Whenever I'm hosting a party, I'm always looking for ways to decorate the table with the items needed. Case in point, what to do with utensils and napkins for a buffet style event? For some reason, I just don't like putting the utensils on the table. Although, arranged nicely, that simple display can work well without creating a headache for yourself.
Plain Glass Florist Vase
I prefer finding a container of some sort to house it all. For a gathering of 12 guests a few weeks back, I needed something small to hold cocktail napkins and appetizer forks. The goals:
it needed to contain the items, obviously
it needed to be simple
not take up too much room on the table
not call too much attention but be a good team player
Searching around my home, I found one of those plain, nondescript florist vases. How many of us have several of these glass vases stashed away in our homes waiting to be used? Let's face it, they are just plain. From my POV, I have vases much prettier for flower display than these, hence I rarely use them for flowers. So, they sit in the back of the cabinet waiting for... waiting for who knows why I keep them! But much like my maternal grandmother and mother, I do KEEP things for potential future uses. (Oh, how this bugs my hubby.)
But lo and behold, the wait is over. I saw the potential for this plain jane vase and grabbed a simple brown cotton napkin to help enhance its usefulness, which also kept with my theme of a neutral table setting. I stuffed a couple of other napkins at the bottom so the utensils didn't fall too deeply into the vase.
Starting to lay out the table scape using fabric pieces from a garage sale
The final appetizer buffet with the Useful Utensil Holder making its debut at the corner of the table.
Now, that plain jane florist vase turned itself into a Useful Utensil Holder that keeps everything contained, and fits in with the table's theme.
Look around your home and see what items can serve up another purpose, maybe even one more functional than its original use. Don't forget to share some of your ideas. It's always great to be inspired by other's creative spirit.