create a new Gingerbread tablescape. This tablescape repeats a few elements from the Gingerbread tablescape that I did two years ago but I added some new pieces to this one. You can see my other Gingerbread tablescapes as well as 260+ other tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes I bought this white faux fur runner on Amazon. I have had the beige tweed tablecloth for years, I can’t remember where it came from.

These stoneware matte brown gingerbread salad plates came from Pottery Barn. I have added several pieces from their brown gingerbread collection to my dish collection. I love the different white icing designs on these plates. They look really nice together on the plate stack.

They are sturdy heavy plates. The dinner plates and chargers have different white icing designs on them.

I didn’t buy the chargers at first but when they went on sale I decided that they needed to come home too. I seldom buy full sets of plates like this with a charger, dinner plate, and salad plate but Hubby is giving me some for Christmas.

This frosted deep red flatware set was made by D & D Inox in Italy and the pattern is called Roma. I bought them at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale many years ago. I really like the marbleized design on the handles. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware sets here.

These brown gingerbread napkin rings came from Pottery Barn and they match the plates. I bought the red polyester napkins on Amazon.

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

These brown gingerbread place card holders also came from Pottery Barn. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

These Swirline red ribbon glass goblets came from Pier 1 many many years ago. They were some of the first goblets that I bought when I started tablescaping. 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.

When I did a brown gingerbread tablescape two years ago I used a gingerbread house as the centerpiece, (I will add a photo of that tablescape at the end of this post), but when I saw this reindeer and sleigh set at Pottery Barn that matched my plates, I had to have it. I also bought the matching small gingerbread figures and animals that matched it all too. I put some hard candies in the sleigh with Santa for filler.

I added the tall and short gingerbread candlesticks too because I couldn’t resist them!

I saw this cream and sugar set on a tray at HomeGoods and I knew it would work on this tablescape too. It is marked Heather Goldminc, Blue Sky Designs, 2020.

I think this gingerbread butter dish came from HomeGoods too.

This is the brown gingerbread tablescape that I created two years ago. I love coming up with new ways of designing and displaying the same themes in different ways.

To see over 270+ 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

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area and we hope to have others in the future.

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

This blog post was featured at My Wee Abode, https://myweeabode.com/ and This is My Everybody, https://thisismyeverybody.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!

A Poinsettia and Holly Christmas Tablescape

This is actually my favorite Christmas plate stack. I used these plates on a Christmas tablescape that I posted six years ago and I decided that it was time to post a Christmas tablescape with them again because they are some of my favorite Christmas plates. You can see the tablescape that I posted before and 270+ other tablescapes that I have created including 28 other Christmas tablescapes here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes . I bought this Holly themed tablecloth at HomeGoods a few years ago.

These Bordallo Pinheiro red Christmas Tree salad plates are some of my favorite Christmas plates. I just love the detailed relief design on these salad plates. They came from Ebay, I bought a few at a time over the years as I saw them to complete my sets.

I love using bright red and bright green colors at Christmas time, they always mean Christmas to me as they did to my mother and this tablescape is a good example of that.

It took me a long time to gather this full set of plates in three different sizes, charger, dinner, and salad. I bought them one or a few at a time as I saw them on Ebay over a few years.

This flatware was made by D & D Inox in Italy and the pattern is called Roma. I bought them at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales during a major sale several years ago. I really like the marbleized design on the handles. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I can’t remember where I bought these Kelly Green cotton napkins but I love the bright green color. I love napkin rings but I decided to just fold the napkin on this tablescape.

I found these vintage holly and white place card holders with red candles on Etsy a few years ago. They were in the original box with a price tag from Maas Brothers. Maas Brothers was a store started by two brothers in Tampa, Florida in 1886. The brand ended in 1991 when the company was taken over by another company. I suspect these place card holders were sold between the 1960’s and the 1980’s. There is a space to write the guest’s name and it can be erased so that the place card holder can be used again. The original candles were included, I can’t believe that they weren’t broken at some point. I love finding vintage napkin rings and place card holders because they are different from those that are sold today. To read about the what, where and how of place card holders, please click here.

These hand cut and hand painted red and green glass goblets came from Williams Sonoma online and the pattern is called Wilshire Jewel Cut. I bought them in two sets of four red goblets one year and then two sets of four green goblets the next year. Each of the four colored goblets has a different cut design and I matched the designs together on this table setting. 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.

Although you can’t see it in this photo, I found the ruby red glass serving bowl that these poinsettias are setting in on Ebay a few years ago but it wasn’t identified. I used Google Images and I was actually able to identify it as made by New Martinsville/Viking between 1926 and 1970. The pattern was called Janice. I bought the faux poinsettias on Amazon.

I bought these Mosser red glass candlesticks years ago at The Vermont Country Store online. They are a favorite decoration during the holiday season and I thought that they would be perfect on this Christmas tablescape.

I love the color combination of green and red together at Christmas time and if you read my blog you see that color combination often on some of my Christmas Tablescapes.

To see over 270+ 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

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area and we hope to have others in the future.

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

This blog post was featured at Life and Linda, https://www.lifeandlinda.com/ Please visit this blog, you will enjoy it!

A Grinchmas Christmas Brunch Tablescape

My daughter and her partner hosted a Grinchmas Christmas Brunch and they borrowed several of my tablescaping items for their party. She is my guest editor this week.

Sara’s guest post: This past weekend, I hosted a seated "Grinchmas" themed brunch for 22 people with one of my good friends. I grew up watching the 1966 version of the cartoon version, and I have always wanted to do a Grinch-themed brunch, so when my friend saw my mother's blog, she suggested we host one together so she could bring her Grinch-themed cookies, and I was all in! I made the invitations on Canva, my favorite easy-to-use graphic design program and then I just texted them out, since the idea for the party was fairly last minute.

It was quite the puzzle to see how to fit everyone in, but I knew I really wanted to try so that I could borrow from my mother's fabulous tablescaping collections rather than use paper goods in an informal setting. I tried switching table setting colors and patterns for every other seat, but then I decided just to match all the side settings, and switch out the heads of the table to keep a more coordinated look.  In addition to our dining room table, which seats eight, we set up 4x6 collapsible plastic craft tables and borrowed an assortment of folding chairs from friends. In the future, I might consider renting the foldable white event chairs or chair covers to make it look more uniform. The green tablecloth probably came from HomeGoods several years ago. The Surmente red polyester tablecloth on the other table came from Amazon. 

Since my mom usually collects most of her flatware, plates, goblets, and napkins in sets of 6 or 12, I knew we would need to mix and match to have enough for 22 people. Mixing and matching place settings creates a more whimsical and "creative" look, perfect for a festive brunch. We selected the key colors of Grinchy green and a true, bright Christmas red. In the dining room, we set the table with a green tablecloth with a peppermint and green theme. 

We tied all the elements of the two table areas together by choosing two different sets of 12 striped napkins with just slight color variations. You could do the same with other patterns. For napkin rings, I used this package of 24 bendable plastic grinches that my mom ordered from Oriental Trading online. I just bent their arms back and had them hug the napkins from behind. It wasn't tight, but it worked. Having an affordable option with 24 included, also tied the two rooms and theme together really well. The red and green striped napkins came from HomeGoods several years ago.

My mom can’t remember where she found the peppermint striped napkins, she has had them for several years now.

My mother has had these peppermint quilted placemats for some time, and they are getting worn, but they were a great choice for this tablescape.

On the other table I used foam green placemats. My mom has had these placemats for many years now and she can’t remember where they came from.

For the dinner plates, I used a combination of red and white polka dot plates and red peppermint plates. They are both dishwasher safe, though they were both too tall for my dishwasher, so I ended up washing them by hand. These red with white polka dots dinner plates were made by Maxwell & Williams Designer Homewares and the pattern was called Sprinkle. My mom can’t remember where she bought them.

These peppermint design dinner plates are labeled fashion plates Ultra Durable Fine China and the pattern was called Tuxedo Rouge. My mom can’t remember where she found these plates either.

The three salad plate designs (or many people just used the smaller plate for the meal and the dinner plate as a charger) were a porcelain Grinch salad plate from Williams Sonoma and a Grinch melamine set of Grinch faces and Who Hash that my father found at Hobby Lobby. 

This green flatware that I used is called Madeline Green and my mom bought it at World Market several years ago.

This Milano Red flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. My mom has had this set for years and she is not sure where she bought it.

My mom bought these green acrylic goblets at Pier 1 many years ago.

My mom bought these green acrylic goblets a couple of years ago online at Home Depot. They are made by Certified International and they come in other colors as well.

The centerpieces included a big Grinch cookie jar my mother got at HomeGoods several years ago, some of her Raz Imports Cone Peppermint Trees that she bought on Amazon a few years ago, and a couple of green furry trees that I ordered on Amazon.

In the background, you can see a Grinch cutout head and hands that I purchased from Amazon. We actually stuck much of the decor up with hot glue; I find it sticks well and peels off the paint when done slowly. 

This year, my fiance gifted me with another artificial Christmas Tree, and we placed it in the dining room so I could decorate it with a Grinch theme.

I found a perfect felt garland at Hallmark this year, took the Grinch faces off the red cord, and put hooks through them to make ornaments.

My mom found several felt Grinch designs on Amazon that could be used as ornaments or decor. 

The Grinch Tree also has Grinch ornaments from Hallmark that I have collected over the years.

The tree topper is a Grinch hat I bought at CVS a few years back, and I stuffed it with paper so that it stands up.

The animatronic Grinch underneath the tree is light and sound activated or just button activated, and he crawls forward with a loud narration about how he's slithering and slinking to steal all the gifts! I found him on sale at Party City for a deep discount. (RIP Party City, no idea what I will do when they go out of business!)

The Grinch on the wall was actually handmade by me with a permanent black marker back in my college days when we had a dorm decorating contest!

The menu included two Christmas Quiches, introduced to us by my Aunt Karen, and they were a big hit, even from at least three people who thought they didn't like quiches. We also had waffles with toppings, donuts, and pastries from our local bakery, and, of course, "Who Hash" (Corned Beef Hash). 

We have a local bakery that makes cakes and custom bakery goods and they had special Grinch donuts.

We also made these "Grinch" snacks from an idea online.  

And of course, Grinch Cookies, that my friend and co-host brought.

Some additional decor included a Grinch chalkboard sign that I got on sale at a non-chain shop in our local mall, a tall Grinch that lights up that I found at CVS, a squishmallow Grinch that was sold at both Vons Grocery store and Hobby Lobby, and other assorted figurines from CVS and Michaels.

My dad found this tray at HomeGoods.

My mom found the Grinch coasters on Etsy.

After Trivia games, Grinch bingo from Hallmark, and a gift exchange, the party was deemed a success! All in all, a good time was had by all!

To see over 270 different tablescapes that my mom has created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join her 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

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January 2025 in the Los Angeles area..

My mom puts a new tablescape on her blog every week, please check back!

This blog post was featured at Life and Linda, https://www.lifeandlinda.com/ Please visit this blog you will enjoy it!