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Place Card Ideas – Easy but impressive.


Pinecone Place card Holders:

Simply collect pinecones from your yard (or your neighbor's yard) and place a single small card with each guests name on it at their place resting on a folded napkin. It's so simple but still adds a special touch.


Indian Corn Husk Place cards:

Buy Indian corn cobs and just make sure the dried husks are still attached to the top of the cob. With a good black or dark green pen write each guests name on the husk. Place them on each place setting at the table.


"Thankful" Stone Place Cards and Centerpiece:

Buy a bag of smooth creamy river rocks from your local garden center or home improvement store. Write each guests name with a black sharpie pen on a stone and rest them on napkins at each place setting on the table. Fill a large glass bowl or vase with the remaining river stones and a glass of black sharpie pens on a buffet. When guests arrive ask them to write what they are thankful for in one word on a stone (they can do as many as they like)...have the table set with a bamboo or cork runner (or any runner you have) down the center and set patches of moss on top of the runner. Ask guests to place their "Thankful stones" down the center of the tables in and around the moss and then complete the table setting by adding loads of little white votive candles in clear glass holders to create a warn glow. This is a fun idea because the stones double as place cards and it's also a conversation starter that gets people talking at the table about what they are thankful for.


Candle Decorations – Simple ways to spruce up your candlelight.

· Artichoke Candles:

Snip off an 1 ½" of the top of a green or purple artichoke, trim the sharp pointed edges of the outer leaves and cut the base stem so the artichoke will sit on the table. Push open the leaves at the top with a fork and nestle in a votive candle with about ¾" of the candle sticking out on top of the artichoke. Place several of them down the center of the table for a centerpiece or incorporate them with another centerpiece. The next day you can cook the artichokes so they don't go to waste!

· Cinnamon stick candle:

Take a low pillar candle and stick two rows of clear double stick tape around it. Then surround the candle with whole cinnamon sticks placed vertically side-by-side (The tape will keep them in place just long enough for you secure them with a ribbon). Tie a rust orange satin ribbon around the candle to secure cinnamon sticks and nestle in a sprig of fresh rosemary at the knot of the ribbon. This fragrant candle is wonderful for your table but is also great on a side table in the living room or entryway. This also works well substituting small twigs instead of cinnamon sticks or even brightly colored fall leaves wrapped around the candle in place of the cinnamon sticks.

· Ribbon Pillar Candles:

A fast way to dress up plain pillar candles is to wrap the candle first with a wide ribbon, about 3" wide and it can be solid satin or grosgrain ribbon or a plaid ribbon with rich fall colors. Then secure that wide ribbon with a narrow ¼" ribbon and a single knot and nestle in a sprig of wheat, or dried grass at the knot.


Centerpieces

· White Pumpkin Centerpiece over a Woven Ribbon Cloth Cover:

Place a table protector or mat on your dining table and set your tablecloth over it. Buy rolls of ribbon in various widths and in all different rich fall colors. Cut several long pieces of ribbon the same width and length of your tablecloth. Lay out the ribbons one at a time length ways and width ways and spaced apart on the tablecloth about 5"-7". You will to basically be weaving the ribbons over and under each other until you have a large woven ribbon pattern that goes on top of your tablecloth. Secure the ribbons at the edge of the table by pushing straight pins (with the small colored heads), through the ribbon, through the tablecloth and into the table protector or mat. For the centerpiece set out all white pumpkins and gourds in various sizes, and weave in pepper berry vines between them and then place tons of glass white votives in and around all the pumpkins. They will reflect a light, glowing white candlelight and be a wonderful contrast to the bright woven ribbon runner tablecloth.


· Fall Feather Swags and Centerpiece:

Group together magnolia leaves, pepper berries and pinecones, they can be wired together or you can simply arrange them together on the table in three places; one large grouping in the center and two smaller "swags" on either end. Once they are arranged on the table insert some brown, and tan feathers, long and medium lengths, into the groupings. You could also add in sprigs of dried wheat or sea grass. The feathers add texture and visual interest as well as a modern element. You can also use eggplant colored felt runner under the centerpiece and swags for an extra hit of contrasting color.


· Modern Fall Table Bowls:

This can be for those people doing an updated Thanksgiving; it's a sleeker look but still adds some pizzazz and texture to your table. Just fill low glass or silver bowls with baby artichokes, acorns, and polished stones (you can also use pinecones or moss). Intersperse natural vines between the bowls on the table and add lots of white votive candles. It's full of great texture and the green adds color and life to the table.


· Quick and easy Leaf Garland:

This is a great activity for kids that gets them involved in the Holiday décor. Send them out into the yard to gather lots of dried fall leaves that still have the stems on them. Have them attach the stems of the leaves to ¼" chocolate brown or dark green ribbon with small gold brass paper clips. Hang this simple fall garland over a mirror, fireplace, or even attach it to a chandelier over the dining room table. Kids love to admire their own handy work and feel involved!


· White Pumpkin Vase:

Cut open a 5"-6" opening of a medium sized white pumpkin and scoop out the pulp from the inside. Place a small vase, plastic cup or tall quart tupperware inside the pumpkin and fill with water. Then add bright colored lilies or flowers, fall leaves, and twigs. The contrast of bright fall colors against a gleaming white pumpkin is really beautiful!


· Natural Fall Runner Centerpieces:

Buy a few long narrow trays that fit under a window box planter at your local garden store or home improvement store. Line the bottom of the trays with a layer of greenery or moss. Layer pomegranates, pears and pinecones on top of the greenery then place pillar candles in varying heights between them...garnish the rest of the tray with uncracked nuts, acorns and kumquats. Place them down the center of your table to add color and warm candlelight for your meal and then they can later be re-used by setting them along the top of your fireplace mantle for instant yet dramatic décor.


About Libby Langdon

Libby Langdon is an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV's "Small Space, Big Style." She appeared in the first two seasons and recently completed taping seasons three, four and five.

In 2003 Libby founded Libby Interiors and has completed numerous commercial and residential design projects all over the east coast. To compliment her interior work Libby has begun designing her own furniture pieces which can be seen in several of her projects.

Libby's skills were called upon to orchestrate the interior design for New York City's La Masseria, which was recently voted as one of the top ten new restaurants in the United States by Esquire. Working closely with the owners, she was involved from the outset in all design aspects of the restaurant, from working with the architect and builders to designing the logo.

Libby designed the interior décor of the flagship store for famed Italian designer Massimo Bizzocchi in New York's trendy Meatpacking District.. Massimo was so impressed by her work he recently commissioned her to design the Massimo Bizzocchi showroom on Fifth Ave.

Libby's designs always express the style of her clients and are frequently covered in national publications. Most recently, Libby has designed private residences in New York's Sagaponack and Southampton as well as an apartment in New York City. She recently designed the Rhode Island ocean front home of PGA golfer Brad Faxon, a residence in Austin, a loft in Providence and is currently working on a private residence in Dallas, TX. She was also invited last summer to be one of the featured designers of the Hamptons Cottages and Gardens 2006 Idea House in Watermill, NY where she designed a stunning guest suite.

Libby is a regular contributor to the nation's top daily papers with designing, food and entertaining ideas. She has been featured in numerous national shelter magazines and her interior designs recently appeared on the covers of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens and Decorating Spaces . She is also a regular contributor and a small space expert to Decorating with Style, other Woman's Day special interest magazines, and she is columnist for VOX Magazine in the Hamptons.

A High Point, North Carolina native, Libby spends her time between New York City and Sag Harbor, New York

Source: Westin Rinehart

CONTACT: Tara C. Silver, tara@westinrinehart.com, 202.466.1396
2001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20006


Website: www.libbylangdon.com