Table Decor on a Budget

I felt like mixing up the food section this week, by sharing some ideas on a super affordable table scape. After all, food tastes even better when it’s presented beautifully. I see almost no point in going to the trouble to create a sumptuous meal if it’s not served attractively. However, there is no need to spend a lot on pretty presentation. Everything I used here was inexpensive from the discount store Amazing Savings. The placemats, chargers, plates, and rolled up cutlery were all purchased there. Even the fabulous burlap runner, my favorite element, is from there too. Seasonal supermarket flowers in a coordinating vase added an easy pop of warmth and color. The trick is to keep everything in the same color family without being matchy matchy. Another key element is to use different variations of the same concept, like the burlap runner and straw placemats which are both natural materials. That cute decorative ball was purchased a couple of years ago in a flower shop. I keep things like that and reuse them to add easy whimsy. I stuck to the natural theme along with creams and golds, and it worked so nicely. I rarely use disposable paper goods, in an effort to be more environmentally conscious, but my dishwasher was broken so I allowed it. These plates are durable plastic, and can most certainly be washed. Years ago when I first began entertaining, I’d have never been so relaxed about something like that. My entertaining has become so much easier as I’ve loosened the grip on “how things must be”. I mean, really, who cares? The quality of the food has definitely improved overtime, and nothing kills a meal faster than an uptight hostess who is being too anal to enjoy herself. Learning how to keep things beautiful with a flexible, chilled out approach is something I have inadvertently cultivated through the years. The lesson? With less money and less effort, the results can be even lovelier.