Full disclosure: My granddaughter has zero interest in anything “girly” in nature, so I am left to cater to other people’s fantasies. Oh, well…c’est la vie.

I recently found three pink painted metal dress forms on the clearance shelf at Michael’s marked down 80% from $17.99 to a much more palatable $3.59 each. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but before I could say “plies and pirouettes”, I found myself making miniature tutus. Me! The grandmother of a child who, after seeing pictures of herself decked out in a feathered number for dance class that made her look like Big Bird, spent a considerable amount of time bulking up and went dressed as The Hulk for Halloween!!!

After several grueling days of cutting and tying tulle and hot gluing my fingers together more than once, I had miraculously created 3 very girly tutus. After adding a healthy dose of rosettes and bling, I decided this could easily pass for a ballet tablescape, brides, bridesmaids, or princess tablescape. Fabulous! So if you’re looking to throw a “Princess & the Frog” or “Frog Prince” or “Black Swan” kind of bridal shower or birthday party, this over-the-top tablescape might be right up your alley! (Seriously, though, if you’re going to throw your best friend a “Black Swan” bridal shower, maybe you should reevaluate your relationship! :-))
(Click on any image to enlarge/enhance.)

The tulle used for the tutus is ivory, so I used an ivory full-length linen and napkins. TIP: for real weddings and tablescapes: If the bride is wearing an ivory gown, best to go with ivory linens in the reception space so as to not make the bride’s attire appear dingy. Years of professional wedding plan taught me that little gem!

I’m not a super fan of shiny runners at all, but they just seemed to work here. The blinding pink runners and creamy ivory linens are all from LinenTablecloth.com.

I used 13″ round mirrors purchased a couple of years ago at Hobby Lobby as chargers and “10 Strawberry Street” ivory stoneware from TJ Maxx. Ivory dishes are a nice little addition to your collection as they come in handy when using ivory linens.

You can buy cute lily pads like this from places like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. Since “diamonds” are a major part of this overall theme (after all, they are a girl’s best friend whether she’s a bride, a princess or a ballerina!), I sprinkled on a handful. I guess they could also pass for water droplets if you want to go that route! The tiny ceramic frogs are from 2011 stock at Hobby Lobby. A demure pink spray rose brings color and yet another layer of texture to the setting.

The flatware is none other than my beloved “Royal Danish” sterling. The napkins are bundled up with a pretty “diamond” napkin ring. I bought these wholesale, but I have seen similar ones at places like Tuesday Morning and Z Gallerie. (Aaahhhh…Z Gallerie! The happiest place on earth!)

The diamond cut in the Cristal d’Arques “Longchamps” stemware is a perfect fit!

The centerpiece is a compilation of pink princesses, silver Revere candlesticks with ivory candles (you need to carry the ivory all the way through!), scads of “diamonds”, and pretty pink roses.

Someday I may do a tutorial of my own on how to create a no-sew tutu, but in the meantime you can click HERE for Julie Figueroa’s very easy step-by-step instruction. It’s basically just tying strips of tulle onto a length of ribbon. Too easy…even for clueless, craft-challenged me! I hot glued silk rosettes to the waistline and sporadically across the skirt itself. Little rhinestones were a pain (literally AND figuratively!) to put on, but the results were worth the half tube of silvadene cream. 🙂 To lend a little height and put these princesses on a pedestal (again, both literally AND figuratively!), I added 6″ silver cake plateaus/stands. (So sorry….I bought the cake stands wholesale several years ago and have no idea where to direct you to buy some this size.) A generous smattering of more “diamonds” runs the length of the centerpiece.

Medium-sized pink roses are nestled into a sea of more of the acrylic “diamonds” that fill a Cristal d’Arques “Longchamps” mini vase.

The final component of the centerpiece is a parade of 11″ silver Revere candlesticks. I used my trusty (ivory) 15″ Paradise metal case candles to avoid any messy drips and reduce the threat of fire that always exists…especially when using something so flammable as tulle! Metal case candles found at stores like Hobby Lobby are usually white, but you can ask your florist to get other colors and sizes for you.

The exalted Frog Prince eyes the bevy of beautiful princesses from his perch on the buffet behind the table. A 12″ silver cake stand in the same pattern as those used to elevate the princesses gives him a little height. A larger lily pad is topped with a lacy ivory ring bearer’s pillow from the Beverly Clark collection. A trail of much heftier diamonds runs the length of the buffet along with clusters of soft pink roses. Notice that the silver candlesticks on the buffet are quite similar in shape (by design) to those used on the dining table to lend continuity. Ivory pillar candles are used to double back ambient light in the mirror.

Maybe someday my granddaughter will decide she wants to be a fairy princess instead of a weird, angry, steroid-enhanced green dude. A grandmother can only hope!

See more pretty pink posts on this site:
“Days of Wine & Roses“
“Peonies & Pearls“
“Chocolate Traditional“
“Princess Pink Birthday Dinner“
“Pink Plaid & Posies“
“Showered in Pink“
“Springtime in Paris Mother’s Day Buffet“
“Mother’s Day Luncheon“
“Tea Roses“
“Coming Up Roses“
“Au Revoir“
“Blushing Bridal Shower“
“Peony Power!“
“Pleasant Under Glass“

Come on over and join the party at Cuisine Kathleen’s “Let’s Dish!” anytime after 7:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday! I’m also joining for the first time “Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits” over at Yvonne’s “Stone Gable” blog. Then be sure to join Susan and a whole bunch of my cool blogger buddies for “Tablescape Thursday” anytime after 9:00 a.m. CDT on Thursday. You’ll be glad you did!