Fill a vase with a large bundle
of tall feathers in lieu of flowers or branches, placing it in the center of
your dining table, on your side buffet or hutch, or on the coffee or end table. Hang an alternative to a wreath made of
leaves or vines by creating your own feather wreath. Use a styrofoam wreath ring as your base, and
hot glue layer upon layer of feathers, completely covering the base and
fashioning a full and fluffy end result.
Add a peacock feather to each place setting by tucking one into each
folded napkin or affix one to each place card for your family’s Thanksgiving
feast.
Use slim ribbon strands in a
print, pattern, or shade that matches your table’s décor, and wrap them around
mini pumpkins, gourds, large acorns, or pinecones. Secure one end over the other with some
double sided tape. Fill a large glass
pedestal bowl with your collection. As
an alternative to dressy napkin rings, tie a ribbon strand around your gathered
cloth napkin at each place setting. Or
fold each napkin to create a pocket for your silverware, placing a napkin on
the charger at each place setting, wrapping each in ribbon. You could add a decorative embellishment to
the center of the piece of ribbon like a button, small fall leaf, or dried
berry using a spot of hot glue. For a
casual table runner, run different widths and patterns of ribbon down the
center of the dining table. You could
also run cross sections of ribbon across the width of the table connecting the
place settings across from each other, generating a stylish grid system.
Soften the season with feathers
and ribbons to enhance your autumn style.
You may just find the smooth touches add another dimension to warm your
home from your doorstep to your dining room.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 6th.
