All Ready for Christmas Dinner…

Merry Christmas, let’s eat!

So here it is, the Crate and Barrel inspired Christmas centerpiece. Beautiful on a Christmas dining table, but could easily be used any time of the year, minus the ‘snow’ and change up the evergreen boughs for something different, like maybe fern leaves, or fall leaves, or even small rocks and pebbles.

I was inspired by the picture in Crate and Barrel’s catalogue.  The picture with cut logs and votives… (see post: “A Little Bit More Inspiration from Crate and Barrel” for the picture).

**Update** Since this centerpiece we’ve moved… twice, but I still have the cut logs and have used them so many times with all different centerpieces and arrangements… I love them!!

Here’s how I (we) did ours:
My husband cut the logs for me, good thing too. I can do many things, but running a chainsaw isn’t on the list. I do have a good friend that has her own chainsaw and uses it, but not this girl. So, “Thanks Honey, they’re perfect!”

Even my husband is getting in the decorating spirit too, as he was clearing branches for firewood, he noticed how nice the pinecones on the branches looked and knew I’d want them. Yep, I for sure do, thank you.

First, I started by laying painter’s plastic on table just in case some of the branches of pine logs pieces leaked a little sap.

Now I arranged the log pieces, varying the heights and widths.

Next I put the different votive holders on the logs. I picked these votive holders up at Tuesday Morning. I love that place, you never know how you’ll be inspired, and what cute treasures you’ll find at incredible prices.

When we were at the grocery store I found these frosty ferns. I had waterproof pots in the shed I wanted to use, and felt I needed more white in the centerpiece, so I cut circles from this all-purpose craft paper and wrapped it over the waterproof wrappers on the ferns.

Then I tied several loops of twine around paper and one loop of this vintage ribbon with metallic silver stars.

This shows the ferns and pine tree boughs placed in the arrangement. I then trimmed back the plastic and it began to snow…

This bag of Frosty Snow has been in our Christmas decorations closet for over 15 years! Finally, I have a use for it. I’m sure this stuff must still be available, but I haven’t looked for it lately, obviously.

Beautiful with the Williams Sonoma’s ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ dinnerware collection my husband gave me for Christmas a few years back.

Gold chargers from Target, and vintage silverplate flatware from a garage sale for $20 complimented by silver painted pinecones for place card holders.

The tip from this is, don’t limit where inspiration can come from. So many things can offer encouragement to be creative, look beyond the surface, and be willing to try it.

Here’s another huge tip: Instead of battery operated votives that you have to continually buy more batteries for. Or worse yet, real candles that are such a hazard! I use these votives, they’re rechargeable and I’ve had them for years and they still work fantastic… flicker and all… so real looking, and no batteries! A little pricey at first, but so worth it to not ever have to replace batteries… batteries aren’t cheap.

Click here to read more Christmas decorating I’ve written about over the years!

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