Set the Table

A little thought goes a long way to making guests feel special, and in our opinion, half the fun of hosting a dinner party is designing the table. With that in mind, we pulled together four looks that are as simple as they are striking.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHEL SOLOMON

Indigo Blue

The indigo dye craze has taken the fashion world by storm and like so many sartorial trends, it’s finding its way into the world of textiles as well. Follow the indigo DIY (page 58) and turn ordinary hankies and scrap fabric into stunning patterned napkins and place mats. Pull together with a patterned plate in the same color scheme.

Kraft Paper

Simplicity at its finest. Kraft paper allows for easy clean-up and makes a built-in drawing pad for little tykes. Place a recipe card at each place setting for guests to take down notes about their favorite dishes.

Country Kitchen

A tan circular mat gives a natural base to this tailored country kitchen feel. A striped dish towel tied with twine acts as an inexpensive napkin and balances the texture of the woven place mat.

Rustic Plaid

A crisp white plate counteracts the raw edges of the plaid napkin and wooden bark charger for this rustic place setting. The bright red and navy fabric is pulled together with a kraft paper napkin ring.

Indigo Dying

Materials

Indigo tie dye kit

Rubber bands

Washers

Rubber gloves

Handkerchief (or fabric square)

No. 1

Tie washers in handkerchief using rubber bands.

No. 2

Mix dye according to package instructions. Dip handkerchief in dye. Hold in solution longer depending on desired shade of blue.

No. 3

Allow to dry before removing washers. Wash according to package instructions. In addition to washers, experiment with different objects to achieve various patterns.