One of my favorite things about the laid back summer season is the chance to open my home and host and gather friends and family for moments to just be, together. Which is why I’m excited to share some simple tips and ideas for elevating your everyday summer tablescapes and how to make easy, DIY paper flowers for a paper floral and citrus centerpiece!
Ever since I was a young and could wield a spatula (or butter knife), I have always loved taking on the role of hostess… I would even “pretend” to own my parents house and would clean, serve dinner and “invite” them over (and I’m certain they didn’t mind one bit! ha!).
There is something about organizing a meal, coming up with a theme or entertainment, and of course choosing the decor that ticks off all of my little “make-me-happy” boxes. When it comes time to actually inviting people over to the place I now call home, and don’t have to pretend to own, I always run a little checklist in my head to quickly map out how I want the evening to go and what I want it to look like – ideally summing up the atmosphere I want to create. It’s kind of like creating a mini vision-board of recipe ideas, DIY’s, games, decor, etc.
The first step of any great vision-board is to have a creative brain dump. I find getting it all out and in front of me helps me to really hone in on my vision… and decide how simple or how complex we want to go. Lately, especially with a household of six that is constantly buzzing, simple is my jam and creating a laid back atmosphere that is slightly elevated with items we have on hand is a great way to make entertaining happen even with a tighter time or financial budget.
So, speaking of DIY’s, I have a super cute and simple one that you can make for your summer tablescapes… or anytime for any gathering! We created these easy DIY paper flowers from coffee filters in our pantry for our summer tablescapes and I just love how they turned out! I stained a handful of white coffee filters in a mix of water and red food coloring for the blush colored flowers and used brown paper filters for the rest.
Table of Contents
See the full paper flower step-by-step on page 74 of our recent The Fresh Edit Magazine: Summer 2018 Edition.
To Create Simply Stunning Floral Summer Tablescapes
Set the mood for your summer tablescapes.
It’s hard to get going with any kind of decor until you decide the mood for the evening. Will it be casual, elegant, laid back, simple, modern, formal? There are so many ways you could go and I think mixing elements that pique your interest is a great way to go. Like it formal but want to add a bit of modern and whimsy? Great! Want to create a super casual, family-style affair? Go for it!
Choose a color palette for your summer tablescapes.
Now that you’ve decided which way you want to go, it’s time to decide on the colors. It’s easy to continue the decor from your home, since it will tie in so easily. But it’s okay to opt for a bold pop or color or two as well. Go monochromatic or a change it up with bright colors or prints. Here, the colors should absolutely compliment the mood that you’ve chosen.
Gather the goods for your summer tablescapes.
Now it’s time to build the table. Begin gathering items and before you spend money, find out what you already have on hand! When you plan your tablescape this way, you can carefully choose to invest in classic pieces that you love, and items you’ll be able to use time and again. For our summer tablescape, I started with eucalyptus branches I already had and use often through the holiday season. Then
Pull items from all throughout the house; mix glass and metallic containers of all shapes and sizes, candle sticks, bowls, trays, vases, cake stands and tiered displays. Pull from your yard or your pantry for basic items like sticks, candles, ribbon, lights, fresh greens, berries and fresh fruit… they all can make for great decorative add-ons.
Once I rounded up what I had, it was time to add in our DIY piece, and the paper flowers really filled it all in.
Layer up for an ultimate tablescape.
Something I always advise when setting a table is to layer! Start from the base with a runner or tablecloth (or even a beach blanket which is what I used here!), add in greens and lights (whether in the form of string lights, candles, or both!), and then bring in height to create visual appeal. I layered our place settings with a natural placemat, and a mix of dishes.
You totally don’t have to choose the serving pieces that match your dinnerware, in fact, choosing a selection of varied serving pieces really lets the beautiful food on your table make the statement.
Julie says
Love your table! The paper flowers add the extra touch it needs. It’s fun that you added citrus fruit on the tablescape. We are moving to a new home next month and we’re going to buy a new dining room table. We want to get a rectangle shaped one. We have a triangle shaped one we bought when we first bought this home 7 years ago. I’m excited to decorate my new table.
Still Orphans says
I love making paper flowers- so pretty! We have dishes almost identical to your blue and white ones so this table layout would look great in our house 😉
Jasmine says
these are all so pretty!! I don’t think i’m crafty enough to have them look this good
Shanice Bannis says
Hi Tabitha! I have to say you have outdone yourself. This looks so incredible. It is perfect for the summer and doesn’t take to long to create! Win-win!