DIY Thanksgiving Table

Thanks for the dining room love! We celebrated with a little DIY Thanksgiving in that very dining room last week, and it was so much fun to set the mood in a new space.
DIY Thanksgiving Table
DIY Thanksgiving Table
 
DIY Thanksgiving Table
 
DIY Thanksgiving Table
 
DIY Thanksgiving Table
 
The flowers were from the local market (no driving to get anything fancier in snow and ice). I usually go for a tighter, more formal floral arrangement, but this year I went quite loose, all Studio Choo-style. The “vases” are actually tin cans that held tomatoes last week. They are wrapped with bark sheets, cut to size and tied with string (wrap it around several times and knot). Simple. The votives are actually leftovers from a recent wedding my friend Christiane designed the flowers for. Just a little green moss and rafia tied around. So simple and pretty, especially sweet because they were made by a good friend. The kids made place cards from Perler beads, after a rather lazy crafting debaucle spelling out all our initials with pipecleaners (unreadable and well, just weird).
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There was some Flickr talk the other day about using Vanilla Milkshake/white walls with white trim (scroll down the comments), and still creating visual interest, and not a stark, padded cell effect. Choosing paint is never easy for us, so I know the worry well. I wasn’t even sure about the Vanilla Milkshake, but I knew it would contrast well with the wood trim and ceiling beams and nothing else really stood out for me. But use my blog header as a example of how to contrast walls with white trim. That photo was shot at my friend Barb’s house, right on her living room mantle. She chose a white for the tons of beautiful wide trim, crown molding, etc that’s throughout the house, but painted the walls a slight gray shade. I thing the effect is perfect.

13 Comments
  • emily

    November 29, 2010 at 5:36 am

    our living room/dining room (all of the public space on the main floor of our home, in fact) are painted a color (wish i could remember the name) that’s closer to earl-grey-tea-with-plenty-of-milk, and we have white woodwork everywhere too. i love the subtle contrast. and i find it quite warm, actually.
    and i love your table too! those flower arrangements just say “abundance” to me.

  • samantha

    November 29, 2010 at 7:39 am

    We tried to do light walls but after a while I had to switch to more color. But I love how it comes out in your photos. The birch vases look great.

  • Erin | house on hill road

    November 29, 2010 at 7:57 am

    i’ve been waiting to see how the kids managed with your no paper challenge – awesome!
    and i know what you mean about the whites – i just have to figure out what is going to work without having to repaint the trim in the two rooms i’m thinking about.

  • blair/wisecraft

    November 29, 2010 at 8:29 am

    I am fond of any paint that’s tea-like in its color, esp. Earl Gray. Sounds perfect to me.

  • blair/wisecraft

    November 29, 2010 at 8:30 am

    I know what you mean Samantha. We did color for years, never even considered any shade of white actually. This is a new way of thinking for us.

  • blair/wisecraft

    November 29, 2010 at 8:31 am

    Erin, you should have seen the mess the kids made with the pipe cleaner initials! I appreciated the effort, cause all the initials were there, but geez!
    Emma will be mailing out her first pen pal pkg this week!

  • Molly Irwin

    November 29, 2010 at 8:59 am

    I love the mossy wrapped candles and birch bark! Happy belated Thanksgiving, Blair.

  • Sarah

    November 29, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    So pretty! At the risk of sounding ignorant and ridiculous, I must ask where does one get birch bark? I don’t have birch trees. And doesn’t it hurt the tree to take bark off? How does this work?

  • blair/wisecraft

    November 29, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    Thank you Sarah. I have bought my bark (which, I actually don’t know if its birch or not) from the wholesale flower market here in town, but I was told by someone they thought Michael’s had it, and you can also order bark sheets online. I am not aware that this hurts the tree in anyway, and may possibly even come off of cut logs. I’ve never fully researched it. Hope that helps.

  • Gretchen

    November 30, 2010 at 5:21 am

    Such a beautiful table!

  • Alicia P.

    December 1, 2010 at 9:14 am

    Absolutely gorgeous table, B. And we are painting everything pale gray (i.e.: lighter) here too — I totally agree about the PNW having the same lighting issues that Scandinavia does — even worse, we don’t have snow to reflect any light. We get MUD. xoxoxox, a

  • blair

    December 1, 2010 at 10:01 am

    Hi A! Isn’t it true?? Mud mud mud.
    Hey, I’m thinking about you and your winter village. I’m dragging my feet on getting out Christmas? Is yours up?
    Miss you!
    xo,
    B

  • suzanne

    December 6, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    So gorgeous!!!! You’re table looks lovely….and who knew Perler beads could spell sophistication?!? 🙂

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