Styling Your Dining Table

     

Here are my tips for decorating a beautiful dining table on a budget. I am not an expert yet, but i do think these tips could be helpful.

1. Color scheme/theme. This first step helps you choose your tablecloth, dishes and accessories. When trying to decide on a theme for a table, think about the vibe that you want to give off.

For my dining table, I wanted simple but elegant. The colors for most of my home are teal, emerald green and gold with white to balance it out. On my dining table I used green and gold accents to tie it in with my color scheme.

2. Gather dishware & table dressings. The first place you want to shop is at home. It may sound strange or funny, but it works! When redecorating, I always see what I can use that I already own. (Tip: Simply rearranging and relocating your decor pieces can save loads of money.)  Lucky for me, I found a rather expensive dining set in the garage that a previous tenant left behind.  Also, remember to be open-minded and think outside the box. I used a window curtain as my table runner and it looks lovely.

3. Thrift Stores! Please don’t tell me you’re sleep on thrifting. It’s okay though. I was once in the dark too. Thrift stores have some great finds. If you want some cheap dishes or decor pieces, you’d better head to some of your local thrift stores and garage sales.

Those glasses that are on my table were 50 cent a piece at a garage sale. Those green bottles were plucked from my parents’ recycle bin. Don’t you just love free stuff?? You can also purchase secondhand items through different apps and social media, like LetGo, Varage Sale, and Facebook Marketplace.

If you don’t have all your pieces by now, then you’re going to have to visit the world of retail.  Two of my favorite stores are Kirkland’s and Hobby Lobby.

4. Time to Decorate! This is my favorite part. First you want to start with the base items such as the place mats, chargers, runner, etc. As I mentioned earlier, I used a curtain as a runner. I wanted my runner to be a neutral color and I was on a tight budget. I had an unused curtain that was the perfect color. I folded it to the size I wanted and laid it across the table. BAM! A nice silky table runner. I normally used chargers instead of place mats, but I decided to switch it up for the New Year. I purchased my place mats at a thrift store in Tifton, GA. They have gold detail so it goes with my theme.

Next, you’re going to add your dishware. I normally use white dishes so I rarely have to change them out. The set I found in the garage has gold detailing along the edges (gotta stick with the theme). Those glasses from the garage sale were a last minute decision that turned out looking awesome on my table.

5. Accessorizing! I also mentioned I shopped in a recycle bin. I found three bottles of sparkling grape juice and thought they would look great in the center of my table. I came home and soaked them in water to loosen the labels. Then, I used sand paper to fully remove the entire label. I gather some faux florals from around the house and place one white rose in each bottle. Now my table is complete.

Curtain - $0

Dish set - $0

Bottles - $0

Glasses - $2.50

Place mats - $4

Faux Florals - $0

Total: $6.50

If you have decorated your dining table, send me a picture! I would love to see them.