28 | March | 2012 | Tablescapes at Table /Twenty-One

I shared this idea with my first “Art of Tablescaping” students in early March, and I just love it for so many reasons! (Too bad I couldn’t use real strawberries for it…the ladies would have loved that!)

We have a small library in our home that is just the perfect size for a self-serve dessert table. This 30″ round wooden table (the kind you screw the legs into that sells for about $8 at stores like Walmart) is draped in a soft buttery yellow 90″ cotton linen. It’s just the right size for people to walk around without tripping over the existing furniture. The point of setting it up in the library is to get people moving around the house. They can pick up a dessert and then linger to chat or take in the decor. I like to set small stations like this up in 2 or 3 rooms (don’t forget about hallways or the foyer!) starting with hors d’eouvres. Note: Something like this works really great for cocktail parties!!!

A 20″H stone urn is filled with a simple arrangement of creamy yellow and ivory roses and centered on the table. (This is real stone. Those little tables can handle a lot of weight! I wouldn’t push my luck, though…opt for the lightest weight you can if using one of these do-it-yourself tables.)

Inexpensive clear wine glasses from Old Time Pottery act as serving vessels. Pictured here are 23 wine glasses, but a 30″ table can accomodate up to about 40 depending on the size and how they are spaced. I opted to leave an artistic open space at the front of the arrangement, but a full circle would work just as well.

Just about any size, color or fun-shaped glasses or serving dishes will do including martini glasses, beer pilsners, champagne flutes, compotes or even tiny dishes the size of votive cups. Desserts served can range from fresh fruits to trifles to plain ol’ Jell-O®. This is also a fun arrangement for hors d’eouvres served in shot glasses, miso spoons, or other such vessels. Try it, too, for a signature drink, champagne, or wine display for guests to pick up on arrival. (Cuts down on the line at the bar!)

A few votives in holders that are a shape similar to the glasses give shimmer and shine to the table. It looks absolutely gorgeous at twilight!!! For a daytime event, simply omit the votives.