By Cheap Table Decoration Ideas
Whether you need to dress up your own dining table or you have several to decorate for a wedding or other event, you can do so for very little cash. Use seasonal flowers, or skip them altogether. Thrift stores offer a large selection, and you can re purpose vintage finds to tabletop use with minimal alterations. A covering and centerpiece is all you need, and there are many ways to assemble these.
Table Covers
Whether you need to cover one table or 20, use sheets to do the job. Purchase plain sheets inexpensively at discount stores. Leave them plain, or cut and hem to size for smaller tables. Vintage sheets from thrift stores work well and often have little details such as lace edging that are attractive on a table. Dress up the plain sheets with a stamp and fabric paint. Use a purchased stamp or cut your own from a standard kitchen sponge. Cover in fabric paint and press onto the sheet. Allow it to dry before using the table cloth.
Designs along the edges or straight down the middle work best. Create a striped cloth by making stripes with masking tape and painting between them with the fabric paint. A table runner dresses up the table inexpensively. Purchase cloth that is the length of the table plus two feet. Hem all sides, and then it lay down the centre of the table. Purchase an extra yard or two to make matching napkins. Table runners allow you to use deluxe fabrics for a fraction of the cost of covering the whole table.
Napkins and Placemats
Use placemats alone, or team them up with a table runner. Decorative scrapbooking paper is available in a range of colours and designs for a few cents apiece.
Trim around the edges with decorative scissors. Use stamps to decorate or leave plain. Cut heavy fabric into rectangles, approximately 13 inches by 11 inches. Hem around the edges. Cut apart old blankets or tablecloths, or purchase inexpensive fabric new.
Don’t forget to check the scrap bins at your local fabric store. Dress up cheap paper napkins by rolling and placing them in napkin rings. Make your own by wrapping the stems of artificial flowers around the neck of a wine bottle to shape them into circles. Another inexpensive option is purchasing packs of fabric handkerchiefs. These are cheaper than cloth napkins but serve the same purpose. Make your own by hemming squares of scrap fabric.
Centrepieces
Purchase small pumpkins or gourds for a fall event. Arrange them in the centre of the table. Or, cut off the top of the pumpkin and hollow it out. Arrange flowers in the hollowed-out shell or a collection of fall leaves for a pretty bouquet. Clean the labels from large cans, such as the ones family-size soups or vegetables come in. Fill with water and freeze. Remove from the freezer and poke a design into the side of the can with a nail and hammer. Let the ice melt, then empty and dry completely.
Tie a ribbon around the rim and place a candle inside. The light will shine through the pinpricks attractively. Instead of one central centrepiece, give each setting its own flowers to enjoy. Purchase bud vases for less than a dollar a piece at a discount or thrift store. They don’t need to match. Place a single inexpensive flower in each with a small bit of greenery such as baby’s breath or a fern leaf. Place by each place setting. Make the centrepiece part of the meal. Display seasonal fruits sliced or whole in attractive bowls in the center of the table. Guests can partake from these edible arrangements throughout the meal.
