idea notebook
Anatomy of an Inviting Table
Contributing editor Jodi Kahn sets an unexpectedly fresh fall scene with cool little crafts and fetching finds that bring a welcome twist to holiday traditions. 1. For favors sure to spark conversation, turn acorn caps into
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adorable mini-candles by filling them with melted wax and inserting short wicks (allow one hour of cooling time). To assemble a complete glow-on-thego kit, stash the tiny lights, plus a few matches, in a wood box tricked out with a striker, a.k.a. a strip of sandpaper glued to one side. The final touch: Personalize the lid with a sweet frame stamp and a handwritten note. (Acorn caps, $2.50 for 100; kringlescountry store.com. Wax, $6.70 for 1½ pounds; wicks, $2.99 for 10 yards; amazon.com. Box, $1; acmoore.com for stores. Stamp, $7; rubbersoul.com)
2. Go beyond the typical autumn tropes. This beautiful
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dinner plate features classic seasonal colors, like orange, yellow, and green, and plenty of foliage, too. But it also incorporates blowsy flowers and surprising shades of soft blue and peachy pink—which inspired the look of our entire tablescape (flip the page for proof). We topped off each dinner plate with a smaller white dish and a sprinkle of paper-punched confetti leaves. (Floral plates, $24 each; anthropologie.com. White plates, $72 for six; gracioushome .com. Leaf punch, $10.78; amazon.com)
denote seating arrangements, this pretty plumage doubles as wearable art—thanks to a bar pin hot-glued to the back. Make the quill stand upright by hot-gluing a magnet to the side of a cork, then sliding the placecard between the feather pin and cork magnet. As for the gorgeous handwriting, we splurged on professional calligraphy. (Feather, $5.52 for 54; createforless.com. Bar pin, $2.13 for 24; misterart.com. Calligraphed cards, $60 for 10; bernard maisner.com)
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Written by Jourdan Crouch
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKKEL VANG
3. A feather lends a placecard fine finish. More than just a way to
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARTISTNAMETK
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Flatware, $85 per place setting; simonpearce.com. Linen napkins, $10 each; abchome.com for stores. Diane von Furstenberg wineglasses, $60 for four; bloomingdales.com. Chairs, $299 for two; ballarddesigns.com
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4. Think outside the vase.
Vintage wooden spools—around $5 to $10 each on etsy.com—offer a novel way to display dried leaves or branches. (If using fresh flowers, seek out spools with hollow cores wide enough to accommodate floral tubes.) The vessel that contains our loose arrangement of dahlias and pomegranates? It’s a ceramic utensil holder. ($56; canvashomestore.com)
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5. The cheapest candlestick ever: A $2 roll of jute twine from the
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hardware store! Pop a taper inside, then set it atop a plate. (BIA salad plate, $12.50 each; bloomingdales.com)
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARTISTNAMETK
6. Let nature take its course with a DIY leaf runner. Crafted
from lush blue and green felt, this table topper perks up plain linens and provides a padded path for hot plates. Download our leaf template (country living.com/runner) and use it to cut the shapes out of felt. Create enough leaves to traverse your table, then hand-stitch the edges together in a whimsical, overlapping design. (Felt, $18 for two yards; etsy.com/shop/tadaastudiofelt)
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idea notebook 8. Colorful sleeves eliminate the need for coasters—and silly wine charms. Not only do
these accessories protect tabletops; when fashioned in a variety of hues, they also help guests keep track of their champagne glasses. Measure the diameter of a glass’s base, then cut two slightly larger felt circles. Cut an X across the middle of one circle before stitching the piece atop the other.
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7. Serve recipe cards alongside the feast. It’s a snap to share the secrets to making
Aunt Karen’s pecan pie or Uncle Bill’s gravy, thanks to these nifty souvenirs. Download our index-card JPEG at countryliving.com/indexcard; then paste it into Microsoft Word and type the recipe in a text box atop the image. Print out multiple copies of each recipe on card stock; cut out and stack the cards in wooden boxes near their corresponding dishes. (Bamboo box, $4.99; containerstore.com)
cheap storage containers with customstamped fabric covers. Measure the lids in a pack of plastic bowls. Next, use pinking shears to cut cloth circles that measure several inches wider than the lids they’ll cover. Using alphabet stamps and fabric ink, press playful phrases in the center of each circle. Allow two hours of drying time; then before folks head out, secure the covers in place with rubber bands. (Food containers, $2.99 for five; ikea.com for stores. Stamp set, $7.99; stamp pad, $3.99; joann.com)
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PHOTOGRAPH BY (LIDS) LARA ROBBY/STUDIO D
9. Looking for an attractive way to wrap up leftovers? Disguise