thanksgiving tablescape Archives | Create With Cynthia

Nutcracker Christmas Table Decor!

Cynthia Nessel — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Today, it’s all about the Christmas Tablescape, Sweet Friends! December is here and I can hardly believe it. I have been anxiously awaiting this month, as it is the time of the year, when I go all out on decorating. I spent Thanksgiving weekend decorating the house for Christmas. On Tuesday, I showed off my front door, Front Door Holiday Decor and 5 Things Needed to Decorate the Front Door!, and now it’s time to decorate the table.

Christmas Tablescape!

I was so fortunate to meet Chloe, from Celebrate and Decorate, at the Inspire Workshop in October. I was thrilled when she invited me to join her Tablescape Blog Hop.

I’m joining a handful of blogger friends where we get to show off our tables. Nutcracker Christmas Table Decor and a little history on Nutcracker’s is on the agenda today! If you’re stopping by from Zucchini Sisters, welcome.

Did you know, according to German folklore, Nutcrackers bring good luck to your family and protect your home. A Nutcracker is said to represent power and strength, serving somewhat like a watchdog guarding your family against danger. A Nutcracker bares its teeth to evil spirits and serves as a messenger of good luck and goodwill.

When I was a little girl, my Mom would hand us a bowl of walnuts and a nut cracker and sit us down in front of the TV. Each year Mom would go to the local farm and get a huge box of walnuts and bring them home. Sitting in frnt of the TV, my sister, Michelle and I were tasked at the job of nutcracking. We’d sit and crack nuts as Mom would spend her time in the kitchen baking. Mom’s all time favorite was Banana Bread with Walnuts.

I was inspired to create a Nutcracker Christmas Tablescape because I know how much my Mom loves nutcrackers. I did not think my Nutcracker Table Decor would be complete with out walnuts and a nut cracker.

My Mom loved collecting Nutcracker Dolls. In her home, she has shelves of dolls out on display. I wish I had photos to show off today, but I don’t. Stay tuned for those photos in another post.

5 Things a Nutcracker Christmas Table Needs!

There are 5 Things a Nutcracker Christmas Table cannot be with out and I’ve included them on my table. Here is a list of the 5 things. Did I miss anything?

Nuts
Nut Cracker
Nutcracker Doll
Music Sheets
Musical Instruments

On my table I also added a White Table Cloth and a Faux Table Runner, Cream colored Napkins, Gold Chargers, White Dishes, Nutcracker Salad Plates, Gold Silverware, Gilded Wine Glasses, and Vintage Drinking Glasses.

My centerpiece is a Nutcracker surrounded by White Houses, White Christmas Trees and Re New All Candles from A Maker’s Studio. I also included music sheets and musical instruments in this Nutcracker centerpiece. I corralled my centerpiece on a galvanized tray so I could easily remove it from the table when it was time to eat.

Although I don’t have alot of Nutcracker dolls, I thought the Nutcracker plates added a beautiful touch to my table. I also included walnuts and walnut crackers, and some greenery made into stars to adorn my chairs. Stay tuned for a DIY on the Greenery Stars.

Nutcracker Facts!

While researching the history and facts of Nutcrackers, I came across “NM The History of Nutcrackers” In Leavenworth, Washington there is a Nutcracker Museum, which opened in 1995.

The Nutcracker dates back to the 1800’s in Germany. They dolls originate from ancestral dining customs where unusual, novelty nutcrackers were part of dining entertainment during the dessert course. It would generate fun conversation whilst tucking into their final course.

Nuts have been a long standing source of nutrition in our lives. Standing wooden nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings were shown in the Sonneberg and Erzgebirge regions of Germany by 1800 and in 1830.

A nutcracker, as NM The History of Nutcrackers states, “A Nutcracker, it was defined as often in the form of a misshaped little man, in whose mouth the nut, by means of a leaver or screw, is cracked open. In 1872 Wilhelm Fuchtner, known as the father of the nutcracker, made the first commercial production of nutcrackers using the lathe to create many of the same design.”

When I hear the word Nutcracker, I think of nuts and I think of the musical ballet. The Nutcracker Ballet was debuted in 1892 in St. Petersburg and is an ever popular festive treat for young and old worldwide due to its Christmassy theme.

The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A Hoffman fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.

Have you been to the Nutcracker Ballet? It’s on my “bucket list of things to do!” It won’t happen this year, but maybe next.

The Blog Hop runs Monday, December 2, 2019 to Friday, December 6, 2019. I’d like to invite you to visit all the bloggers listed below, who are sharing their Christmas table inspiration on the respective days noted. The links will be updated so you may find them here, all in one convenient location.

Once again, a special thanks goes to Chloe Crabtree of the blog, Celebrate and Decorate, for organizing this group. It’s a pleasure to be among them.

Disclaimer: This blog post includes affiliate links which means that if you click on one of the product links I may or may not earn a commission. Please keep in mind the price is the same for you either way. Thank you for your support.

Here’s what you need to create a similar look:

Nutcracker Dishes here or here or here.
Nutcracker Doll here or here or here.
Nutcracker Snow Globe here.
Nutcracker Candle Holder here.
Gold Wine Glasses here.
Gold Chargers here or here or here.
White Dishes here.
Gold Silverware here or here.
Drinking Glasses here or here.
Table Linens here or here or here.

Don’t forget to head over to Our Crafty Mom and check out her tablescape next.

Thank you for visiting today. I appreciate each and every reader and comment. I’d love to know you stopped by so we might have the chance to get better acquainted.

Don’t forget to go out there and create some thing beautiful.

Cynthia

You can check out my Pinterest Board on Christmas Tablescape Ideas here.

The post Nutcracker Christmas Table Decor! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas!

Cynthia Nessel — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 13:07:36 +0000

Thanksgiving reminds me of Turkeys, Sweet Friends! Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas is on the agenda today!

Today, I am showing off My Thanksgiving Tablescape and giving you some ideas on how you can create a “One of a Kind” Thanksgiving Tablescape. I’m excited to be joining the Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop hosted by Chloe Crabtree of Celebrate and Decorate! I am one of several stylists bringing you a week full of inspiration for your holiday table gatherings. A complete list of those participating is near the end of this post, and I will update the list daily for your convenience.

How to set a table for Thanksgiving!

I was so fortunate to meet Chloe, from Celebrate and Decorate, at the Inspire Workshop last month. I was thrilled when she invited me to join her Tablescape Blog Hop. You can read about the Inspire Workshop and “My Favorite Shops in Waco, Texas!” here.

Most of you know, that I got divorced a few years back and since then I haven’t done much with Tablescape’s. Last year I did manage to set the table for Christmas and you can see it on my “Dollar Store Charger Transformation” post here.

Last week, working on “My Thanksgiving Tablescape!” brought back memories from years past. I remember I would spend hours on creating the perfect table for all of my guests to enjoy. I have so many table linens, silverware sets, chargers, plates and glasses, place card holders, etc. etc., but most have been in storage and I really did not have time to pull it all out to decorate this years table. Instead, I went shopping!

I’ve included links to the products that I purchased and similar links where I purchased the product long ago.

Tablescape Ideas!

When creating a Tablescape, there are 3 things to keep in mind. Use these ideas to inspire you to create a beautiful one of a kind table setting:

Theme
Color
Style

For My Thanksgiving Tablescape, my theme was Turkeys, the color of light neutrals (White, Cream, Beige) and a style of Rustic Vintage. When creating a tablescape, remember your theme, color and style and then layer items onto the table.

Although shopping for this tablescape was fun, some of the items I already had on hand. I chose table linens in cream and yellow-gold to keep things neutral. Notice how the greenery pops against the neutral colors?

Start with the tablecloth, and then add the greenery, candles and your theme items. Complete the look by adding the place settings. Use items to assist you in varying heights which add a bit of depth and dimension to the table. I used some Planter Boxes by ArtMinds painted to match the turkeys and a glass pedestal. I had the pedestal from years past, but I still remember purchasing it here.

I chose to use greenery and leaves with wood trees. The greenery are Locust Stem from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia. The leaves are from my yard and the wood trees I found here at Michael’s Arts and Crafts.

I chose a handful of turkeys, placed on the table. I painted the turkeys with a layered chalk paint technique as they came in a white ceramic and needed paint. I found the turkey’s at Michael’s Arts and Crafts. You can purchase the turkeys here. I also included turkey salt and pepper shakers which I purchased here.

A Maker’s Studio Collection Re-New-All Candles where the perfect glimmer needed for this table during the evening hours. You can purchase the candles here. Don’t you just love the glow of the candles on the table in the evening.

For my place settings I chose the following:

Planked Wood Grain Chargers by Ashland from Michael’s Arts and Craft’s.
Fiesta White 3 Piece Classic Set Dishes from Macy’s.
Modern Vintage Goblets from Macy’s.
Amber Drinking Glasses I picked up at an Antique Mall last year.
The Flatware I used was a present to me years and years ago. I love how the gold and silver tie everything together. Here is something similar.

I love my table and chairs, as it was passed down to me from my grandmother. I wanted to show off the dark wood and so I folded under the table cloth along each side so the edges and legs would show.

Do you remember when I did the chair makeovers, “Chair Makeover and Wood Signs When Color Mixing With DIY Paint!” You can read about that here. I adorned the chairs with some raffia ribbon and leaves from my yard. I think it adds a beautiful touch and really completes the look. I made place card holders using craft paper, because I liked the term, “Be Our Guest.”

Since I’m spending Thanksgiving at a girlfriend’s this year, and don’t plan to sit at my table, my sons and I will be enjoying it throughout November.

The Blog Hop runs Monday, November 4, 2019 to Friday, November 8, 2019. Please check out the ladies who are kicking off this annual event.

Monday

Red Cottage Chronicles | Panoply | My Thrift Store Addiction | The Little Yellow Corner Store |A casa di Bianca

Tuesday

Life and Linda | Home is Where the Boat Is | Corner of Plaid and Paisley | Everyday Living |Calypso in the Country

Wednesday

Katherine’s Corner | The Painted Apron | Intelligent Domestications | Celebrate and Decorate |Bluesky at Home

Thursday

White Arrows Home | Create With Cynthia | Gwen Moss Blog

Friday

Don’t forget to go out there and create some thing beautiful.

Cynthia

You can check out my Pinterest inspiration board, Thanksgiving Tablescape ideas here.

The post Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.