simple, pretty holiday tablescapes with a shopping guide {featured on rue magazine}

holiday tablescape by lovely little details, photo by jessica burke

a few weeks ago, jessica burke and i got together for a fun holiday shoot. we wanted to create 3 simple yet beautiful looks for the holidays that can be easily recreated for festive dinners or get togethers. many times we see gorgeous photoshoots online with no idea on how we can replicate them in our own home and it was important to us that we showcase ideas that would be fun for readers to try themselves. and while you can always use your own china (what better time to bring out the wedding china than the holidays!), renting fun glasses, flatware plates can really bring your tablescape to life (and as opposed to renting for a large, 100 person event, dinner parties can be affordable with most pieces starting at around .45 cents and up).

first up, our relaxed, chambray / faux fur / rosemary tablescape:

inspired by the relaxed, laid back feel of chambray mixed with the comfort of faux fur, this tablescape incorporates elements you wouldn’t necessarily see together at a dinner table but work together nicely to create a cozy holiday ambiance. you don’t have to have beautiful handwriting to create your own place cards – simply print out a pretty font in a light colored text on some heavy card stock and trace the names with your favorite pen – I love using metallics like golds or silvers but the white goes nicely with this overall tablescape so we kept it simple. the table runner was some chambray/denim fabric I picked up from Joann fabrics and cut in half to fit the table nicely. I love how rosemary is the herb of remembrance – it has such a festive scent, too – so I created a garland-esque runner along the center of the table and tied sprigs loosely around each napkin. the faux fur “chair backs” are actually rugs from ikea and they totally bring the table to another level, making the guests feel comfortable (literally!) and warm. I just love the soft texture it adds – and at $9.99 each, they’re a steal and can be repurposed around the home (or kept on your chairs!). lastly, the birch bark strips worked perfectly to bring that outdoor element in to the overall look. and doesn’t birch just go so nicely with fur? it emits winter in such a lovely, simple way.

shopping guide:
glasses, china flatware: rented from frances lane
faux fur “chair backs”: ikea
chambray runner: fabric from joann fabrics
candle holders: target (only $1.99 ea)
pillar candles: safeway, near the champagne beer cooler (!!)
mini wooden easels: amazon or your local craft store
birch bark “chargers”: coast wholesale
chairs: rented from hartmann studios
pen for place cards: uni ball signo white
table: pottery barn
napkins: target

next, our traditional plaid tablescape:

although Christmas colors are typically red and green, that doesn’t mean we have to go overboard – I like to bring them in subtly with natural elements like greenery, ribbon, florals, and fabric. i also love the look of natural wooden tables (always, but especially this time of year!) – it showcases such a beautiful, rustic essence that to me means hand-made and I just love that. for this tablescape, again, I went to Joann fabric for a pretty plaid fabric to act as our table runner. I was going to cut the fabric in to napkins but it was just too pretty not to use as the runner itself. if you decided to use the fabric as napkins or placemats instead and still wanted the center of the table to be covered in some way, consider using cheesecloth – it adds such a beautiful texture and color to your tablescape. we didn’t want to create another greenery runner, though you could, and instead we tied cypress pine sprigs to the outside of the chairs with burgundy velvet ribbon. instead of putting a menu in the napkin, we placed our holiday cards inside – a fun way to give your guests their cards (especially when many holiday meals, like thanksgiving, are served family style and there may be many sides brought by guests thus making it hard to type up a formal menu beforehand!) and brought the velvet ribbon back in by wrapping it around the napkins. we added tree slabs with cranberries and a few more pine sprigs to the table center, and ikea lanterns served as our candlelight. simple clover flower and bunny grass added a pretty pop of color and texture without requiring an expensive centerpiece. my family has a tie to cardinals so I added a few to our table to add a whimsical, fun accent. long cinnamon sticks tied in gold shimmer ribbon finished it off in the center.

shopping guide:
glasses, china flatware: rented from frances lane
chairs: rented from hartmann studios
table: pottery barn
lanterns: ikea
greenery: foraged from the neighborhood trees
bud vases: world market
tree slabs: local lumberyard
cinnamon sticks: whole foods
velvet ribbon: shibata
gold ribbon: papermart
cardinals: personal holiday decor collection
holiday cards: custom created for lovely little details by julie song ink
napkins: target

lastly, our simple chic kumquat holiday tablescape:

when it comes to any dinner party, I always like to think that simple is best. you don’t have to go over the top to make your guests feel welcome or create a magical setting – it’s all about the company, conversation, and time spent with loved ones that create the overall atmosphere. for the final tablescape, I used a black and white ticking tablecloth that I had purchased from La Tavola Linen’s warehouse sale and paired it with pretty pops of orange, green, white black and gold. I love love love kumquats in floral arrangements but especially this time of year. fresh citrus just makes me think of the holidays and I love to incorporate this natural element whenever possible. the florals were created with kumquats, ranunculus, paperwhites, privet and… carnations. yes! carnations. though they may get a bad rep, they are an affordable and beautiful addition to floral arrangements! I love how the textured arrangements are really all this tablescape needs to create a “pull up a chair and sit a while” feel. I pulled a few kumquat branches to accent each plate. you could bring in the faux-calligraphy here as well, and tie a place card to each if you wanted, but we were trying to keep this as simple as possible. light a few golden candlesticks and you’ve got yourself a lovely little dinner party waiting to happen.

shopping list:
glasses, china flatware: rented from frances lane
chairs: rented from hartmann studios
table: pottery barn
black candle holders: target
seafoam candle holders: world market
vases: west elm
napkins: target
reindeer salt pepper shakers: target
tablecloth: personal collection purchased from la tavola

and that’s about it! happy holidays :)

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