Even though the holidays are over, there are still many opportunities for families to host gatherings inside their homes. Whether it’s celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, personal achievements, or even a simple get-together, it is important for hosts to prepare for these gatherings. One way to do this is by tablescaping or setting tables for special occasions.
In an episode of Teach With Joy on Plus Network, author, wife, and homeschooling mom Joy Mendoza talked about tablescaping for Christmas when celebrating the holidays inside your home. In another episode, Mendoza gave other themes of tablescaping that can be done at any time of the year which you can try at home: the tropical theme and rustic theme tablescapes.
Tropical Theme
While a tropical-themed table is more colorful compared to other themes, as it is reminiscent of an island or beach to give guests the feeling of being on a relaxing vacation and in paradise. There are several elements that are needed to complete the tropical-themed tablescaping, such as colorful flowers and fruits. The fruits serve a dual purpose, as they not only add color to the table but can also be eaten by the guests.
As with the Christmas tablescaping, Mendoza says that hosts can improvise to enhance the table’s tropical look, such as using empty coconut shells and repainting it with a cream color to turn it into a vase. The flowers are also important to complete the tropical theme, and can be bought at reasonable prices at the Dangwa flower market in Manila. Green leaves, meanwhile, can be used not just in tropical landscapes, but also in other themes, and help enhance your table’s look when there aren’t a lot of flowers.
Creating different themes for your table, however, doesn’t always mean buying everything, as there are some things that can be reused. In Mendoza’s tropical-themed table, for instance, the glasses and some of the cutlery were recycled from other themes. Wooden cups and saucers, meanwhile, would also fit in the tropical theme as it feels earthy and grounded. Aside from reusing things from your home, you can also borrow things like vases and cutlery from friends and neighbors to avoid spending a lot.
Even the folding napkins can be used to add to the table’s tropical look, which can be done by putting green leaves to add splashes of color. Mendoza notes that it’s important that the flower arrangement and vases on your table be on different levels to add layers and variety to your tablescape. Green leaves can also be used to serve as placemats to complete the table’s tropical look. These are simple things that you can add to your table, but when combined, they can give the feeling of being in a jungle or beach, on vacation far from home, which your guests will surely appreciate.
Rustic Theme
If the tropical-themed tablescape has a colorful look, the rustic-themed has a simpler, more natural, and rugged look. A rustic-themed table can be used for less formal gatherings compared to other themes, as you can even make use of old tables for your tablescaping. A rustic-themed tablescape also has a lot of texture, a more earthy color palette, and warm tones. Unlike the other tablescape themes, it doesn’t have to look perfect.
As with other tablescape themes, hosts can also improvise to enhance the rustic look of their table. For instance, in Mendoza’s tablescape, an ordinary squash is painted with a cream color so that it fits with the rustic theme. Hosts can also borrow decorations from friends and neighbors, such as the wooden balls that were used in Mendoza’s tablescape, which also complimented the table’s rustic theme.
Meanwhile, the flowers in the rustic theme have a different look from the flowers in the tropical-themed tablescape, as they have more dried leaves, flowers, and can even be small plants like succulents, which can be used in your house. Other elements of the table which can be reused or borrowed are goblets, napkin holders, candles, and even golden cutlery. For this theme, the vases and flower arrangements also need to have different heights. By combining all these different elements, you can give your table an organic feel and complete the rustic look that you want to achieve.
Mendoza reminds us that we don’t have to spend that much to achieve a tropical or rustic theme for the tables in our homes. Reusing and borrowing things from can be done to avoid buying more things while still creating these beautiful tablescapes. Tablescaping is also a collaborative effort and can be a bonding activity for family members and friends, which will make it a more enjoyable experience. For more tips for the home, you can watch episodes of Teach with Joy or visit Plus Network on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
