Dinner Place Settings: tutorial

This was one of those tutorials that I really wanted to post during the Sweet November week, but I ran out of time and so here it is- a week later. I think I have narrowed down the menu for Thanksgiving and with the place settings and centerpiece figured out, I have a feel days to relax and get other stuff done... like cleaning the house from top to bottom. :) 

Jessica and I talked all week about the different ways we could use an old book and various other things around the house to make our place settings. I like the idea of using whatever I have on hand, 1. it's good to reuse and recycle and 2. with the price of gas, I don't want to be driving all over town if I don't have it! Here's a quick idea for using book pages 3 different ways when it comes to your dinner place settings!

Ruffled Napkin Rings

materials:

paper towel roll

glue

scissors

book pages

sewing machine

paper trimmer

ribbon & leaf (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the paper towel roll into 1 1/2 inch sections 

2. take the book pages and cut into strips about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch wider than your paper towel roll. We'll have them overlap the paper roll so that it's completely covered!

3. Sew the strips of paper by gently folding the paper and sewing over the top very slowly so that the paper doesn't.

4. To make each napkin ring, you'll use 2 strips of paper. Once you sewn the first strip of paper and reached the end, fold another strip of paper under and sew onto the first strip. Keep folding and sewing slowly! Once you have 2 strips of paper ruffled and sewn, back stitch a few stitches and then cut the sewing thread.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have enough ruffled paper to make the desired amount of napkin rings.

6. Take one strip of ruffled paper and add a bit of glue to the napkin ring. Wrap the paper around the ring and when you've reached the end of the paper, you should have enough paper trim to overlap. Add another bit of glue and glue the end of the paper in place. Hold for a few seconds to allow the glue to hold. 

 7. Use a another strip of paper, and coil into a round tube, slip inside the napkin ring and let the paper uncoil so that it fits perfectly inside and glue into place. (Now no one will know you've used a paper toll roll to make your napkin rings!) 

8. To finish, we're just embellishing the napkin rings. You could leave them as is, but I chose to use a shimmery orange leaf and some vintage seam binding to tie around each napkin ring!

I think these ruffled napkin rings look great with crisp white cloth napkins! 

From the same paper used to make the napkin rings, I took a sheet, trimmed it in half and wrapped it around a large jar filled with greens instead of flowers. (I actually love the way green leaves and branches look on a table, so clean and fresh!) Use a little seam binding, lace or ribbon to hold the book page onto the jar. Set the jar on top of a few vintage books, add a couple of tall candle sticks, scatter some leaves (die-cuts using the same book pages) and it's super quick and simple way to create a centerpiece for your table this Fall! 

I've also typed out some little cards to put at each setting. I have an idea for making a very little mini book full of these cards! 

Since Thanksgiving is getting ever so close, have you been playing with dishes and place settings yet? I'm thinking of going with these burnt pumpkin floral and grey dishes. - I've kind of fallen in love with that color combination this season! 

Have a wonder start to the weekend! ~ T