One of the things I really look forward to this time of year is entertaining. Nothing is better than gathering friends and family around a table to celebrate, reminiscence and create new memories.
Whether you are hosting a big dinner or casual soiree, dressing up the table is one way to make the space feel warm, inviting and special for your guests.
Creating a cozy tablescape does not require a lot of time and can be done on any type of budget. For this particular tablescape, things were gathered from around the house, and even the yard, then embellished with a few handmade pieces.
Everything needed for the handmade pieces were picked up in one quick trip to our local True Value.
In a few simple steps, inexpensive metal washers right from the hardware aisle were transformed into plate chargers and candle plates to complete this table setting.
Read below for the easy step-by-step instructions to create these one of a kind pieces.
Materials Needed:
- Wax Paper
- Dinner Plate
- 1/2 Inch Flat Washers
- Super Glue
- Krylon Colormaster Spray Paint – Satin Nickel
Additional Supplies Needed:
Step One: Make a template.
Lay a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface. The wax paper not only protects the surface you’re working on, but can be easily removed from the washers if any glue happens to drip.
Place a dinner plate on top and trace around the outer edge with a pencil.
Step Two: Lay out washers.
True Value carries a variety of washers in different sizes and finishes. The washers can be purchased individually or by the box.
Since the washers will ultimately be painted, inexpensive 1/2 inch USS Flat Zinc Washers were used for this tutorial.
Line up the washers using the plate outline as a guide.
Step Three: Glue on the top layer of washers.
Place a couple drops of glue on the bottom layer of washers, as shown above, and lay a second layer of washers on top, as shown below.
Once the washers are in place and glued, let them dry for 24 hours before handling.
Only the top layer of washers are glued in place – which holds the entire plate charger together.
Note: A few different glues were tested and since the washers do have some weight to them, Gorilla Super Glue works the best.
Step Four: Paint the plate chargers.
Painting is not necessary, but it does produce a finished look. In the photo above the top has been lightly sprayed with the satin nickel paint and the bottom is the raw metal.
The candle plates are put together using the same basic technique as the plate chargers.
Materials Needed:
- Wax Paper
- Candle Holder
- 1/4 Inch Flat Washers
- 5/16 Inch Flat Washers
- Super Glue
- Krylon Colormaster Spray Paint – Satin Nickel
Additional Supplies Needed:
Make an outline of the candle holder on a piece of wax paper.
Lay out the bottom layer of washers. For the candle holder two rows of 1/4 inch flat washers were used.
Glue on the top layer of washers. Smaller 5/16 inch washers were used for this candle plate however you can get creative with any combination of sizes.
Paint as desired.
To finish each place setting I picked up a few fender washers. A letter stamping set, like this one from True Value was used to customize each washer and add a festive touch to the table.
Materials Needed:
Additional Supplies Needed:
The process to stamp washers is incredibly easy. Simply place the metal washer on a hard surface (a concrete floor works best), place the letter stamp in the desired space and hammer the shank.
To darken the letters, color over them with a sharpie then immediately wipe with a soft cloth. The cloth will remove any access marker so don’t worry about coloring outside of the lines.
For this tablescape simple white dinnerware was used on top of the metal plate chargers.
To compete the setting the stamped washers were tied onto a fresh pine cutting with a piece of ribbon.
With the variety of spray paint options the plate chargers can be quickly transformed to fit any color scheme or theme.
The place setting washers can be stamped with a multitude of holiday messages or even the inpidual names of your guests.
Instead of traditional floral arrangements, layered pine cuttings from the yard were used to line the center of the table. The handmade candle plates topped with the glass hurricanes were then nestled into the pines.
I love the ambiance of candle light at the table.
Each hurricane was filled with pinecones and flameless candles.
Simple, festive and unique.
Happy Entertaining, By Stephanie Lynn.
