The $25 tablescape challenge: Debi Traub's winter wonderland design combines fresh and faux elements
The dessert does double duty as decor in this stunning scene
A little creativity can go a long way when you're entertaining, which means you can definitely set a delightful scene on a budget. We challenged a few creatives to share their ideas and show us how they'd decorate their dinner party tables for $25 or less. They were allowed to use their existing servingware, table linens and any food that was part of the meal — but the rest is all "tablescape."
Debi Traub is a photographer, stylist and founder of Simply Beautiful Eating. She took on the challenge and used her budget to create this woodland-inspired tablescape design. Traub mixed foraged foliage with faux dollar store finds and a very smart hack: she made a show stopping dessert cookie using basic baking ingredients in her pantry that did double duty as decor.
Here's Traub's budget breakdown and her note on how it all came together.
Materials:
- Pinecones and tree branches - free, foraged locally
- Silver spray paint - $1.50
- Pomegranates - $4
- Pack of small bottle brush trees - $4
- Candles - $6
- Faux snow - $1.25
- Pack of 6 small wreaths - $4
- Firefly string lights - $1.50
- Small wooden snowflakes and reindeer decorations - $1.25
- Ribbon - $1.25
Total: $24.75
Here's how Traub said it all came together:
We want all the glitz and glam of a spectacular holiday table — and it can be done on a budget with a few twists here and there. I picked up the supplies for my tablescape at the grocery store, the dollar store and my front yard. I made a fresh table runner using branches and pinecones from an evergreen tree. I styled it by placing the pinecones and pomegranates in and around the runner. To kick up my pinecones, I spray painted them silver to go with my colour scheme. Next, I placed my bottle brush trees and candles, added in a small set of firefly string lights and finished it with a dusting of faux snow.
Each place setting was anchored with [my own] green checkered napkin and topped with a small wreath and a gingerbread cookie that's actually part of the meal, then decorated with small wooden snowflakes and reindeer. To finish it off, I added a small wisp of ribbon at each plate — and done!
