Spring is truly in the air! Flowers bursting with color and fragrance abound, and understandably attuning to their energy is a celebration of growth, fertility,  life, and love. This natural excitement is contagious and provides us an amazing opportunity to share the jubilance of the season with loved ones.

We purchased a small perennial for each participant in our May Festival. Then, we drew names at random for each of the following:

1. which flowers for each person to plant
2. which person for whom it would be dedicated

The day before the holiday, we did the actual planting, creating a lovely little garden.

The day of the celebration, we each took turns introducing our plant and then dedicating it to our randomly selected family member. These were very touching ways to share our appreciation for one another.

Now every spring when our flowers reemerge we can share a special connection to both the perennial we planted and the one dedicated to us. In addition, every time we look at or tend to our garden, it will always serve as a beautiful reminder of all of our loved ones and this wonderful spring day.

The tradition of spreading cheer to others by making and gifting May Baskets is a lovely way to celebrate this month! We purchase baskets, floral foam, and flower bunches. Then, by laying out the flowers sorted by both color and kind, we create an outdoor crafting station!

When our baskets are completed, we all choose a recipient. However, to try and create an element of randomness, we do not give the particular basket we created to the person of our choice. Rather, we draw names to determine which basket goes to whom. In this way, we avoid the mindset of creating an arrangement for a specific person.

In the end, the baskets look lovely, and the giving feels wonderful!

The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life. ~Jean Giraudoux

May, oh May! Love and passion most definitely ring through our midst. Flowers bloom everywhere while birds serenade us with their joyful mating songs! This is the time to celebrate love and to honor our passions for life, creativity, and all that bring us joy! What better way to focus our energies and encourage loved ones to follow their bliss than to get together for a joyous May Fair?!

Activities to enjoy are certainly not limited to food. Take for instance the lovely tradition of May Baskets, or the touching garden dedication activity. Nonetheless, the celebratory meal and the decor of the table offer wonderful opportunities to truly set the mood. Below are my selections. Enjoy!

Why Victorian?

While traditional May decor frequently conjures images of flowers, baskets, and maypoles, all of which I adore and have explored in alternate May table settings (like this one), I also find myself drawn to the romantic charm of the Victorian era. Therefore, this year, I decided to try something a little different and share with my guests my passion for Victorian decor by creating a tablescape brimming with the romanticism of this bygone era.

 Tablecloth & Placemats:

• Tablecloth: Whites, laces, and ornate patterns… these are recurring Victorian table linen fineries!  This cloth that boasts a lovely and elegant ivory lace is available at Amazon.
• Place Mats: I explored roses, lace patterns, burgundies, you name it and found myself unhappy with all of the place mats I contemplated, that is until… it hit me! Napkins as place mats! I bought a set of vintage napkins from ebay at a wonderfully reasonable price and was so pleased! For one thing, they embodied the elegance I was looking for and even their unlikely shape echoed patterns in surrounding lace. Also and not to be diminished, they were vintage! Yay! They added that energy, that air of loveliness that only comes from linens of yesteryear, and in addition, I lessened my contribution to the consumerist machine! It pleases me beyond words to support others directly by purchasing their unwanted, gently used items at reasonable prices and restoring them to their former glory.

Dishware:

Playing with ivory, lace, florals, fine details, and coordinated mismatch, this lovely dishware includes the following:

• Dinner plates: Red Vanilla Classic White dishwasher-safe dinnerware available at Overstock.com.
• Salad plates: Beautiful Roses at Sunset pattern, retired but still available at Victorian Trading Co.

Glassware:

• Water Glasses: Gorgeous bobbin lace tumblers available at Victorian Trading Co.
• Wine Glasses: These striking gilded Fostoria crystal wine glasses coordinate beautifully and were purchased a while back as a gently used set on ebay. (Note: I got a crazy, amazing deal on these glasses. If I told you what I paid, you might not believe me! Ebay is a wonderful resource for recycling. Others convert what they are no longer using to cash, and you can augment your entertaining supplies without breaking the bank. Also, no new goods need be manufactured! It is very win win! Please keep this option in mind when considering new purchases.)

• Tea Cups: Gilded mauve inside out heart cups and saucers are such a loving touch. When filled with liquid, they form a heart shape delightful to behold! They are available at Amazon.
• Frosted Sugar Cubes: The saucers are embellished with dainty sugar cubes iced with rosebuds. So sweet. These are available at Victorian Trading Co, or you could make your own!
• Heart Demi Spoons: Each cup contains a delicate, heart-embellished, gold demi spoon resting within it. These, too, are available at Amazon.

Centerpiece:

Victorian traditions frequently included as much silver as possible. Candelabra and floral arrangements were also the rage. With these influences in mind, my centerpiece included the following:

• Floral Arrangement Seated Within Raised Silver Pedestal Bowl :

To accomplish this, I purchased my bowl gently used on ebay and brought it to my local farm stand florist along with color samples from my table setting. I asked her to include roses and peonies and not lilies as they feel funereal to me.

• Candelabra:

One “Artwedding Vintage Silver Iron 3 Head Candle Holder” available on Amazon sits at each side of my floral centerpiece.

• Tapers:

Nestled within my candelabra rest 6 rose beeswax tapers (3 in each). They, along with the best color assortment of beeswax tapers I have ever seen, are available at Knorr Beeswax. (Note: beeswax, soy, or palm wax candles are preferable to paraffin as they do not release toxic compounds into your environment.)

• Figurines:

• Vintage Cameos Seated In Silver Candy Dishes:

Once more, these were purchased in a gently-used lot of vintage costume jewelry from ebay, the same lot in fact, that I dipped into for my Shabby Chic Spring Table Setting, making it the gift that keeps on giving!  My guests truly enjoyed pouring through them, exploring their colors, beauty, and charm, and speculating on the stories they might tell if they could. The cameos are seated in matching silver candy dishes also purchased in my most preferred manner, gently used on ebay.

Napkin Treatments:

• Napkins: Gorgeous vintage ecru, linen napkins edged with French Alencon lace and purchased gently used and most reasonably priced from ebay made the ideal napkins for this setting.
• Rings: They are rolled very simply in light-weight yet ornate silver napkin rings also used from ebay. Another possibility is to purchase vintage silver plate napkin rings that all boast unique engravings/embellishments. This is a very Victorian tradition dating back to each guest having their own holder that reflected their unique preferences and personality, thus ensuring they were specifically using their own napkin.Though I did not exercise this option, it is one you may want to consider.

Chair Treatments:

Burgundy velvet chair covers turned standard banquet chairs into those of Victorian legend! I had to fold and pin these to tailor them to our chairs, but I was most pleased with the outcome of my efforts. They are available in limited quantity at Victorian Trading Co.

Other Embellishments:

Place Cards & Holders:

• Place Cards: Adorable cherub calling cards showcasing love quotes (available at Victorian Trading Co.) transformed into my place cards. On the flip sides of each, I labeled guest names in silver and framed them with pearl and cameo embellishments, all of which were stickers purchased at my local Michaels Craft Store. The fun of these cards was that after guests were seated and in between courses, we all flipped our place cards over and took turns sharing our loving expressions with one another!
• Place Card Holders: “Love Bird Card Holders with Brushed Silver Finish” available at Amazon offered the perfectly romantic way to display these little messages of love!

Hurdy Gurdies:

These timeless mini music boxes have been an instant guest favorite at my celebrations for years. They are available at Victorian Trading Co. For this table setting I used the romantic-themed hurdy gurdies and covered them with Redoute Flower Stickers for further personalization.

Toffees:

To round off my guest favors, each plate boasted two all-natural white chocolate covered toffees created by Lake Champlain Chocolates. Delicious!

~

Happy May! May your passions be your guides! ❤

Celebrating seasons is about more than the look of the dining table. With that said, however, carefully thought out table designs can affect the moods of guests and help them to access emotions related to the season. In addition, table settings can help to show the care and effort that went into the holiday’s preparation, which assists in conveying the message that the meal as well as the celebration itself is special enough to you to warrant some unique and detailed personal touches.

My May Day theme was flowers. I sought to combine their seasonally stunning imagery with their deeper environmental symbolism of fertility. Here was my solution: Feel free to use what you like & enjoy!

Tablecloth:

My goal here was to create the ambience of vibrant floral wreaths and baskets, and yet at the same time, the poeticism of a Monet painting. I worked to achieve this through the use of a Waterford floral tablecloth purchased on ebay. (Once again purchased “like new” rather than “new” to help support the environment by lowering the need to produce more “stuff”. I also gain satisfaction from recycling what was unwanted from one home into something once again cherished.)

Placemats:

I adored the accent of white, cotton lace placemats to add a touch of old-fashioned romance and to temper the busyness of the floral print. Just as in the case of the tablecloth above, these were purchased used from ebay.

China:

The pattern of the pictured china is Harmony House Cascade. The multi-colored “bowls” holding the tissue paper flowers are Lenox Butterfly Meadow tea light holders purchased from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Glassware:

Water glasses were purchased in a set at TJ Maxx. Petite European crystal wine glasses look lovely and allow small, frequent pours for course pairings. These were purchased on ebay.

Hurdy Gurdies:

Whenever I can, I augment my table setting with these little gems. I love seeing adults and children alike delighting in the manual creation of the gentle melodies. They also look lovely and add elements of curiosity, playfulness, as well as timelessness to the art of sharing a special meal. Immediately upon seating, guests are inclined to consider that this meal might be special. These particular mini music boxes are romantic-themed and are available at Victorian Trading Co.

Centerpieces:

Two mint green palm wax tapers (purchased online at Aloha Bay) frame a model Maypole that I made out of dowels, rings, multi-colored ribbon, and silk flowers purchased at Michaels (and affixed by a glue gun). Note: beeswax, soy, or palm wax candles are preferable to paraffin as they do not release toxic compounds into your environment. Holders are off-white and were purchased at Linens & Things.

Napkins:

Lovely and versatile “candy pink” cotton napkins purchased at Amazon are folded into diamond pouches (courtesy of wonderfully clear and illustrated instructions by NapkinFoldingGuide.com). These pouches though originally intended for flatware served my purposes nicely as holders for lollipops, honey sticks, and party crackers.

Additional:

Each of the following are also present on the table. If applicable, click on words to link to unique posts with detailed instructions.

• Candy flowers, jellybeans, and butterflies resting in the saucers (pictured above)
• Personalized spring wine charms
• Tissue paper flowers

Quick note: In addition to not purchasing new, a lot of the items above are reused from Spring Equinox (e.g., napkins, china, glassware, wine charms, candlestick holders, etc.) to help control costs. Also, I recommend storing seasonal decorative items in labeled Home Depot storage bins, so they can be protected for repeat usage year after year!

Looking for ideas of seasonal table decorations? table decor? table centerpiece ideas? Look no further!

“There is another sort of day which needs celebrating in song — the day of days when spring at last holds up her face to be kissed, deliberate and unabashed. On that day no wind blows either in the hills or in the mind.”
~E.B. White

~

Joyful spring! Such natural magnificence announces its arrival with flower, song, and the reemergence of the little critters co-orchestrating the celebration! Tickle the inner child within each of your guests as you lavish children of all ages with this gorgeous tablescape bursting with a fanciful flurry of activity. From bunnies and mice to chicks, and the like, join in their festivities to celebrate the arrival of spring! I like to think Beatrix Potter, Lewis Carroll, Kenneth Grahame, A.A. Milne, and Bethany Lowe would all heartily approve :)

The details of my selections follow. Enjoy!

 Tablecloth, Runner, & Charger Plates:

•  Tablecloth: A gently used Williams-Sonoma green linen tablecloth embellished with spring flowers and hares gently used from ebay was just what I was looking for. Its impeccable quality, spring-ish vibrance, and festive patterning were the perfect backdrop to the featured elements of color and texture. I also once again value so immensely its richness of history, not being “new”.
• Runner: From ebay I acquired a roll of faux grass intended for model train sets. I trimmed it into an oval shape by rounding the corners and hot-glued a delicate, ivory, gathered organza trim purchased from my local JoAnn Fabric & Craft Store. And voila my table runner… and just as I had envisioned it, perfect for the animals to gather upon!
• Chargers: My durable, Williams-Sonoma coated-rattan charger plates are subtler than place mats and reminiscent of spring baskets. They wipe clean, look amazing, and are just the accent I was looking! I found them gently used on ebay as well.

Dishware:

Playing with leaves, flowers, and the juxtaposition between spring greens and pastel awakenings, this lovely collection of dishware includes the following:

• Dinner, salad, and bread and butter plates: Stansbury Federal Shape Syracuse China purchased gently used on ebay.
  
• Appetizer bowls: Delicate Leaf Bowls from Royal China & Porcelain Companies grace all the place settings but for the table heads. At these locations, floral designed bowls identified as “Lily” by Nanette Vacher for Ambiance Collections gently rest (see photo below). Both were once again purchased gently used on ebay.

Glassware:

• Water glasses: Amici 11 oz. milk glasses purchased on Amazon and embellished with eco-friendlier and healthier than plastic paper straws covered in playful pink polka dots do the trick with great panache. The glasses are made in Italy out of green recycled glass making them not only environmentally sound but adorable to boot! This ensemble really suits the festive tone of the decor.
• Wine glasses: Petite European crystal wine glasses look lovely and allow small, frequent pours for course pairings. These were purchased on ebay. Adorning them sit personalized wine charms: easy to make, lovely to look at, flattering in their individuality,  and immensely functional.
• Tea Cups: Gilded mauve inside out heart cups and saucers are such a loving touch. When filled with liquid, they form a heart shape delightful to behold! They are available at Amazon.
• Heart Demi Spoons: Each cup contains a delicate, heart-embellished, gold demi spoon resting within it. These, too, are available at Amazon.

Centerpiece:

A note about the theming: I tried to stay clear of actual copyrighted characters from literature i.e. Peter Rabbit, the White Rabbit, Winnie The Pooh, etc. My goal was to create an evocative spring village inhabited by unidentifiable anthropomorphic animals. The particular scene depicted reflects a Spring Festival and a flurry of activity surrounding it. The overriding purpose was to to entertain, delight, and  inspire guests by plunking them right into the heart of the celebration! (I did borrow a bit of Beatrix Potter magic as a tribute to her utter genius by providing a mini book to each guest and by using her imagery on the hurdy gurdies.)

Central Vignette:

• Animal Sculptures: An assortment of lovely Bethany Lowe resin sculptures grace a central platform. I purchased these on ebay, but they are available from a wide variety of outlets. Each of the figures on the event float are sporting festive spring party hats (except Miss Mouse, but she has garland for decorating!). (Those not wearing hats dot the periphery of the display.) I carried this theming through by providing each guest with a unique, hand-crafted spring party hat of their own!
• Stage: Simply crafted from a recycled box as a base, the leftover grass from the creation of the table runner, and a strand of Bethany Lowe Paper Garland, the stage takes the decor to a higher lever (slight pun intended ;-)  ) by emphasizing the party! The danger with a “busy” centerpiece is that the theme can get lost. The adding of a central level creates visual organization. It at once clarifies that the party is the central focus, and then each side scene can be enjoyed in its own right or in relation to its overall connection to the village festival.
• Canopy: Once again, that which I sought was unfortunately not available, so I had to make it myself. No worries though, it was easy peasy! Everything I needed was purchased at my local Michaels craft supply store unless otherwise noted (except the drill and other tools used, which were from my household supply.) I segmented two long dowels into four 14-inch pieces creating a total of four canopy posts. Next steps: drilling into some unfinished wooden bases, fastening the dowels using wood glue, and then spray painting the bases with mossy green textured paint. After allowing time to dry (about 24 hrs),  I wrapped them each with 2 spring-toned ribbons fastened periodically using hot glue. At the very top of each, a simple bow completed the look. I placed these each under one of the corners of the “stage”. This additional elevation could not have been more perfect, for it allowed me to tuck the power supply from the battery operated lights out of sight. The specific battery operated lights used: one Novelty Light 20-light mini string in “warm white” purchased here from Amazon. I popped the flowers off a spring-themed silk garland and gently pushed several of them over each of the lights creating a lit strand of flowers. Lastly I wired this to the posts (through the bow centers), and then voila… our charming villagers could dance the night away at their glowing spring celebration!

Side Vignette A:

• Resin Figures: The bunnies holding veggies and the “evening stroll” couple are also Bethany Lowe designs. The bunny pushing the cart originated from Oriental Trading. All were purchased on ebay except the couple (click link for their purchasing info.).
• Mini Floral Display: The mini collection of faux lily of the valley in their midst consists of a small vintage cluster of millinery delights from a lovely online shop called Dolls and Lace. These are seated in a vintage egg holder purchased from ebay. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love embellishing table motifs with vintage treasures. They add a richness, depth, and element of nostalgia that is difficult if not impossible to replicate any other way. Typically I love having fresh florals on the table, but when forced to choose, this setting seemed to implore me to opt for the soul of the vintage to lend it that extra air of magic. (For another lovely spring tablescape integrating a large vintage component see my Vintage Pearls and Hankies: Romantic Spring Dining Table Centerpieces and Décor! )

Side Vignette B:

•  Resin Figures: All are Bethany Lowe designs purchased from ebay .
• Mini Floral Display: Once again vintage millinery from Dolls and Lace situated within a vintage egg cup from ebay.

Napkin Treatments:

• Napkins: Porthault Paris Hotel Collection – Ivory – purchased from an online auction.
• Napkin Rings: Tulip holders originally purchased from Linens and Things prior to their declaration of bankruptcy but still available on ebay.

Chair Treatments:

• Chair Covers: Ivory Banquet Chair Covers from eFavorMart.com.
• Chair Sashes: Mauve Polyester Sashes from eFavorMart.com.

Other Embellishments:

Party Hats:

Hand designed and crafted spring party hats make festive embellishments, memorable keepsakes, and coax out the inner childhood joy of one and all! Click here for my template and tutorial detailing their creation.

Place Card Ensembles:

• Place Card Holders: These lovely holders are a Bethany Lowe Design. I scoured all over to purchase these cuties because I loved them so much and ended up finding some of them on ebay and the rest from a virtual village called JZ Rose.
• Place Cards: I purchased a set of 12 of these French Country Place Cards from Victorian Trading Co. They also carry the Place Card Holders. (Another option: click here for instructions on making lovely spring floral place cards.)

Favors:

• Candies: Lake Champlain filled chocolate eggs from Whole Foods. All natural and delicious! (2 each)
• Goodie Bags: Each shrink-wrapped bag (use hair dryer to fit) contained one story from an adorable Beatrix Potter Mini Book Set (purchased on ebay but also available on Amazon) and one rowing bunny (from sets of three purchased at Gaelsong.). They are closed with a simple knot of twine and embellished with a delicate yellow paper rose. I purchased these flowers in white at my local Michael’s craft store and “dyed” them pale yellow with a single dip in a solution of 1/4 c water and 1 drop yellow food coloring. After drying, I gently hot glued them to the twine. (Take care not to let the hot glue touch the bag itself as the plastic may melt.)

Hurdy Gurdies:

 These timeless mini music boxes have been an instant guest favorite at my celebrations for years. They are available at Victorian Trading Co. For this table setting I used the Easter Hurdy Gurdies and for further personalization, covered them with unique sections of Beatrix Potter  Gift Tags from Kingdom Kards, a lovely Etsy shop with a grand assortment of Beatrix Potter-inspired creations.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you’ve enjoyed these seasonal table ideas, and as you plant this year’s seeds for your own hopes and dreams, may your spring fill you with enchantment and delight!

Happy spring!!!!!

 “Spring is nature’s way of saying, Let’s party!”
~ Robin Williams

Looking for craft ideas for spring? Look no further! And what says a party like party hats?  Their coordinated whimsy invites children of all ages to celebrate!

When I decided that hats were a must for this year’s spring fling, I set out to buy them and quickly realized not only that the traditional cone hats were somewhat harder to find than they used to be, but also that non-branded and indeed seasonally-themed hats of any kind were virtually nonexistent. No worries, I thought… I will make them myself. And that’s just what I did. :)

Below are instructions, a template, and the details of my specific selections. Enjoy!

 ~

DIY Party Hats

Materials:

• 8.5 X 11 sheets of card stock or scrapbook paper (one sheet per hat), designs and colors of your choice
• scissors
• glue gun
• transparent tape
• spool of elastic cord (each hat requires a 14-inch strip)
• embellishments of your choice

Instructions:

1.  Click on image below to access free template.

   

2. Print template for tracing or simply print right onto the back side of the paper of your choice. As always, to ensure dimensional accuracy when printing templates, be sure to adjust your printer “Page Scaling” setting to “None”.
3. Using scissors, carefully cut shape.
4. Roll shape into cone. Be sure top and bottom join. Ideally top will “almost but not quite entirely” close. Allow slight overlap along seam.
5. Temporarily secure paper in place on the inside with transparent tape.
6. Gently glue seam with glue gun. **Be very careful to avoid burns during this step, especially if children are helping. Very little glue will do the trick. (A little goes a long way.) And hot glue is very hot indeed. I found it helpful to secure the top in place before gluing the remainder. This ensured that my alignment remained accurate and allowed me to take my time with the hot glue. (See pic. below.)
7. Remove tape if desired.
8. Cut a 14-inch strip of elastic cord, and with a dab of hot glue, secure each end of the elastic to one of the  ”+” signs on the template.
9. Embellish using any accents of your choice. This is a great opportunity to repurpose left-overs from other projects. I dug into my craft scraps and found rick rack, lace, pom poms, yarn, just to name a few! Let your imagination soar!

And… voila! What fun!! Craft ideas for spring? Indeed!

 ”It’s spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”  ~Mark Twain

~

Happy crafting, and happy spring!

Oh how I adore the spring!! Colors are returning. New buds are emerging. Time for all of us to bring forth our new thoughts, ideas, and imaginings, and let them blossom! Hope you love my spring-inspired table centerpieces and decor!

“The spring is fresh and fearless
And every leaf is new,
The world is brimmed with moonlight,
The lilac brimmed with dew.

Here in the moving shadows
I catch my breath and sing –
My heart is fresh and fearless
And over-brimmed with spring.”
-  Sara Teasdale

Why vintage?

Lovely pearls that hailed from another time, another place, lace that once adorned a treasured frock, what depth and romance these offer to designs motivated by the gentle, loving energy of the emerging spring! By including items such as these, the seasonal inspiration truly feels cyclical, old into new, not just birth but rebirth. Treasures from a bygone era used fresh again allowing what was once loved a renewed place of honor. Vintage beads, pearls, hankies, linens, lace, cameos, china, and the like have all found a place on my latest tablescape.

 Tablecloth, Placemats, & Runner:

•  Tablecloth: A very simple, gently used white linen tablecloth edged with soft scallops from  ebay was just what I was looking for. Its lovely quality and airy feel through the visible weave were the perfect backdrop to the featured elements of color and texture. I also once again valued so immensely its richness of history, not being “new”.
• Place Mats & Runner: For months I have been acquiring vintage handkerchiefs, knowing deep down that they needed to find a place on my spring table but not sure exactly how I was going to execute it, and then voila! Pinterest to the rescue! I found this lovely post suggesting their use along with interspersed doilies as a table runner! Perfect! I expounded on that and used them as place mats as well! For sure their variety is part of their charm. Nonetheless, I did look for some uniformity by choosing pastel tones echoing shades of pink and pale green. I also decided to use both white and ecru doilies (vintage of course) of differing textures, shapes, and sizes. Once more all were purchased used from ebay, rich with history and low on cost.
• Embellishments: Multi-colored pastel pearls both resting on the table surface as well as draped over some of the centerpiece items act as the frosting on the cake! These were purchased inexpensively on ebay as a vintage lot of costume jewelry.

Dishware:

Playing with flowers, ruffles, pastels, and coordinated mismatch, this lovely dishware includes the following:

• Dinner plates: Harmony House Cascade. Mine are family heirlooms, but many pieces are available at Replacements Ltd.
• Salad plates: Beautiful Mikasa French Countryside dishwasher-safe dinnerware purchased gently used on ebay.

Glassware:

• Water glasses: Recycled Starbucks Cappuccino Jars (you get to drink enjoy the beverage and then reuse the containers – perfect!) embellished with eco-friendlier and healthier than plastic paper straws covered in playful pink polka dots. (Thank you Naomi for the inspiration – see Peter Rabbit Christening pics)

• Wine glasses: Expounding on the jar idea, these Bormioli Rocco Quattro Stagioni 8.5 oz. canning jars have such a lovely shape and decor, almost reminiscent of stemless wine glasses. These came from Amazon and could certainly be reused for canning or future glassware… or both!

• Tea Cups: These are bone china heirlooms passed down from my Grandma’s personal collection. I cannot express the joy I feel in featuring these, adding an element of love and family connectedness to the already rich vintage energy of the celebration. I highly recommend using family treasures if possible, even if you have a relative who wouldn’t mind lending them for the holiday. If you do need to purchase them, once again, used from ebay or estate sales are a fantastic way to go. This method of purchase results in no contribution to the increased production of “stuff” or the importing of goods as well as all of the earlier stated advantages to including vintage, loved pieces.
• The saucers are embellished with dainty sugar cubes adorned with iced rosebud. So sweet. These are available at Victorian Trading Co, or you could make your own!

Table Centerpieces:

• Vases: The vases consist of recycled bottles garnished with lace, ribbon, and a vintage cameo. The one containing the pale pink hyacinths is another recycled Starbucks Cappuccino Jar embellished with a pale pink satin ribbon bow. The pale aqua milk bottle containing the pink and white rosebuds is adorned with vintage lace and a cameo brooch, both purchased from ebay. The bottle itself is recycled and was purchased from the gift shop of Drumlin Farms, a wildlife sanctuary run by the Mass Audubon Society. The white porcelain pitcher is available on Amazon. It contains cream colored silk roses purchased on deep discount from my local Michaels Craft Store and adorned with beads purchased from the vintage costume jewelry lot referenced earlier. Finally, the small white wine bottle was  recycled from a dessert wine served in petite quantities. It is embellished with an aqua fuzzy ribbon also purchased from my local Michaels Craft Store and filled with a selection of delicate white flowers.

• Milk Glass: The lovely milk glass selections derived from a lot of used Westmoreland and Fenton Milk Glass purchased on ebay and included the following: two candy dishes containing Cadbury Mini Eggs, one larger serving bowl containing decoupaged goose eggs, and two candle holders containing wax-decorated egg candles.

• Tiered White and Pink Beaded Multi Cake Stand: The center of the table display is this perfectly shabby chic cake stand lined with traditional white doilies purchased from my local Michaels Craft Store and displaying vanilla cupcakes wrapped in perfectly printed floral paper cupcake holders imported from Great Britain and purchased on ebay.

• Fenton Two-Tiered Serving Tray: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I must admit that this, too, was purchased gently used from ebay. It was lined with traditional white paper doilies from my local Michaels Craft Store and displayed delicious treats including homemade egg biscuit cookies and lovely frosted petit fours.

Napkins:

Gorgeous vintage white linen napkins lined with minty green stitching and purchased from ebay made the ideal napkins for this setting. Instead of displaying them at each seat, I placed groups of two at each corner of the table.

Chair Treatments:

• Side Chairs:  These White Cotton Duck Dining Covers purchased online from Target and then draped with vintage hankies bought in a used lot from ebay are perfect in their simplicity. The knots are covered with fabric strip selections from Moda Athill Range Jelly Roll Quilt Strips 35210JR purchased from Amazon.
• Arm Chairs: As the above treatments were unavailable for arm chairs, I had to choose an alternative, and I was inspired by a baby shower design featured on “The Hostess With the Mostest” blog. I tried a similar treatment by tying on my leftover fabric strips. I joined them together in the back with accent flowers purchased at my local Michaels Craft Shop, and then coordinated these with the side chairs by similarly draping them with vintage hankies from my ebay lot and adding accent, ruffled seat cushions (pillow shams purchased on ebay covering pillows purchased at Michaels). Below are front and back view photos.

Other Embellishments:

Place Card Holders:

These lovely holders are a discontinued Bethany Lowe Design. I scoured all over to purchase these cuties because I loved them so much and ended up finding some of them on ebay and the rest from a virtual village called JZ Rose. They came with adorable French-inspired place cards but would work with any cards you either chose to purchase or make. Last spring, I made lovely floral place cards. Click here for instructions.

Hurdy Gurdies:

These timeless mini music boxes have been an instant guest favorite at my holidays. They are available at Victorian Trading Co.

~

Happy spring!

May your table centerpieces and décor inspire you,

and may hopes and dreams flourish! ❤

Looking for ideas for your spring dining table centerpieces and décor? Combining pinks, greens, eggs, baskets, and cherry blossoms… you can never go wrong with traditional colors and themes! Every component of this lovely spring table setting is detailed here. Feel free to browse and enjoy!

Tablecloth:

The sample shows a Martha Stewart spring green tablecloth purchased on ebay. (Purchasing “like new” rather than “new” can to help support the environment by lowering the need to produce more “stuff”. It also feels good to recycle what was unwanted from one home into something once more cherished.)

Placemats:

These are hand-made, circular bead placemats that almost glow. They feel magical & add an extra sparkle to the table reminiscent of the magic of fresh green grass and new leaf buds. Simply gorgeous! Here is the link: Ebay Bead Placemats

China:

For spring nothing can beat a lovely pink, floral pattern. This one is “Harmony House Cascade”

Glassware:

Water glasses were purchased in a set at TJ Maxx. Petite European crystal wine glasses look lovely and allow small, frequent pours for course pairings. These were purchased on ebay.

Hurdy Gurdies:

Guests are enamored with these spellbinding, miniature, hand-crank music boxes decorated with seasonal Victorian images. One at each seat makes an unforgettable keepsake. Available at: Victorian Trading Co.

Table Centerpieces:

Two pink beeswax tapers in the center (candles purchased at Whole Foods) Note: beeswax, soy, or palm wax candles are preferable to paraffin as they do not release toxic compounds into your environment. Holders are off-white and were purchased at Linens & Things. Crystal bowl to the right contains floating candleholders with pastel tea lights within. These wonderfully, versatile holders are available at: Save On Crafts. To the left is a pink pedestal tray holding delicious and lovely to look at frosted egg biscuit cookies (see Spring Equinox: Menus & Recipes)

Napkins and napkin holders:

Lovely and versatile “candy pink” cotton napkins purchased at Amazon are pulled through delicate tulip napkin rings purchased at Linens & Things

Chair covers & Chair Bows:

White spandex covers. Available at: eFavorMart.com. Pink satin bows. Available at the ebay store: Complete Wedding Supply.

Additional:

Each of the following are also present on the table. Click on words to link to unique posts with detailed instructions.

• Spring Party Crackers.
• Spring Cabbage Baskets.
• Spring Personalized Wine Charms.
• Spring Place Cards.

May your spring table centerpieces and decor inspire you,

and may you have an amazing spring celebration!

One of the most important considerations to successful crafting in groups is how to make it appealing and approachable, especially for those who are not regular crafters. Challenge yourself to aim for the involvement of everyone! Below is a great system for optimizing enjoyment…

The three P’s to success:

Pretesting:

Be sure and try each and every craft before having others participate. This will ensure you have not only all the materials but also all the tools and aids necessary for success already figured out in advance. Also, this will make you into an expert who can answer questions for those who are unsure at your celebration.

Prefabricating:

Create ready made groupings of items that allow easier and faster success to minimize possible frustration. For example pre-cut muticolored straw bundles and precut tissue paper triangles make kite-making feel so much friendlier.

Presenting:

Presentation often makes the difference between participation and non-participation. Having supplies neatly and colorfully laid out with readily available instructions and labeling is so inviting that it is hard to resist. Utility tables covered in lovely pastel plastic tablecloths keep items looking neat and often double as protected work surfaces. Placing instructions and possible pictures of samples in page protecters (readily available at Staples) keep important documents clean, uncut, and reusable. Create your own posters using computer drawing programs or even word processing software or feel free to recreate ours (Click on images for full size version.):

Though celebrations should be about the season and togetherness rather than materialism, a wonderful way to help children enjoy holidays is through the exchange of small, meaningful gifts, especially ones that may help clarify the idea behind the festival for them. One such gift is a book to be read and enjoyed as a family. Small symbols of the season are lovely as well.

At our last Spring Equinox Celebration, I authored a tale of spring; my son illustrated it, and together we published our creation. We then gave family and friends a copy of it along with a sweet-as-could-be 5-inch Gund bunny representing one of the book’s main characters and holding a tiny basket of goodies (made by using a glue gun and appropriate miniature items purchased from Michaels Stores). In addition, we offered a small pot of daffodils, a chocolate bunny, and some bubbles (for blowing outside in the spring air) as accompaniments.

Writing a story is a wonderful and highly recommended way to share your thoughts and creativity with others. If you prefer to purchase one and are interested in our personal creation, “The Dance Of Spring”, a small synopsis, some additional pictures, and a link for purchase follow:

The Dance of Spring

Written by Lisa Novelline

Illustrated by Ryan Novelline

Summary: Mother Earth sets out to prove that in spite of the frenetic and absorbing nature of existence, her children are still in harmony with their world. So begins this magical and reaffirming tale of the beauty of nature, the coming of spring, and the heralding of a most unlikely hero.

To purchase The Dance of Spring click here.