North Woods Table

Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-609 -- More Projects »
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The decorations for this holiday table are made using natural materials gathered from the garden.
During every holiday season, Rebecca Kolls sets the table with a different garden theme. This year's theme is North Woods. From the placecards to the centerpiece, all of what you see is made from things she gathered from her own backyard. Here are some easy ways to create a beautiful and festive holiday table.

Before Starting

Purchase the necessary materials. Take safety precautions; wear safety glasses and/or a surgical mask when needed. Work in a well-ventilated area.

You will need the following materials for these projects.
Note: Necessary amounts will depend on how many of each item you will make.

  • small pine cones and several pieces of greenery (such as cedar or juniper)
  • white glue
  • glue gun

    Invitations

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    Figure A
    Materials:
  • plain invitation cards
  • metallic pen
  • raffia

    As with any party, invitations are a must, and these are both elegant and easy (figure A). Simply take a plain invitation card and attach a piece of greenery with white glue onto the front. Then using a metallic pen, write whatever message you wish--both on the inside and the outside of the card.

    As a decorative touch, tie a little piece of raffia right along the fold of the card. And it's ready to go. Send out your homemade invitations about a month before the party.

    Place mats

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    Figure B
    Materials:

  • round cardboard pieces
  • gold spray paint

    Start dressing up your holiday table by making the place mats (figure B). First, gather up some round cardboard pieces; you can usually get them at pizza shops. With gold spray paint, spray the entire cardboard piece.

    Gather up some of your greenery. Now anything will work, but cedar and juniper are nice because they lay flat. Using your glue gun, take a piece of the greenery and glue it right on the outside of the cardboard piece. Continue adding the greens, overlapping the previously laid pieces. Do this until the entire cardboard piece is completely covered. And that's it! Look how easy this is!

    Napkins

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    Figure C
    Materials:

  • Cloth napkins
  • French wired ribbon (approx. 1-1/2 inch wide, about 30 inches in length per napkin)

    Since you're already working with the greenery, use some more of it to dress the napkins (figure C). First, roll up the napkins as you would to insert them into an ordinary napkin ring. Grab your ribbon and tie it into a simple knot right around the center of the napkin.

    Tuck small pieces of greenery, and perhaps a few pine cones, into the back of the knot. If the pine cones won't stay in place, you may wish to glue them directly to the greenery. Finally, for a nice decorative finish, fork the ends of the ribbon. Your napkins are ready to go.

    Place cards

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    Figure D
    Materials:

  • terra-cotta pots
  • satin varnish
  • acrylic paints: lime green, dark green, chocolate brown
  • small sponges
  • gold wax paint
  • black permanent marker
  • potting soil
  • a plant of your choice (such as rosemary or ivy)

    To start your place cards (figure D), begin by glazing a terra-cotta pot with a 50-50 mixture of olive green acrylic paint and satin varnish. Once it's dry, dip a sponge into a chocolate-colored acrylic paint. Blot off the excess. Lightly sponge around the bottom and the rim of the pot; allow to dry. This will almost immediately give the pot an aged look.

    Next, squeeze out some bright lime green paint. Using the same sponge process, blot over the brown areas. On top of that, apply dark green acrylic paint, using the same blotting technique. Continue adding and mixing the colors until you get a natural patina finish. Then dip a bristle brush into gold wax paint and rub it along the edges of the pot.

    For the final step, write the person's name with a permanent marker. Then pot a plant in it and add a decorative bow. Not only will this tell the person where to sit--it also makes a great gift to take home!

    Centerpiece

    Materials:

  • gold charger with greenery and pine cones
  • sheets of beeswax (available at craft stores)
  • wicks
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    Figure E
    To make the centerpiece (figure E), cluster some candles on a gold charger to which you've already added greenery and pine cones. You can use candles that you have at home, or make your own! Just pick up some sheets of beeswax at a craft store. Place a wick onto one end of the sheet, leaving about 1/4 inch of wax between the wick and the outside edge of the sheet. Make sure there is an end of the wick extending over the top of the sheet as this will be what will burn once the candle is rolled.
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    Figure F
    Once you have the wick correctly placed, press it into the wax until it is secure. Next, fold the extra 1/4 inch of wax carefully over the wick inwards towards the remaining sheet. Carefully roll the sheet up until it becomes a beautiful candle (figure F)! And, of course, if you want a bigger candle, simply add more wax.

    Now all that's left to do is to put everything together, so sit back, enjoy the season and revel in the beauty of your festive holiday table.

    Also in this Episode
    Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-609
    •Ornaments From the Garden
    •Razzleberry Pie
    •North Woods Table
    •Forcing Paperwhites
    •Poinsettias
    •Gift Wrap, Naturally