Tea Party Table Decorating

I've tried several times this last week to sit down and write a post or two, but had no patience for the slow Internet service we have here.  I apologize for the impatience, but I've been busy getting things ready for decorating and hosting a table at our church's Ladies Spring Tea.  

I may have done my table a lot different than most of the traditional tables, but I really liked it and I enjoyed being just a little different.  Here's what my table looked like.  I wanted to do burlap, white and glass themed.  I had a burlap sack that I planned to make into a table runner anyway, so this gave me an excuse to make it and get yet another item out of scrap pile!  I picked the bag up for only $3 at a rummage sale.  I bought 4, and wished I could buy more, but just didn't have the budget! I have already sold a table runner at a fall craft show so have made my money back for the 4 sacks.

 This place setting was why I volunteered in the first place.  I bought 8 place settings of the grape plates and cups at a different garage sale about 5 years ago with the intent to do a tea of some sort, but haven't.  I finally got to use them.  I only paid $4 for all 8 settings.  The napkins were linen ones that I picked up at another sale for only $.10 each!  I re-used twine from Christmas gifts my Mom wrapped all her gifts with two years ago.  I folded the napkins with a Flower Basket Fold found at Between Naps on the Porch. (Don't you love blogs?  You can learn so much!)

I made little collars for cans of herbs using leftover burlap and different blue stitches on my sewing machine.  My daughter helped me tie white ribbon with a blue button around the burlap.  We just wanted a hint of blue on the table, since our teapots were white with blue.

I took more twine and tied them around mason jars of all types and sizes.  I filled the bottom with salt and added a tea light.  Even though it was daylight, I think the candles really added to the table.  Oh - the cost of salt was $1.50.

I did buy some of the herbs at $1.49 for 3 of them, but I will used them all.  In the middle of the table, I used a glass bowl upside down with a glass platter to give some height to the candles and plants.  I also set some of the plants on upside down glass bowls and sundae cups that I bought for $.20 each at a thrift store.  The total cost of my table was $11.17, of which, $4.47 I would have spent on the plants anyway!

It was so much fun to see what everyone decorated their tables with and I really enjoyed putting mine together!  I will be sharing soon how I made the table runner, and possibly even listing it in my Etsy Shop soon!

I will be linking to those blogs on the right for sure this week, so check them all out!