Christmas Dining Room

As you know, we are hosting Christmas Eve.  We are having 16 adults and 10 kids for a traditional Italian seven fish meal.  I will post our menu later this week.  In order to make Christmas Eve run smoothly, I like to do as much as I can prior to Friday.  So this weekend it was time to get our dining room ready for Christmas Eve dinner.

Here is the finished product.  Let me show you exactly how I achieved this look.

This is what my dining room looked like before I started it's mini-transformation.  The first thing I did was enlist my husband's help for a bit and open up the table, add another leaf, and add all of the table pads.

Early Saturday morning I started this process by going to Home Goods to get some "supplies".  First things first...a new tablecloth.  I wanted a neutral backdrop to my tablescape.

I find it's easiest to just iron the tablecloth on the table.  The tablecloth I purchased is 120" long.

This centerpiece I bought that morning at Home Goods as well.  I had a basic idea as to what I wanted to achieve, but things got tweaked along the way.  I needed this piece elevated a little bit.  I used a box that I had gotten my bare essentuals makeup in.  It was in the right colors.

It needed something...so I went to my fabric stash and found this fabric.  I had bought a yard of it years ago but never ended up using it.  I laid it on the table, tucking it under to hide the raw edges.

I had also bought some very large glass jars at Home Goods.  Home Goods is such a perfect place to get these.  I bought three.  Two were $9.99 and the other one was $14.99.  For some reason not only did these have the Home Goods tag, they also had an electronic tag (maybe from when it was in another store) plus two more labels on each.  Hubby...more help please.  He was sweet enough to clean those jars up for me while I continued to set my Christmas table.

Image from Pottery Barn

These are similar jars from Pottery Barn...difference is these range from $59-$79 each.  I didn't spend that much on all three of mine combined.

I didn't like how the candle centerpiece looked just on the box.  I went into the storage closet to see what we hadn't used for Christmas and found this small wreath.  As it turned out the box fit perfectly in the center of the wreath.

I took my new jars and filled two of them with different ornaments.  One I filled with gold and burgundy colored ornaments.  The other I filled with smaller multi-colored ornaments.  They weren't large enough to fill the entire jar...so I took some more fabric...a dark green silk, put the silk in the jar and then arranged the ornaments around it.  I used red ribbon and tied a bow on each of the jars.

While in the storage room I found this greenery.  I put it behind the third jar on the buffet table.  I used a sample piece of green silk I had lying around and literally stuffed it in the jar and added a candle on top.

I added four more crystal candle sticks which I had in a cabinet.  I use battery operated candles and tea lights.  I have way too much going on to remember I have candles burning.  This way I can keep it lit all night, nothing gets black, and I don't have to worry.

up close picture of jar with silk fabric and ornaments

up close of jar with gold and burgundy ornaments

Next...the plates.  I have a set of basic white plates for when we entertain large groups (or for when I don't want to hand wash my good china after a party).  It is service for twenty-four.

For each place setting, I  folded a napkin and laid it in the center of the plate.  I decided I would tie a ribbon around each of the napkins.  I tied the ribbon around the napkin and took my scissors and cut the end.   OOPS...

HUBBY...ouch!!!  I snipped my finger as well.  After that I cut all of the ribbons first and then tied them on.

Oh so festive.

The room during the day...and at night.

I'm excited to have the dining room done.  There are a few more things I may add if I have time.  If I do, I will be sure to share.  Let me know what you think.  I love and appreciate your comments.  Thanks.

-Judy

Embellished Lamp Shade

Here's an example of how to take a plain Jane lamp shade and make her into the belle of the ball.

I was at my brother and sister-in-law's house for Thanksgiving and spotted this little beauty in the corner of their daughter's room.  I asked my sister-in-law where she bought such a gorgeous lamp shade.  She told me it was a plain lamp shade that she embellished using ribbons, trims and beads she bought from her local craft store.

This is how she did it.  First she applied the beaded trim at the bottom of the lamp shade using a hot glue gun.  Next she took ric rac trim in green and applied it to the top and bottom of the lamp shade.  She glued little flowers to the green ric rac trim.  Next she took a different ric rac trim and applied it down the center of each side of the lamp shade.  She glued individual ribbon flowers in white and lavender throughout the lamp shade.  Finally she finished it off with little lavender bows at the center of all four sides.

Look at how beautiful it looks in the corner of her daughter's room.   Once she told me how she made it I snapped some pictures and told her I would just have to share this with the blogging world.

Isn't that lamp gorgeous now.  Embellishing a lamp shade is such a great way of personalizing a room.  As you can see, it's so easy to do.  I also embellished a lamp shade for my daughter's room.  You can check out how I did it here.

Let me know what you think...I always love and appreciate your comments.

-Judy