You know how some days, you just KNOW you are going to need to indulge in a nice glass of wine at the end of the day? Well sometimes, I feel like I know that I just need something new and beautiful in my space. It’s all too tempting to stop in a local Home Goods or TJ Maxx and find something I’m sure I’ll love. But if I did that EVERY time this thought occurred to me, well – that would cost a fortune. I truly believe that not everything that looks expensive, has to be expensive, and not everything that is expensive is worth it.

I tell you all this, because I was just in one of those moods. I wanted to fancy-up a space in the house (and I’m obviously on a table decor kick this year!), and I had just hung this new painting I created:

To be honest, the painting is not even remotely close to what I had originally planned on, but that happens with art. Thankfully, I love the outcome. That’s what Bob Ross is talking about with “happy little accidents”.  Unexpectedly, the colors played differently on the canvas in the acrylic pouring I did to create this painting than what I had imagined. After several weeks of gazing at the painting periodically, I really felt this strong sense of “jewel tones” emanating from the piece.

I have been experimenting with acrylic pouring for several years now, and I absolutely love it. It is SUCH a relaxing experience, and it is completely able to scale to the smallest of canvases to the largest pieces of material you can get. Up until this project, I had mostly contained my experiments to traditional canvases, or occasionally glass vases. When I was debating what I should create next for my next acrylic pouring, I thought it would be fantastic to create something to celebrate the new painting. A whole bunch of paint later, I finished a set of placemats with this fabulous marble acrylic pouring finish.

Partially because it came with the set of canvas panels I bought, and partially because I wanted an extra, I ended up with a fifth placemat, which was incorporated into my centerpiece for this table.

Take a look at the finished placemats on their own:

I couldn’t believe it when I was at my local Goodwill, like you do when you are me and are too cheap to go buy full sets of everything at retail price, and found possibly THE most perfect set of napkins to go with this table. Their satin finish is divine with this look, and really helps give a modern jewel tone look, without compromising the focus of the marble.

Between the placemats, the tablecloth, and the napkins, not to even mention the new painting on the wall right nearby, I wanted to make sure the colors were not competing with each other, and the focus remained on the beautiful fluid acrylic paint pourings. With that in mind, I kept the plates simple, and stuck with my favorite go to white plate. Having the larger white plate sandwiched in between the marbled placemats and the color rich napkin was perfect, and broke things up a bit.

To keep the focus on the right elements, I went for a fairly neutral centerpiece. Utilizing the extra marbled canvas panel, layered on top of a mirror serving tray decorated with Swarovski Lucite candles and faux diamond jewels, worked of perfectly. It is an interesting centerpiece, but doesn’t keep your attention so long you don’t notice the beautiful marbled decor throughout the rest of the tablescape.

Needless to say, after this table was finished, my urge for something nice, shiny, and new was satisfied. Plus I got a beautiful table decor design to enjoy, which is completely unique.

As I continue my 2017 challenge to create at least one lovely table design each month, it is really important to me that I keep each design as close to, or ideally below, $50. If it’s over, it’s not the end of the world, but I want to make sure whatever it is I’m buying for this look, is something that can be used again in another table design. Here’s how this look broke down:

• Burgundy tablecloth – had on hand from my dramatic Valentine ’s Day table decor and originally purchased on Amazon
• Dragonfly napkin rings – had on hand
• Satin red napkins – a set of 10 (yeah, TEN pieces) was $3 at my local Goodwill
• Green water goblets – $0.50 each at my local Salvation Army (they were 50% off for being the color of the week)
• Place mats (canvas panels) – bought as a set of 5 at Hobby Lobby for about $8 on sale (they were on sale for 50% off)
• Paint for place mats – had on hand
• Silver tray for centerpiece – had on hand
• Faux diamond jewels – had on hand from my dramatic Valentine’s Day table decor
• Silver tray – had on hand from an old dish rack
• Glass candlesticks – $1 each at my local Goodwill
• Swarovski Lucite candles with silver flecks – were $2 for a set of 4 at my local Boys and Girls Club thrift store

That brings the total for this table set up to about $16!

How awesome is that for a completely unique table decor that is custom tailored to the exact details and colors I wanted? I’d say fantastic! As I always say, think about what you have already, and for what you don’t have: take periodic trips through local thrift shops. You’d be amazed at what you can find. It’s all about being there at the right time to find the perfect score.

If you are interested in seeing how I created these marbled placemats via an acrylic pour, check out THIS VIDEO. I’ve been sharing all my DIYs and tutorials I’ve developed through this challenge, so be sure to check out my channel to discover new ideas.

Don’t forget to pin for future reference:

What do you think about this unique take on placemats? Would you try a project like this for your table?