You’re a queen in the kitchen but a joker when it comes to setting a table. For some tips on how to ace it, we asked crafty genius Marcie McGoldrick and her team at Martha Stewart Living for some easy (and inexpensive) ideas for a dreamy tablescape.
Marcie suggests making each guest feel special by sending her home with the handmade paper flower found at her place setting. Follow these steps to make your own floral masterpieces. Then set aside a few blooms to decorate gifts after the party ends.
You’ll Need: Amaryllis template, crepe paper, pencil, scissors, paintbrush, red ink, eighteen-inch floral wire, flathead pliers, masking tape, velum paper, red felt-tip pen (for name cards).
Print and cut out the Martha Stewart Living amaryllis template. To create several petals at once, place the stencil on a folded sheet of crepe paper and use a pencil to trace around it. Cut out the petals, accounting for six per bloom.
To add a dash of seasonal color to the white flowers, lightly dip a paintbrush in red fountain-pen ink (diluted in water to the shade you desire) and swipe it around the top edges of each petal. Be sure to work on a covered surface, so you don’t stain your Ikea table ($50 is $50 after all).
Create six stamens for each flower with the wire. Leaving the crepe paper folded, cut several half-inch-wide strips. Start at the top of each wire and wrap the strips about three-fourths of the way down. Curl the tops of the wires under twice with flathead pliers for authenticity.
Layer three petals side by side and place a group of stamens in the middle. Wrap masking tape around the bottom to hold them together.
Take three more petals and attach them to the other side of the blossom with masking tape. Using the leaf template, trace and cut out one small, underside petal. With the pointed tip at the top of the stem, wrap the paper around the tape, tapering over the wires. Flip out petals and bend stamen, so the flower looks like it’s blooming.
Add long stems to the blooms you’re using as a centerpiece. Take a wooden dowel and place two flowers at the top, facing away from each other. Tape the wires to the rod in two or three places until secure. Then take one-inch-long strips of paper and wrap them around the entire stem.
Before setting your table, lay the foundation with a red-edged table runner sprinkled with handmade confetti.
You’ll Need: One wrap of crepe paper, red ink, hole punch, white paper.
Step 1
Start with accordion-folded crepe paper slightly longer than your table (Marcie and her team used one complete wrap out of the bag).
Step 2
Dip each end into a bowl of fountain-pen ink — slightly diluted with water — and lay on a flat surface to dry. The ink will naturally absorb into the creases of the paper, creating an ombré stripe.
Step 3
Once it’s completely dry, unfold and smooth the runner out over the length of your table.
Step 1
Use a large circle punch or the simple, handheld device from your office, to create discs from velum or white printer paper.
Step 2
Scatter them liberally around votive candles, centerpieces, and place settings.
To create easy (and cheap) name cards, cut out two-and-a-half-inch circles from velum paper with scissors or a nifty circle cutter and write the guest’s name in your signature scrawl.
Set the mood with simple votive candles dressed up in paper sleeves.
You’ll Need: Glass candleholders, votive candles, cutting mat, X-Acto knife, screw punch, double-sided tape.
Measure the length and circumference of your candleholders, adding a half inch to the length (this will come in handy in Step 3). With a cutting mat and X-Acto knife, slice velum strips of paper to those dimensions.
Keep the paper on your cutting board and poke various-size holes throughout with a screw punch. Be sure to cluster them near the bottom of the paper, where the flame burns brightest. Keep the cutout bits to sprinkle around the table.
Attach paper sleeves to the holders with double-sided tape and drop in a 10¢ tea light. Voila! Pretty candles for fancy holiday ambiance.
For more fun holiday decorating and entertaining ideas, go to marthastewart.com.
Are you a crafter without the right tools? Win the cutting board and screw punch used in this project by e-mailing giveaway@dailycandy.com today through December 17. Include your name and address. Ten winners will be picked at random on December 20.
Crepe Paper Amaryllis
White Crepe Paper Fold, available at dickblick.com, $1 for seven and a half feet. Scotch Premium-Grade Masking Tape, available at officedepot.com, $5 each. 36-Inch Oak Dowel Rods, available at rockler.com, $2 each. 26 Gauge FloraCraft Floral Wire Stem White Wrap 18 Inch, available at createforless.com, $1 for 24. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolors in Crimson, available at dickblick.com, $6. Martha Stewart Crafts All Purpose Scissor, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $20. Sobo Premium Craft and Fabric Glue, available at amazon.com, $7.
Confetti
Martha Stewart Crafts Circle 1-Inch Medium Craft Punch, available at marthstewartcrafts.com, $10.
Place Cards
Martha Stewart Crafts Circle Cutter, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $18. Tracing Vellum Roll, available at amazon.com, $14. Martha Stewart Crafts Folding Cutting Mat, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $30. Red le Pen, available at acherryontop.com, $2.
Crepe Paper Runner
White Crepe Paper Fold, available at dickblick.com, $1 for seven and a half feet. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolors in Crimson, available at dickblick.com, $6.
Cylinder Votive Candles
Martha Stewart Crafts Craft Knife, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $13. Martha Stewart Crafts Screw Punch, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $25. Martha Stewart Crafts Folding Cutting Mat, available at marthastewartcrafts.com, $30. 18-Inch Cork Backed Aluminum Ruler, available at creativecoldsnow.com, $8. Tracing Vellum Roll, available at amazon.com, $14.
Martha Stewart Crafts products can also be found at Michaels.
Table Setting
Hemstitched Linen Dinner Napkins, available at williamsonoma.com, $48 for four. Fifteen- and thirteen-ounce edge wine glasses, available at crateandbarrel.com, $12. Glass cylinders, available at wholesaleflowersandsupplies.com, $2-$25. Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair with Wire Base, available at roomandboard.com, $249.
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