The holidays are coming, I repeat the holidays are coming!! But I probably didn’t have to tell you that since Halloween is next week, and the Hallmark channel is already kicking off the weekend with Christmas movies, and well you know I’ll be watching. The holidays are a special time, especially this year more than ever. But coming up with a look for your party that is both pretty and meaningful can be a challenge, where do you even begin?
There are so many beautiful ideas, how can I just pick one style? My trick, allow one inspirational photo or item to truly inspire you. Maybe it’s certain flowers, or the color of a dress, a place setting or even a pretty laces tablecloth. A tablecloth can do amazing things when creating the perfect tablescape, no matter the season, and when the holidays are here is the perfect time to bring out your special or family heirloom pieces.
Last May, Wayfair rounded up some awesome bloggers to on their tip sto guide you through your tablescape creation process, and of course share their pretty table for each season of the year. Since it’s Autumn once again, I thought I’d revisit their post and share a bit of last year’s organic and soft metallic Thanksgiving tablescape, along with my answers to their tablecloth care questions. But make sure you read all the great advice from my fellow bloggers here, I’m sure one of their ideas is sure to get you even more excited to decorate for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays ahead.
When Thanksgiving’s main focus and effort is spent on the meal, I wanted to create a tablescape that was organic and natural; one that could easily be put together using items we already had at home. I’ve been fortunate to have accumulated several family heirloom linens over the years, and I wanted to showcase several different textural pieces in the same color palette. Keeping the table light with just a few hints of color from the florals and accent pieces, I chose a white cotton cloth for the base, ivory lace squares in the center, and several natural linen runners.
What’s your favorite color for tablecloths in the fall?
When the days become shorter and nature less bright, my fall entertaining go-to tablecloth would have to be a natural linen. Its soft, light hue isn’t as harsh as white and showcases the subtle brown tones of the season.
Do you wash and tumble dry your tablecloths, or do you hand wash and hang dry them?
Determining how to wash your linens ultimately depends on its fabric and delicateness. For natural linens and cotton cloths, I’ll spot clean any stains, wash on a delicate cycle, and dry on a rack. For lace or more precious heirloom fabrics, I’ll spot clean and then allow them to soak in a plastic bin with cold water and dish soap. These pieces I always rinse by hand and let dry naturally on a rack.
What’s a tip you have for getting stains out of your tablecloth?
Over the years planning events, I’ve dealt with my fair share of stained linens. Store bought stain removers work great for common stains, but when it comes to red wine or coffee, a bit of work is required. Skip the stain removers and dab the stain as much as possible first, don’t rub! Wet the stain slightly, sprinkle with a generous amount of baking soda, allow it to sit for a few hours, and wash on a delicate cycle or by hand. For white linens, nothing removes stains like white vinegar; it’s magic! Simply drizzle on the stain or allow the entire piece to soak in a mixture of two parts water and one part white vinegar.
If you do a lot of entertaining during the holiday season who know the importance of taking good care of your tablecloths and linens, so make sure you keep my tried and true tips on hand!
And don’t forget to get inspired by all the pretty details from this organic and soft metallic Thanksgiving tablescape and even learn all about Place Setting Etiquette!
Happy holiday entertaining season!
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