Theme Party Decor

Halloween
Use a black tablecloth and orange napkins. Scatter fake skeleton bones obtained from party stores on the tablecloth. Use miniature terra cotta pots filled with miniature candy and a insert a ghost marshmallow candy on a stick in the middle.  Write the name of each guest on the pot and this can serve as the place card as well as a take-home favor. 

Thanksgiving
Use an orange tablecloth with multi-color napkins in autumn colors. Use earthenware dishes in muted shades of greens, orange, browns, and golden yellow. Scatter autumn leaves from your yard on the tablecloth or use Leaf Soap Petals. Decorate with dried gourds and miniature pumpkins of different shapes, colors and sizes.  Cut out holes in miniature pumpkins and insert beeswax candles for instant table lighting.  For favors put out a fall leaf cookie cutter.  The cutter comes in a decorated autumn-themed box.  Great favor that is cheap and practical!

Christmas :: Table Setting
Purchase gold paper doilies in two sizes - small coaster size & a size slightly larger than a bread or salad plate. Place a doily between the dinner plate and the bread or salad plate. This way there will be a gold edge on plate. Use the small doily between the cup and saucer. Tie your napkin ring with another gold ribbon and insert a sprig of holly in it as well. Also, by adding a add a gold ribbon to the stems of your water glass and wine goblet. These touches will add a holiday sparkle to any table setting.  Use a white, red or green table cloth to match your china.  Decorate your serving plates with slices of orange and fresh cranberries for the added holiday touch.  Gingerbread cookies with each guests' name can serve as the place card.  Top each plate off with a pine cone pyramid box filled with chocolates.

Christmas :: Center Piece

Make a versatile centerpiece out of clay terra cotta pots.  Get terra cotta pots and trays in various sizes.  Clean them by wiping dirt and dust with a damp terry cloth or rag.  Let dry.  Spread newspaper on the ground.  I usually like doing this in my garage or outside if it's a nice day.  Spray paint the pots and trays in gold.  When they are dry, take a scouring pad or sandpaper and scrub of some paint so it looks aged and some of the terra cotta shows through.  Use a small sponge and dab on some moss green acrylic craft paint randomly on them.  Let it dry.  That's it!  Now arrange from the largest tray, and largest pot, to the smallest tray and smallest pot until you have a pyramid of trays.  Arrange various decorative items on the trays like fruits, grapes, hollies, delicious golden wrapped chocolate, ribbons, cards, etc.  The options are endless and one of my favorite versatile pieces.  

 Valentine's Day
Another pretty favor is burgundy and black satin pillow sachets.  Use a red burgundy table cloth as a backdrop and gold trimmed white plates.   Add red burgundy napkins with gold napkin ring to tie the gold accents.  This is a pretty elegant table setting that can be flexible and easily changed by simply changing the table linens.

St. Patrick's Day
Use a green tablecloth OR use kelly green dishes with a white tablecloth sprinkled with shamrock confetti for kids.  Use large shamrock paper cutouts from party stores as place mats for kids and scatter gold coins on the table for some sparkle.  Let guests decorate their own St. Patrick's day scrapbook page.  Set out  scrapbooking supplies on the table and let guests have fun making their own designs.  It helps to have a few samples on hand for the novices to get a jump start.

 Easter
Use pastel colors - yellow, lilac, pink, blue for napkins, plates and place mats on a white table cloth.  Make edible centerpieces out of waffle bowls.  Take shredded coconut and dye them in various pastel colors, place multi-color dyed hardboiled eggs, marshmallow peeps, and jelly beans in it.  Use strips of flour tortillas as the handle and secure with icing.  Continue to decorate the basket with icing around the edges and handle.  Give out pastel-colored favors like, butterfly baskets with wildflower seed packets.