Easter Table...

Food is usually what brings family and friends together. Here are some thoughts about putting together a beautiful table for Easter.

START WITH COLOR! IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL YOU HAVE!

USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO CREATE EYE APPEAL!

How to Make a Tablescape for Easter

1 Collect items from around your home that focus on Spring or Easter and pile them near the table you are decorating. Looking at the items you have selected, do you see a color scheme forming? Use light, bright, happy colors for a spring theme such as Easter.  Cover the table with a simple simple tablecloth or if you have a beautiful wood table and you don't want to hide it away, leave the tablecloth off for a more rustic feel.

2 Look at what you have collected. Consider fabrics, books, candle holders or candles, flowers, baskets, books, ornaments and bowls. The goal is to have a wide array of items from which to choose. Plan to take up no more than one-third of the table space with your decorative elements. Your guests need somewhere to place their food and drink without sending your beautiful decor flying. Place a table runner down the center of the table, and restrict your tablescape to this area.  Match decorative place mats and/or coasters with the table runner.  Set each place with plates, cutlery, glassware and add decoratively folded napkins next to each place setting. (Use light greens, soft yellows, creams and white with splashes of delicate, pastel colors for a spring or Easter display.)

3 Choose one item from your stash to act as the focal point. It needn't be the largest item, but should have an interesting shape or texture. Place this item on the table just to one side of the center.

4 Select other items which match your intended color scheme. Choose either a monochromatic scheme with shades of one color or a scheme that has a focal color and two accent colors.  Place these items on the table. Add the basic items that will make up your tablescape. Flower arrangements and candles are suitable for any theme, but the type of flowers you use and the colors and scents of candles should reflect the time of year. For example, use yellow and white candles with scents such as freshly mown grass or a summer breeze with daffodils in the spring. Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and little chicks for an Easter theme tablescape. 

5 Decide if you want to have items that are all the same shape or if you want to have a variety of shapes. A tablescape of vertical candlesticks is as visually pleasing as one which features a round platter alongside a square box. Select the items that have the shapes that you want to feature and remove the rest from the table. Tall tapered candles, figurines, strands of beads, garlands, nosegays, and confetti may suit the theme or the time of year.

6 Examine the texture of the items on the table and choose a few that have contrasting textures. A hand-woven bowl has a much different texture than that of a polished brass candlestick. Select several pieces with the same texture and some with contrasting textures. Metallic objects will seem much harder than softer fabric ones. Aim for a mixture of hard and soft surfaces. Remove everything else from the table.

7 Select objects in a variety of sizes from those remaining on the table. Look for tall items for the back of the table and short items for the front. Consider also the width of the table and of the objects. Again, remove the objects that you will not be using.

8 Arrange the objects remaining on the table. Place the focal object to one side and the other items around it. Aim to cover only one third of the table. Place the larger items at the back of the table and the smaller ones at the front. Combine items, such as placing a small vase or statue on a stack of books, for added interest. Create a balanced tablescape by imagining central lines drawn on the table from side to side and from back to front. For each item placed on one side of the line, add one or two matching items on the other side. You don't need to have symmetry -- a heavy, tall object can be balanced by several smaller ones.  Suspend crystal beads or streamers from the ceiling to fill the space between the table and the chandelier.

Using these guidelines will help you decorate like a pro and impress your family and guests this Easter or use the same ideas for your next dinner party focusing on a different theme. Combining things you already have not only make your tablescapes more affordable but more personalized since these collected items have a special meaning to you. I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Easter celebration surrounded by family and friends. Happy Easter!