Black Halloween Details & Place Setting 101 : Casual Table

We’re keeping things on the extremely low cost of styling a holiday table, because we know we’re already shelling out the big bucks for the main attraction, the food!  The holidays are the time to use the better stuff, and luckily spend more, but making family meals for a small or large group does cost money. Which is why when it comes to the holidays, and deciding a centerpiece and tablescape I always look to items I already have for inspiration. With the exception of fresh flowers, candles and a few small, but cheap, seasonal additions.You know I love a good DIY repurposing job, paint does wonders, so I always give a few items, usually of lesser value, a fresh new color. Over the years of collecting items for parties and personal desires, I’ve curated a diverse collection of vases, candle holders, tapers, signs, and linens that can work for any holiday or season.

A big tip, when buying home decor items, don’t impulse buy, as hard as Target makes it for us. Before buying the first pretty thing you see, consider this before, is it very trendy or different than your normal style, like a rose gold geometric block, do you see yourself using this at several holidays or celebrations, can these be used or transformed to fit different looks…If you can get good use of home decor pieces, they’re pretty and functional, then what are you waiting for, snatch it up it’s totally worth it.

Then there’re those moments when craft and decor stores kick off crazy good sales to get a current holiday items out of the store, like Halloween and Fall, to make room for approaching holidays, like Christmas. I’m looking at you Michaels. I can’t tell you how many of the items in my supplies, were bought during huge discounts, like everything I pretty much got this year for my Halloween and Thanksgiving tablescapes. Let’s kick things off with the first of the holiday stylings and a Casual Place Setting…In general, my rule of thumb for setting a table, along with making sure there are proper plates, glasses and utensils for all the dishes you plan to serve, is to keep the look of the table in line with what you want the gathering to feel like. For example, if you’re inviting people over for a casual Halloween pizza or pasta dinner, then stick with your daily dinnerware, fun glasses that will work for both water and wine. Keep utensils fuss free, only setting what will be needed.

The table setting helps to create the mood of your dinner or celebration before your guests even begin their night and meal. You can really get your guests excited with great music playing in the background, and fun festive and spooky details waiting for them on the table.

I fell in love with these black glittered and shiny rose gold skeleton paper cutouts I found at the craft store, and knew they’d make the most perfect, and super simple, place card for each setting. When setting the table up for a casual dinner, remember just that, keep things casual and effortless. Serve up food from your kitchen island to allow for mingling or family style along your moody candlelit table.

On a real note, are you big into Halloween? Personally, it’s not a holiday I put too much energy into, I save that for Christmas, yet I still enjoy dressing up and being a bit festive. I think Jack-o-Lanterns are the coolest, especially if hand carved, a few scattered on the lawn lit at night are the extent of my outdoor decorating. Halloween can totally be styled in a sophisticated and cool way.

This year I was inspired by black taper candles. Since I wanted to keep this same centerpiece and tablescape mostly in tact for Thanksgiving, I wanted to include Halloween details that were simple and could easily be swapped for Thanksgiving. It’s amazing how just a swaps and a bit of black the mood becomes darker and spookier perfect for Halloween.

Isn’t this black glittered pumpkin the prettiest? I picked up along with metallic faux pumpkins at Michaels. I painted a real one in a high gloss black spray, and spontaneously left one side unpainted. How cool does the splattered, marbled effect look. A project that took me a minute to do! Calligraphy pumpkins are my favorite, of course some spooky sayings had to make its way onto the table. Along with one special skeleton cup, filled to the brim with these addicting, dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

These dark chocolate peanut butter cups are f***ing fantastic. Yes, I said it. If you’re a chocolate lover or peanut butter fanatic, this is going to blow your mind!! Okay maybe I’m being dramatic, but they are seriously so delicious. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for this super easy, super decadent and delicious recipe for dark chocolate peanut butter cups!

Are you getting into the Halloween spirit? Plans to dress up? I’m still debating what I’m going to be this year, if I do anything, but I know I’ll get watching movies, eating peanut butter cup a la candle light….