"fancy" table cloths

First off, I want to apologize for the wrinkled state of everything in the pictures.

I had every intention of taking pictures of the table as it was set, and before we sat down to eat Thanksgiving dinner.  It didn't happen, however.  I was running around finishing up the meal and being asked a thousand different questions by people trying to help, and I completely forgot until we had all started eating.

So, I set a table back up today (minus the dishes) so that you could see the table cloths I made for the big meal this year.

But that's real life, right?

So, without further ado, here it is:

I have nobody with any kind of expertise to back me up, but I'm going to declare myself an expert because this is the Internet, and you can do that right? 

In my opinion, making a table look expensive/fancy is less about expensive fabric and more about layers.

Just like the layered look is "in" when it comes to fashion, I'm going to venture out and say that it's "in" for table decor, as well.

So, all of my fabrics are some kind of cotton.  That way they can be easily laundered (because we eat dinner with little people, and little people {and I} make messes.)

The white table cloths are one large rectangle, which I measured to go floor to floor on the table I would be using.

The yellow squares are 45" by 45" and simply serged around the outside.  I placed them on the table overlapping in the middle with a corner hanging off each of three sides.

Finally, the table runner is long enough to run the length of the table and hang half way down the ends of the table to the floor (at the point.)  I then added a tassel for an extra touch, which the 3-year-old troublemaker loved and declared her best friend because she had to hold it in her hand and stroke it gently the rest of the day.

I topped the whole thing off with the candle jars I made . . . oh, and dishes, of course.

Once again, I tried to make things cost efficient by using colors that can be reused, like white underneath, and the red table runner for Christmas.  All I'll have to do is make some new squares in green!

candle jars

I'm not a "Martha Stewart" type of girl . . . don't get me wrong, I think her stuff is beautiful.  I just don't have the time, energy, or budget to attempt even half of the stuff she would for a Thanksgiving meal.  I'm a firm believer that less is more.

With that in mind, my husband and I are hosting his family for Thanksgiving at our house.  I've been pretty excited to put a little extra work in and make some new table cloths, table runners, and center pieces.

Hmm . . . centerpieces.  There are so many beautiful ideas out there, but we have to keep in mind that I'm a minimalist and I don't have a ton of resources at my fingertips.

Would you like to see what I came up with?  Of course you would because it's the day before Thanksgiving, and anything I possibly did as a centerpiece, you would still have time for, if you wanted:

Drumroll, please:

Candle Jars!!

This idea was inspired by an idea I saw at Crazy Domestic for Halloween which involved making Monster Jars.  The only real changes I made were to increase the amount of laziness put into the craft by simply not putting the faces on the outside.

I decided on red, yellow, and green to represent fall leaf colors.  (The Wal-Mart by my house didn't have orange or brown tissue paper.)

I also thought this made them more versatile since I can use the red and green when Christmas comes around in two days, and I can make more in a variety of colors for Easter, 4th of July, baby showers, birthdays, etc.

I prefer to light them with candles,

but I spray painted the lids silver just in case I ever decide to use white Christmas lights to light them instead.  (The lid snuffs the candle out if you put it on while lit.)

This was a simple project that took less than 2 hours total, although there was waiting time in between coats of Mod Podge, so jump in!  You still have time, if you hurry!