Guest Blogger: Creative & Affordable Decor for your Dinner Party

Guest Blog #184, Entry #665, September 18, 2011

If you look through the history of dinner parties, the entire evolution of having grand sprawling tablescapes with formal attire and gorgeous place settings was customary. As the years have evolved, dinner parties have become more subdued, but we all still enjoy entertaining and hosting dinner parties with our closest friends and family. Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips for affordable decor for your next dinner party.

Affordable decor can be beautiful

Image courtesy of Agnes Lopez

____________

Choosing affordable decor options for a dinner party allows you to spend more of your budget on the food. Serving great food in an elegant, serene atmosphere is one way to ensure that your party is memorable, and will keep your guests coming back for more. Save on table decorations like textiles, plates and flatware, flowers, candles and more to create a charming party display for pennies.

Go Shabby Chic:

The Shabby Chic look, created by designer Rachel Ashwell, combines different patterns of the same color palette into one cohesive look. Choose mismatched floral china and serving pieces that have similar hues to accent your table and give the party an overall shabby chic appeal. If you don’t have enough pieces, borrow some from a friend; you won’t have to spend any extra money to get a fashionable table.

Get Crafty:

Use your crafting skills to give homely, plain items a quick makeover. Create silver, gold or white chargers using inexpensive glass plates and a coat of spray paint. Use mason canning jars as vases for a charming touch; tie on a ribbon and add flowers to add country charm to any dinner table.

Be creative with crafts for your next dinner party

Image courtesy of The Party Dress

Put Food to Work:

Take a cue from domestic diva Martha Stewart and use food for your serving pieces. Serve fall soup or stew from a bowl made from a hollowed out pumpkin, and offer dips and sauces in carded apple, gourd or squash bowls. A soup tureen will set you back almost a hundred dollars; hollow out a pumpkin instead and you’ll save about $97! You’ll also get credit for being artsy and clever, a nice perk.

Use Unexpected Textiles:

Head to a high end home furnishings boutique and you’ll shell out big bucks for a nice tablecloth. Skip the boutique and pick up a few white or patterned flat sheets for a fraction of the price. You can find good quality, king sized flat sheets at any discount store; some even bear designer labels like Waverly, Missoni and Shabby Chic. Use the sheets instead of tablecloths, and top with a festive table runner for and a look that is elegant but inexpensive.

Cast a Glow:

Use candles to cast an attractive and welcoming glow over the entire table. Group pillar candles in strategic areas along the table, or scatter votives along the table length. You can find candles in the dollar or big box discount store. In this case, cheaper is actually better; inexpensive candles usually don’t have much of a scent, so they won’t overpower your food. Look for white or light colored candles to accent any dinner party theme.

Candles, fruit, flowers and rustic touches – unique mix!

Image courtesy of Laura Dowling

Stock up in Advance:

If you know you want to host an annual Christmas, Halloween or New Year’s Eve shindig, cruise the post-holiday sales to pick up table decorations for a fraction of the original cost. Holiday and seasonal items can go for up to 90% off once the big day passes, so buy ahead to save a lot of cash.

Steven Elias freelance writes for various of websites online. He currently resides in Dallas, TX. He runs a website on Dallas wedding photographers and Dallas wedding venues. Visit his site at www.thedallasweddingphotographers.net

For more entertaining ideas on Stagetecture, click here.