Festive Flourishes for the HOLIDAY TABLE

With the fall and winter holidays so close together there is no need to decorate everything twice. Our Thanksgiving and Christmas table designs by Social Butterflies and Haute Horticulture are sure to inspire ways to get creative with color as well as repurposing key elements for each season. Heres how to engineer an easy transition from fall festivities to December entertaining.

Fall Feast
The fall season has so much to offer that you can incorporate in your decor. Take advantage of what is readily available and get creative on ways you can "take it up a notch," so to speak. Incorporating a deep teal is the secret to keeping this fall palatte lively and fresh while still using the traditional floral oranges and coppers that symbolize autumn.

Table Elements:
The runners are an easy DIY project and provided the perfect canvas to highlight each bold place setting. The tall centerpiece is created on a metal stand with curly willow wrapped around the base to give an organic tree shape tall enough for guests to see through and socialize. Satellite mini vases, each filled with one type of flower, bring the pop of orange above back to the table and can easily be moved for food placement. Small details such as easy to make place card flags warmly welcome each guest to the table.

Harvest Bar:
When guests are ready to satisfy their sweet tooth, they can make their way to the harvest bar for a delight of textures, beverages and festive finger desserts. The possibilities are limitless; choose homemade items or shop local food stores that carry an array of pre - made baked goods and spiced drinks for you to use. All you need is a trip to the market, a little creativity, and a few serving pieces and this eclectic display is sure to please guests of every age.
WY:
The shimmery pumpkins add a sparkle to the party with nothing more than spray adhesive and glitter. In a well - ventilated area spray the pumpkin thoroughly with the adhesive and generously add glitter. Allow at least an hour to dry and shake off excess glitter before use..

Painted jars make pretty containers that match your decor perfectly without the price of colored glass. To create a colorful glass vessel, simply fill the jar with acrylic paint and roll around until the interior is thoroughly coated. Let dry before use. If you are going to fill the jars with flowers, either put a smaller container in the jar as a liner or use an enamel based paint that is waterproof.
Runners can be made of any fabric. Simply cut to the appropriate size and hot glue or fabric glue the seams/ends down. Add a trim to really make it special - beaded or tassled are good choices - and hot glue the trim to each end of the runner.

Feathered Holidays
Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.... Until you have to take down all of the fall decor and start decorating all over for the Christmas holidays! We wanted to make it easier for our readers this year - so we chose to keep our bold accent color the same for the holiday table - deep teal. Peacock feathers were our inspiration; they are festive, luxurious, and they add a little bling. Now we have a whole new look that will leave you more time to entertain and enjoy. Merry Merry!

Decor:
The same tree stand used for the Fall Feast Table is now converted to a crystal delight with dripping crystal strands and colorful ornaments within the branches. The copper bowls that held fall flowers have been flipped over to make candle stands and the teal table runners now compliment the new peacock palatte. Peacock stems are given new purpose as decoration on chair backs. Reuse of decorative items can be exciting as well as pleasing to your wallet.
Quick tips for hosting fabulous parties over the holidays
1. Get creative and choose a theme for your guests! Its easy to incorporate thoughtful details when you have a theme. It could be as simple as a color or as broad as season, "Fall." There is an abundance of ideas on line that can help you out if you need it. pinterest.com is one of my favorites.
2. Less is more - choose a few really great items for your menu rather than stressing over a huge buffet of dishes/appetizers.
3. Prepare a fun drink that can easily be refilled from a decorative pitcher or self - serve container. A full bar keeps you constantly waiting on guests rather than enjoying the party. Be sure the beverage can be made with alcohol for all of your guests to enjoy!
4. Set the atmosphere - Lighting is key. Be sure your guests have enough light to see their food but dont make the room too bright. Candles add so much ambiance and they are very affordable.
5. Holiday music is readily available and is just what you need for background music to get people in the spirit. You can make an iTunes Playlist or tune into a local radio station if you dont have time to plan ahead.
6. Logistics - be sure to have a seat for all your guests if you are serving food that is hard to eat while standing up. Have a plan in mind for set - up and dont put food or a bar anywhere that will clog up a main entry way or walk way.
7. Do your guests a "favor" - take - aways make party goers feel special and are reminders of the fun memories they made at your party! Home - baked treats are always a big hit and wont cost much. Just plan in advance so you are not baking all night before the party.