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DIY: Paper Wedding Table Settings

CasaSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Preston Bailey is one of the world's premiere event designers, known for his elaborate tablescapes, whose theatric designs have festooned the events of Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers, and Donald Trump. You can catch a glimpse of some of those looks in his latest book, Celebrations ($37). But thanks to a new project by Bailey, his table settings needn't be something you can only read about in his book - or on Page Six. The Wedding Bell, one of the table settings in his book, which is also one of the most cost-effective, is made entirely out of paper. The look proves that you don't need an extravagant flower budget or a wedding planner to have stunning décor. Of course, you have to be crafty and prepared for a DIY. If you're up for the challenge, Bailey has put together a complete how-to guide and resource manual for you to create "the Wedding Bell." You can email Bailey to order a copy for yourself at a modest cost. But hurry, there are only 1,000 copies! Head here for more information, and check out more photos below.

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Come Party With Me: Anniversary - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:15:27 -0700

The colors at my parents' wedding 33 years ago were pale green and pink. Thus, I'm incorporating these hues into the decor for their upcoming anniversary party. A picnic table looks sophisticated when covered with a frosty green tablecloth. Keep the servingware simple with white plates, unadorned Champagne flutes, and pink napkins. An elegant cocktail deserves a chic pitcher, so serve in a vase-shaped vessel. Display the carrot cake on a pretty cake stand. We'll arrange several beautiful bouquets of roses - they are my mom's favorite flowers. Printed pool towels add a punch of pattern to the look.

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:08 -0700

Check out Caroline Lubbers' dreamy home.- Design*Sponge
Let's talk greenwashing.- Daily Danny
Buy furniture for you and match it to Fido's.- Shelterrific
Explore some smart ideas for decorating a nursery.- Making it Lovely
Create an elegant, kid-friendly garden.- AT:SF
Would you welcome a tattooed table to your home? - PointClickHome
Make your own wedding invitations.- Craft

Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 06:59:51 -0700

While a baby shower is generally held to celebrate the upcoming birth of an unborn child, they are also thrown to shower gifts on the baby. I consider a baby shower to be the child's "first" birthday. Much like a wedding, guests are asked to bring essential gifts that will aid the parents in their new life with baby. Diapers, bottles, blankets, clothes, and toys can all be incorporated into the look of the baby shower. The theme colors, pale pink and sky blue in my case, should be used as inspiration for the party decor. Although I included the colors in the invitations, I did not work them into the food or drinks, so I definitely want to use lots of pretty pinks and soft blues in the decorations. To see how I'll do it, and to get some cute baby shower ideas, read more

The baby shower I am planning for Naomi Watts is a sit down luncheon, so tables and chairs are a must. Usually you can rent them for the day cheaply at a local party supply store. I like round tables rather than square tables because you get to sit really close together. Make sure you have seating for all of your guests. For example if you have 25 girls coming get 5 five person round tables.
Dress the tables in blue table cloths or simple white ones with pink and blue details. Make centerpieces with vases filled with an arrangement of fresh pink flowers.

Make a diaper cake and place it festively on a table next to the hors d'oeurves. Or make several and use them as the centerpieces on the tables. Likewise make several baby sock bouquetsusing pink and blue socks and place on small tables around the party space.
Instead of using votive holders, place small candles in baby food jars.
Give a baby bath tub as a gift for the mommy-to-be and fill with the punch or with water and floating candles or blown up balloons.

Hang long strands of pink and blue ribbons, or streamers to curtains, mantles, banquets, or trees (if the party is outdoors).
Hang a clothesline across the room and with the pink/blue clothespins, pin baby clothes along the line.

Use pacifiers as napkin rings.
Use inexpensive baby bottles instead of glasses. Cut the tip off of the nipple and place a pink straw inside. Tape a piece of blue paper to the bottom of one bottle and give the guest who chooses this bottle a prize (Starbuck's card, Mac eye shadows, etc).

Tie pretty pink and blue bows using satin ribbon around the space.
Since you asked guests to wrap presents in either pink or blue paper, arrange them in a visible location decoratively to add to the look.
Fill bowls with pink and blue candies, m&m's, and jelly beans.
Don't forget a special throne/rocking chair for the pregnant guest of honor.

How would you decorate a baby shower for Naomi Watts? Share your awesome ideas below!

Table Setting Tips

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 11:58:26 -0800

Creating a beautiful and appealing tablescape is an integral part to any party and should not be overlooked when you are planning the logistics of your event. Often times if one is not throwing a dinner where it is obviously a major player, the table can be left forgotten and sadly unadorned. By following a few helpful hints you can assembe a terrific table setting. The first and most important hint, is to get creative. Use your imagination and artistic abilities. See your table as a blank canvas and yourself as the artist who shall paint a masterpiece. Once I have decided on a theme and color scheme for my party I take a slow walk through my house to see if I can find any objects that can be used to decorate my table. For ideas to inspire your next table, read more

Start with the table cloth. Large pieces of fabric, blankets, tapestries, and scarves can all substitute for the real thing.
Don't get carried away with elaborate floral arrangements and over cluttering candelabra, keep it simple.
If it is a dinner you are planning, the centerpiece should be below eye level.
A decorative place mat, fruit, a small vase filled with fresh flowers, or one to two large candles look elegant when placed at the center of your table.
Rows of varying sized candles in small saucers add mood and greenery cut fresh from the garden bring the outdoors inside.
Mirrors, vases filled with colored balls (or ornaments around the holidays), candies, pine cones, nuts, or water and floating votives make wonderful centerpieces.
Different heights increase dimension.
Offbeat color combinations and jewel tones add style taking your table from everyday to party day.
Try a monochromatic look (example: red) by using various shades (maroon, blood red, burgundy, apple red) and objects of the same color (apples, cranberries, flowers, pomegranates) to tantalize the eye.
Add a shock of vibrant color to a plain white table cloth with brightly colored napkins.
Remember to have a festive and fabulous table one does not need a lot of money. I can't emphasize enough the importance of being creative. Setting your table should be fun rather than a chore and creativity really is the key to making the most out of what you already have in your home.

Here are some table settings I have used in the past to get your creative juices flowing:

For a Moroccan themed dinner I used an elephant print hippie beach blanket I found in Uruguay as the table cloth.
For a friend's wedding I made simple clear votive holders look like flowers by placing several fake red rose petals in a circle underneath the votive.
At a Mexican fiesta I dressed the table with a Mexican blanket and draped Spanish scarves from the chairs.
At Thanksgiving I collected and dried leaves then gave them a shower of gold, champagne, and bronze glitter. Using clear silk nylon string I hung them at different heights from my chandelier for a new take on falling leaves.
For an Argentine World Cup watching party I bought simple white eyelet fabric and sewed on pretty blue satin to hem the edges.
At my Halloween pumpkin carving party I covered my table with an old piece of orange and brown plaid fabric. Next I tossed some hay around for a rustic feel.

Come Party With Me: Engagement Party - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:59:13 -0700

One reason to choose a long engagement after your man pops the big question is so you can have an engagement party. This week I'm planning one for julieulie and her fiancé Scott who recently got engaged, but aren't getting married until Memorial Day 2008. I thought it would be fabulously fun and original to throw a dessert party instead of a typical dinner or cocktail party. Desserts as meals are an up and coming trend, and more and more restaurants that are devoted to only desserts are showing up all over the place.

Julie & Scott's close friends and family have received their invitations to the fiesta that will start on a Saturday night at 8:30. The menu will consist of a dazzling array of divine desserts including brownie cupcakes, strawberry shortcakes, and a cheese and fruit plate. The champagne will flow like water as the invitees toast Julie and Scott's eternal love. I've painted a pretty picture of this party, but what about the decor? To see my romantic, chic, and elegant ideas, read more

A bride that knows what she wants, Julie has already selected the colors of her wedding (light blue, white, and black), so I will use these to guide me in my decorating scheme. No worries if you have yet to decide the colors of your wedding, a simple color scheme of white, black and a bold or metallic accent color will work wonderfully. Likewise, there should be no pressure to stay with these colors if you suddenly change your mind and opt for different colors.

First find the location of the party. Will it be held in the intimate living room at the bride's parents' house or the large, modern kitchen at the groom's aunt's ranch? Walk around the space and envision a party there. Where can guests sit and chat? Where should the buffet be set up? Are there tables/counters for the champagne buckets and flutes? These are the types of questions you should be thinking when you envision your fete.
To adorn the dessert buffet, begin with a long flat table that will be your canvas to create a beautiful presentation of candies, cakes, fruits, and cheeses. Place upside down cardboard boxes and large pots on the table. With an over-sized satin tablecloth, or piece of light blue fabric, cover both the table and boxes/pots pressing the fabric down the sides of the boxes/pots. The look you will achieve is one with various heights and dimensions. Now the platters of brownies can be placed on a square box and the strawberry shortcakes in martini glasses can rest at a different height on a circular pedestal.

Fill small clear bowls with the couples favorite grocery store candies: white m&m's, silver chocolate kisses, blue jelly beans.
Large clear vases in diverse shapes, a few oval, a few square, maybe one triangular, will create a stunning background when filled with water and one simple long stemmed flower such as a white orchid or gardenias. Place the flowers on each end of the buffet tables and on windowsills, banquets, or small coffee tables.

Don't forget small white plates, white napkins, and silver spoons for the dessert table.
Black accents in the form of satin ribbons, velvet pillows, and mesh runners will add a touch of mysterious sophistication.
A glowing and warm atmosphere is necessary and to achieve, so light as many candles, votives, tapers, pillars, and the like as possible. Keep the look uniform with all white candles and black votives and candelabra.

White or light blue tiny Christmas lights can be wrapped around the windows, the rim of the room, or any pillars and columns that enhance the architecture.

Got a decoration idea perfect for Julie's party? Please share it with us below. Tomorrow I'll talk about the appropriate music for an engagement party. Equally important to the look of the engagement party is the correct behavior. If you are attending, hosting, or planning an engagement in the near future, I highly recommend reading DearSugar's tips for proper engagement party etiquette.

PartySugar Behind the Bash: Dining By Design

partysugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:15:33 -0800

On Monday night I was lucky enough to attend a preview of DIFFA's Dining By Design. The fundraising event, sponsored by Elle Decor, invited designers and corporations to create one-of-a-kind installations of dining tables set for dinner and the surrounding room. While the food was practically non-existent, the four floors were filled with over 40 incredible tablescape designs. From the avant garde to the extravagant, each table represented a different design concept. Here are some trends I noticed in table designs:

Table tops made of anything but tables. A piece of a wall, a door, glass, mirrors, even a stove top were some of the objects that replaced the ordinary table top.
If you didn't have an alternative table top, the table was definitely covered. Fur, moss, fabric, and paper were popular choices.

Creative napkin rings. Rope, fake diamonds, strands of stems, and even disco ball reflective mirrors were used instead of your average napkin ring.
Bold prints - paisley, animal, Moroccan - were present everywhere as plate designs, placemats, tablecloths, and chair covers.
Nothing was minimal, everything was over the top and detail oriented.
Interesting chairs were all the rage. The ones with fur were Medieval-esque, while the tree stumps and open hands conversation provoking.
Favors were an important piece of the table setting with books, gift boxes, and candles being the most popular. One table even had a gold fish in a bowl at each seat!

If your looking for inspiration on how to create a gorgeous Thanksgiving table - or wedding table- look no further! Check out a huge gallery of the tablescapes when you read more

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Room Therapy: Mixing Styles With Success

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:45:35 -0700

Hi, Casa!

A friend and I are moving into an apartment together, and we're facing the challenge of decorating and furnishing it. We'd both like to figure out how we can mix vintage, Ikea, and new decorations and furnishings and still make things look good. We have a color palette picked (light green, white, light gray, hints of yellow, and light wood). Any ideas or tips you could give would be great! Thanks!

Tee0206

To see my suggestion, and to leave a suggestion of your own, read more.

Hi Tee,

My house is definitely furnished and decorated with an eclectic mix of pieces as well (we have Ikea chairs around a beautiful, expensive Parsons table, for instance), and I think that most enthusiastic home designers use this same strategy.

I also love the color palette you and your friend are using in your new home. It seems like it will be simultaneously cheerful and meditative, which is a nice combination.

I'm going to direct you to three books that I think are really helpful in mixing styles. The first, though meant for couples, also works great for housemates. The Nest Home Design Handbook has great advice for mixing styles, as well as ways to balance two people's ideas on style and home layout.

Another great resource is written by one of my favorite interior stylists, Selina Lake. Bazaar Style is the perfect inspiration for integrating thrift store finds and flea market furniture into your home. Combine Lake's advice with the inspiration and ideas offered in Found Style, and you'll be well on your way to sorting out your and your friend's combined styles.

Cheers,
Casa

Anyone else have advice for Tee?

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Come Party With Me: Wedding - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:28:31 -0700

The decor of your wedding is what sets the mood for the entire evening, so pay special attention to pretty details and eye catching accents. The color and theme - already seen in the invitation - should be reflected in everything from the tabletop to the ceiling. Elena's wedding will be decorated with an orange, pink, and wood color palette.

Start by covering the table with textured orange tablecloths. Slide pink napkins into wooden rings and place on top of wood chargers. Use the tines of a fork to neatly hold the placecards. Serve everything from beer to water in sleek wine glasses. Hang pink and orange lanterns in various sizes at different lengths from the ceiling. Multiple bloom pink and orange floral arrangements are chic and festive. Romantic lighting is essential to enhance the atmosphere, so light hundreds of white candles.

For more wedding ideas check out check out IDoSugar.

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Come Party With Me: Wedding - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:55:19 -0700

So I know I already said that the food and drinks at a wedding are extremely important but the look (like invite) is what sets the entire mood and atmosphere of the event. How can you have magic or love in the air without a beautiful look? Bright colors are an excellent way to add an element of surprise as guests typically expect pastels and when paired with plain white linens the colors can really pop. Remember centerpieces don't always have to be floral: experiment with unconventional centerpieces such as shallow bowls filled with live fish, hollowed out tree trunks filled with fruit, or nests/wreaths overflowing with berries. Integrate elements of nature into the decor by using coral branches for a sunset beach or green moss to blanket bare soil of a potted centerpiece. Instead of having floral centerpieces wrap wedding favors in pretty paper and stack decoratively in the middle of the table. For the look of Julie's wedding (in black, white, and light blue with art deco accents), read more

My number one piece of advice to brides is to create a look that is original to you and your needs. You don't have to follow traditions, you can imagine a look that is unique to you and your groom to achieve the wedding of your dreams. With that said here are my suggestions for Julie:

Wrap vases in white silk and dangle various sized chiffon ribbons from chairs.
Use votives in different sizes and shapes and top the tablecloths with beaded runners.
Fill fountains or any bodies of water with rose petals, floating flowers, or little candles.

Add height by hanging things from the ceiling, glass crystals or chandeliers.
Top each table with a different floral arrangement relating to the overall color scheme.
Create angles by using square plates and rectangular napkins.
For a stunning art deco inspired display that can greet guests upon arrival to the dining room, hang crystals as garlands from a silver tree.

Chair covers are a must and black satin is chic and formal.
Mirrors add depth and balance.

Got an idea for how Julie should decorate her wedding? Tell her below!

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