Our series “Get Crafty” gives you the inspiration for creating inventive DIY projects during the holidays and year-round. These simple yet chic place setting ideas from Julie Mulligan featuring flowers, succulents, sea shells, and more will add a seasonal flair to your table top.
Entertaining at home is a deeply personal affair. You want your guests to feel the love and warmth.
For me, it’s all about the little details. Something as simple as a beautiful place setting can set the tone for the occasion. It’s like a sweet little gift for each guest. Introducing seasonal fruits and vegetables to your table top adds color, texture, and unexpected visual pops.
Here are some ideas for simple yet chic place settings that take no time at all and use items that you probably already have on hand.
Small glass bottles with fresh flowers — old, new, clear, or colored — can be accessorized with photos of each guest to mark their place at the table. Or attach a sentiment that “speaks" to the occasion.
Looking for a sophisticated coastal vibe? Use soft, neutral sand-tone colors. Write each guest's name on a sand dollar shell and tuck it into a fresh cut orchid, like with this bronze “Fire on the Mountain," and be prepared for the wows.
Making a statement place setting can be as simple as taking a single flower, wrapping the stem with a napkin and/or decorative fabric that coordinates with your tablescape, such as burlap, and tying it all together with ribbon. Adding a name card is optional, but why not do it when it looks so sweet!
Of course, if you are being ambitious and really want to pull out all the stops, you can make a petite bouquet for each place. Fill a berry basket with berries, fruit, succulents, etc., along with little seasonal sprigs and accents.
And who doesn't love a little succulent plant? Especially the echeveria variety. They look like green roses but are much hardier. And you can use them in so any unique ways. For this minimalist tablescape, I panted each plant's clay pot white with gold trim. Then, I wrote each guest's name with a gold marker on the front of the pot.
Did you know that you can actually paint a live succulent without harming it? I spray painted this one gold and planted it in its own little white ceramic pumpkin with a pretty gold leaf accent on the stem.
Succulents are so versatile they just seem to work with whatever mood I am going for. Whether snuggled in a wooden bowl for a Zen-inspired get-together...
...or just resting on a cloth napkin.
Keep it clean and simple by just decorating each plate with a cut succulent. You simply can't go wrong when decorating with succulents!
Sea shell-succulent place settings
As the name suggests, these place settings require little more than a succulent and a sea shell. Let me show you how simple they are to make.
I had a bunch of these shells left over from a summer party — but shells aren’t just for the summer. You can do so much with them. By mixing them with amber glass plates and rich green napkins, they’re just right for a harvest brunch.
Each shell has room to write the guest’s name on and hold a succulent, making it a sweet take-home gift.
Before placing the succulent on the personalized shell, remove almost all the dirt from around the roots.
Cut the corner of a sandwich bag. Place the roots and whatever dirt remains in the corner that you just cut from the larger baggie, and secure it with a rubber band.
See, I told you it was easy. Now, go ahead and create your own little masterpieces the next time you are entertaining guests. (And don’t forget the cookies!)
