Summer Main Dining Table Décor

Lisa Anne Novelline Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Summer Solstice Litha table decor place setting craft blog decorating blog

Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  ~Henry James

The warm and whimsical energy of summer almost seems to be celebrating with or without our help, so why not join in!! The possibilities for creating a fanciful and fun table setting for a gathering seem almost limitless! From afternoon picnic-style to evening campfire-inspired, many options exist for outdoor decor. I decided to create an indoor setting, though, just in case of rain, and this year, I found myself swept away with the romanticism of a Midsummer’s Night Dream… so fairies it is!

Below are the details of my selections!

Tablecloth:

 

The tablecloth is a solid yellow that I have had for years. I cannot be sure where I originally purchased it, but I recommend purchasing gently used from ebay. I think it feels wonderful to recycle through reuse when possible!

Placemats:

 

Lisa Anne Novelline Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Summer Solstice Litha table decor place setting craft blog decorating blog

I wanted to create a fairy grove, which required the combination of both magical elements and natural ones. I chose these blue/green rattan placemats for their naturalistic texture and their sky/water-like color, which contrast nicely to the yellow both above and below them.  They are available at Pier 1 Imports.

Dishware:

 

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Anne Novelline Summer Solstice craft blog decorating blog Litha candy ribbon art glass Dibbern

This lovely art glass china might be one of the sunniest dish sets I have ever seen. In fact, it almost glows, and that is precisely why I chose it! It is made by a German company called Dibbern and the particular pattern is “Kristina”. I originally purchased it at Crate and Barrel. It is no longer available there. However, Replacements, Ltd. does carry some of the pieces as they become available.

If you are having a course requiring bowls, here is an alternate setting using all the same elements but then adding Pfaltzgraff “Summer Breeze” glass dessert bowls also available at Replacements, Ltd. The transparency of this choice works by adding just enough but not too much!

Holiday & Hearth Holiday and Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline writer author creative blog creativity craft blog decorator blog Summer Solstice Midsummer Litha fairy party fairies Pfaltzgraff SUMMER BREEZE Glass Dessert Bowl

 

 

 

Glassware:

 

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer creative blog artistic blog craft blog decorating blog Summer Solstice Litha tablesetting European China wine pairing

Water glasses were purchased in a set at TJ Maxx. Petite European crystal wine glasses look lovely and allow small, frequent pours for course pairings. These were purchased on ebay. When considering a purchase, it may be helpful to note that these tend to be the same glasses I use every holiday, so they get plenty of use. At times I embellish them by using seasonal stirrers or glowing LiteCubes in the water glasses. (For this particular festival, glowing yellow might be sunny and fun!)

Centerpiece:

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer craft blog decorator blog creative blog creativity fairy party fairies Summer Solstice Midsummer Litha tablesetting table summer

 

The centerpiece for this festival is a magical fairy grove! Each element is detailed below:

  • Fairies

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The fairies themselves were handcrafted by me and members of my family. Not only was this a a fantastically fun activity for us, but also when we look at the table, we all have a special fondness for our little creations. I tried to place some of each of our favorites within view of our seats. Click for detailed instructions for fairy-making.

 

  • Tapers & Ribbons

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline Summer Solstice Litha Midsummer fairy party fairies craft blog decorator blog creative blog creativity Table Setting decorating

Two yellow palm wax tapers (purchased online at Aloha Bay) sit within off-white holders purchased at Linens & Things. (Note: beeswax, soy, or palm wax candles are preferable to paraffin as they do not release toxic compounds into your environment.) The multi-colored ribbons really add a beautiful festive flair and dress up the holders making them look unique despite the fact that I use them very frequently. The ribbons are simply brightly-colored satin from Michaels. The trick here was to vary the widths, so that some ribbons were a bit thicker than others. This offered a deeper richness and complexity to the embellishment.

  • Mushrooms

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline Summer Solstice Litha Midsummer fairy party fairies craft blog decorator blog creative blog creativity Table Setting decorating

The ceramic mushrooms really help to contextualize the fairies. These are available at Michaels Stores.

  • Greenery

The greenery was a single garland purchased at Michaels Stores. The trick here was to remove the leaf sections from the connecting strip. This enabled me to have far greater control on their placement. Consequently, I was able to even out the symmetry of the centerpiece as well as hide stems and aspects of the grove that were not meant to be seen.

 

  • Floating Candle

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I adore this elevated floating tea light holder. Unfortunately, it was purchased at a candle company called Illuminations that has since gone out of business. The important element here, though, is the addition of water. Any floating tea light holder could work very nicely. Even a sentimental piece of crystal stemware with a little greenery below it could add the extra element along with some sparkly fairy magic!

 

  • Glass Flowers

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer creative blog artistic blog craft blog decorating blog Summer Solstice Litha tablesetting European China wine pairing
This centerpiece includes two glass flowers (one blue and one orange) laying on their sides, each visible on opposite sides of the table. The stems are hidden with greens. The blooms themselves add a tremendous “something” to the mystique of the grove by reflecting all the colors and lights around them while at the same time suggesting enchantment with their unique glossy appearance. Though mine were a gift, these are available  here at Etreasures Gifts as well as at other online vendors.

 

(As a side note, if you live or visit in the area of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, their Museum of Natural History displays an amazing collection of glass flowers that would make a wonderful family excursion. Click for more information.)

Napkins:

 

Lisa Anne Novelline Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Summer Solstice Litha table decor place setting craft blog decorating blog

Lovely and versatile “candy pink” cotton napkins purchased at Amazon are nestled within Circus Bead Napkin Rings available at Pier 1 Imports. I have used these napkins over and over again. It is amazing how different rings create a whole new look!

Other Embellishments:

 

  • Dot Candy

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Candy dots are such a blast from the past for so many people! They may even coax out that playful inner child in each of us!! Dress them up with satin ribbon bows from Michaels Stores, and watch your guests’ faces light up! The candy itself was purchased locally and is readily available.

 

  • Candy Jars

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer creative blog artistic blog craft blog decorating blog Summer Solstice Litha tablesetting European China wine pairing candy jars favors
These sweet little jars were purchased from Michaels Stores (in a boxed set in the wedding section). They were intended to be for wedding favors and came with “Thank you” stickers. However, by printing out some sun images from google, gluing them to the tops, and wrapping them in multi-colored satin bows, they have become Summer favors! The candies inside are a combination of speckled and brightly colored mini jawbreakers. They are available at Sugar Heaven.

 

  • Star Candy

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Star candy adorns the table and adds a special colorful and delicious touch to the experience of sitting down at this festive table! It is available at Sugar Heaven as well.

 

  • Fans

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline Summer Solstice Litha Midsummer fairy party fairies craft blog decorator blog creative blog creativity Table Setting decorating decorative folding fan

The fans serve as playful reminders that summertime can be hot and that sunlight and heat are part of what we celebrate when we attune ourselves with this season! These are available at Michaels Stores. Just as with the favor jars above, these are sold boxed in sets in the wedding section of the store.

  • Personalized Wine Charms

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Wine charms with each guest’s initials are not only very flattering but also quite practical, especially when pairing courses with wines and therefore involving small, frequent pours. Click for the instructions for making these sparkling and ever so versatile personalized wine charms.

  • Place Cards & Holders

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer creative blog artistic blog craft blog decorating blog Summer Solstice Litha tablesetting European China wine pairing photo holders birthday placecards fairies
The alternating party hat and cupcake holder that the place cards are sitting in are actually photo holders available at Pier 1 Imports. The cards themselves are labels made by Martha Stewart Crafts and purchased at Michaels Stores. Now here’s the really cool part… The labels are sticky and are backed with clear plastic. Rather then peeling them off, I cut the plastic and left it adhered. Then using the flip side of the labels, wrote the names with a marker that was able to write over the ultra smooth plastic side. This accomplished two things. First, it added additional thickness to the cards, which helped them hold their shape in the wire holders. Second, it left the actual labels completely unused! This will allow me to reuse all of them in their original capacity as well! I capped off the card with glitter fairy stickers by Darcy May available at Amazon.

 

  • Chair Cushions

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline author writer creative blog artistic blog craft blog decorating blog Summer Solstice Litha tablesetting European China wine pairing floral chair cushions
I love love love these chair cushions! They are colorful, ruffly, and just plain lots of fun!! They are available at Pier 1 Imports.

 

  • Summer Party Crackers

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No table setting is complete without these! I cannot even convey how much these favors are enjoyed! Click for detailed instructions on Summer Party Cracker-making.

Okay, here it is… Happy summer everyone!!!!!!

Holiday and Hearth Holiday & Hearth Lisa Novelline Lisa Anne Novelline Summer Solstice Litha Midsummer fairy party fairies craft blog decorator blog creative blog creativity Table Setting decorating

 

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