Answer honestly: when was the last time you set your dining room table that wasn’t for a holiday?
As a visual person, sitting down at a plain basic table day after day drives me crazy, but sitting at the same table with the same decor all year-long possibly drives me even MORE crazy. And those of you who have been part of the community for some time, or those that frequent my other blog, Unique Pastiche Events, know that I am a sucked for beautifully themed decor. Life is too short to sit at a plain and basic table, people!
Just recently I’ve challenged myself to step up my home table decor game. It’s so easy to get lost on Pinterest with millions of great ideas for your holiday table, or that of a major wedding or party, and completely overlook your everyday home table.
My challenge: to create a home table look each month, for a reasonable amount of money. I’m thinking less the $50 per look. I want the tablescape to be able used the whole month, if possible, but I am especially trying to be mindful of re-purposing things I buy, and reusing them in future looks. I’d hate to buy something to only use it for a short amount of time and never look at it again.
So with the challenge in mind, here is my first table decor design for January:





This table decor is inspired by Pantone’s 2017 color of the year, Greenery. With this color in mind, I wanted to create a modern, greenery infused table decor design that was simple, and not too over the top. Something fresh, clean, with a slightly modern touch. And because it’s me, and I can’t call it complete without a little shimmer and shine to it, I’ve incorporated a pair of metallic, vinyl finished place mats to complete the look. Here are some more images of the final look:

To keep things cost effective, I scoured my local thrift shops and clearance racks to find all the right elements. Here’s what everything cost:
- Black and White Teacups – a set of 3 was 99 cents at Goodwill
- Green Vase – was $1.99 at Goodwill
- Black Ceramic Salad Plates – a set of 4 pieces was $1.50 at Goodwill (was on sale as the color of the week)
- Greenery Main Plates – a set of 2 pieces was $2.99 at Goodwill
- Green Flower Dessert Cups – a set of 3 pieces was 99 cents at Goodwill
- White Tablecloth – was $12.59 on Amazon
- Black Ribbon Wrapped Napkin Rings – were made with on hand ribbon and wooden craft rings purchased on Amazon for $10.99 for a set of 30 pieces
- Silk White and Green Floral Stem for Centerpiece – was on sale at Michael’s for $4.99
- Black Napkins – set of 6 pieces for $7.99 on Amazon
- Metallic Vinyl Placemats – on clearance at Kohl’s for $2.69 each
This makes the total cost of this beautiful table decor for two about $34. I’d bet that you have some of these items already in your inventory, like a tablecloth, or maybe a suitable set of napkin rings which would help bring the cost of this look down quickly.
Want to make your own ribbon wrapped napkin rings, like the ones pictured?
I filmed a quick tutorial on how I created these ribbon wrapped napkin rings. They are SO easy to do, insanely cheap, and have limitless possibilities and finishes. Watch how I made this napkin rings and see other variations:
Don’t forget to pin this DIY napkin ring tutorial for future reference!

What do you think about this challenge? What’s on your table this month? Are you excited to see more?
Linked up with: Rattlebridge Farm
This is a neat idea!
I absolutely adore this!! I especially love the black and “greenery” was it? 😀 And, the minimalistic approach to the plates!