Fresh ideas for table settings
Design your own floral fantasy and impress your guests with these awesome table setting ideas.
1 Start with your tablecloth
You’ll need a piece of plain fabric (cheese cloth or cotton works well) cut to the desired size, elastic bands and pink fabric dye (we used Lady Dye in the colour Baby Pink). Start by pinching bits of fabric about 30cm from each other so you can tie an elastic band around each bunch. You can tie the bunches closer together; they don’t need to be perfectly measured. You can also add more elastic bands around some of the bunches (towards the tops) for a more detailed pattern. Mix the dye according to the package instructions and dye your fabric for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove all the elastic bands, rinse the fabric until the water runs clear and allow to dry. Leave the fabric creased for a more informal look. Props by Check My China; succulent cupcakes by Tihmily Cakes
2 Up above
Suspending flowers above your table is sure to elevate your teatime décor! Use string or cable ties to attach your bouquet to a chandelier or pendant and display similar flowers in jugs or vases on your table to complement the hanging arrangement.
3 A guiding light
To make a pretty teacup candle, melt regular white candles (about two but it will depend on the size and number of cups) in a pot on the stove. Carefully remove the wicks, cut one to size and attach a small weight at the end of it (a nut should work) then position it in the middle of the cup. Wrap the other end of the wick around a sosatie stick and place it across the rim of the cup to secure it in place. Then pour the hot wax into the cup and let it cool. Snip the wick off once the candle has set.
4 Baked blooms
Love hydrangeas? And cake? Simply mix three shades of the same colour buttercream icing and place in your piping bag. Use a relatively large open star-tip nozzle to pipe little flowers onto the cake to create this stunning effect. Cakes by Tessa’s Bakery
5 Pretty as a picture!
These biscuits are almost too beautiful to eat! But don’t be intimidated – you can have fun making your own artworks no matter how proficient you are with a paintbrush. Simply cover plain biscuits in Royal icing (a mixture of whisked egg whites and icing sugar), wait for it to harden then replicate a pattern of your choice on the icing using a lead-free pencil. Use food colouring and a small artist’s paintbrush to colour in your drawing; dip the brush in clear alcohol from time to time. Clear alcohol allows for less bleeding of the ink but you could also use water. Biscuits by The Red Kitchen CONTACTS Abode 072 261 3540, abode.co.za Builders 0860 284 533, builders.co.za Check my China 083 270 6006 Floral Design by Jomeri Mouton facebook.com/jmflorals Tessa’s Bakery 021 551 6107, tessasbakery.co.za The Red Kitchen 082 293 3092, facebook.com/intheredkitchen Tihmily Cakes 076 509 8523, tihmilycakes.co.za