Archive Love, Week 2: Making a Comeback: Cloth Napkins

Growing up, cloth napkins were always reserved for special occasions in my home. However, today, as more consumers are making an effort to reduce their daily waste, cloth napkins are making a pretty noticeable comeback. When shopping for décor for your next event, opt out of paper napkins and instead look for cloth napkins, tablecloths and table runners that are made from organic cotton and eco-friendly, low-impact dyes.

Photos: Plover Organics & Bambeco & Etsy

Archive Love, Week 2: Last Minute DIY Centerpieces: Branches

If you find yourself with some last minute company in the coming weeks, embrace the tail end of winter by collecting fallen branches. Simply cut the branches into equal lengths and tie a bundle of them together at the base to create a sense of uniformity before placing each bundle into a transparent vase.

Photo: Rachel Ray

Archive Love, Week 2: Seasonal Inspiration

Lately, I’ve been finding constant inspiration just about everywhere and in everything. So today, instead of focusing on just one fun new find, I thought I’d put together a small collection of ideas, inspired by the changing seasons, which have been keeping my creative juices in full turn recently.
The first is this playful, DIY apple swag. I can already imagine these brightly colored swags draped on the backside of chairs at an autumn potluck or a small barn wedding.
Photo: Side-by-Side Blog

The next two ideas carry me right back to the winters of my childhood. During late autumn and early fall, I always enjoyed collecting stray pinecones in the woods adjacent to my house. Often, the pinecones would end up adorned with glue drops, glitter and a collection of plastic jewels. I like to think of the following ideas as a more “grown-up” version of my childhood DIY projects.

Photo: Side-By-Side Blog

It’s pretty well known by those in my intimate circle that, on nearly any warm spring day, you can find me clipping fresh flowers in my backyard. Spring blooms come in such beautiful colors and shapes that they very rarely need anything else to dress them up. When loosely placed in reused mason jars, such as in the photos below, fresh spring clippings are the perfect centerpieces for any table, no matter the affair.

Photo: Elizabeth Anne Designs

For me, summer brings to mind two words: outdoors and casual. Each idea below embraces simple summer elegance without the need to sacrifice individual style.

Photo: Elizabeth Anne Designs

Over the past two weeks, I’ve come across typewriters in three entirely separate circumstances (which, you have to admit, is a little strange nowadays). The first time was while skimming the pages of Etsy, when I found an amazing aqua typewriter that I had to talk myself out of purchasing. The second time was last weekend while I was browsing through a consignment shop and found a (cracked) green typewriter that I considered picking up and placing on a shelf somewhere in my office. The third time was while I walked past a designer home furnishings store and noticed a brand new typewriter (fashioned to look significantly older than it actually was) staring me in the face. Of course, all of this got me thinking…

Photo: Great Wedding Finds

In lieu of a traditional guestbook, give new life to a vintage typewriter (which, as you can see from my experiences, apparently isn’t so hard to find), and allow your guests to type notes to you and your partner on your wedding day. Not only will this provide your guests with a seriously fun and unexpected icebreaker, but it will provide you with unique, vintage-inspired messages that can later be framed and hung around your home to be enjoyed for years to come. 

Cork Candles

Look for small ways to slip some eco design into your wedding or party with unexpected green touches, such as these cork candleholders. Cork, which is a 100% renewable resource, will add a bit of texture to nearly any table setting and, because of its neutral color, will blend with nearly any color palette.

Photo: Snippet and Ink

Unique Table Runners

I get very excited when I find chic examples of people reusing reclaimed materials in fresh ways. Here, vintage player piano reels are given a second life as adorable table runners. The interesting designs on the reels are certain to spark excellent conversation among guests!
Photo: 100 Layer Cake

Food for Thought

With a father who is a florist and a fiance who is a chef, it seems only natural that I am attracted to the idea of using food as a centerpiece. The next time you have guests arriving on short notice, don’t sacrifice a beautiful tabletop simply because of time. Instead, mindfully arrange food items you already plan on serving down the center of your table in lieu of a more “traditional” (and potentially wasteful) centerpiece. For an impromptu summer lunch or brunch, consider arranging small baskets or bowls across your table that are filled with fresh, brightly colored fruits and vegetables (purchased from a local farmers' market) that guests will pick on while enjoying easy conversation. Organizing an evening get-together? Keep things simple yet stylish at your next dinner party by embracing the casual feel of Tuscany. Forgo a formal antipasto plate and instead scatter drinking glasses filled with breadsticks as well as small baskets and plates of fresh, organic olives, tomatoes, Italian meats, etc. to substitute a more structured centerpiece.

Photo: Martha Stewart

Tea Tin Centerpieces

A chronic tea drinker, I’ve been collecting tea tins for years. The bright colors on the tins as well as the often-ornate designs completely inspire me. And because many such tea tins are also decorated with foreign lettering (such as those that I occasionally pick up at my local Asian market), they suddenly make me feel as though I’ve embarked on some exotic adventure. Once I’ve finished the actual tea, I usually find small uses for the tins around my house (I especially love displaying them on my white desk as storage for loose pens and pencils). However, used tea tins also double as beautiful vases. Simply wash each tin with warm, soapy water. Then, make a quick liner for each tin by snipping up an old plastic grocery bag. Don’t be too fussy when choosing your flowers. Stick with one type of flower for each bin and embrace the intentional color contrast for a stylish, eclectic feel. 

Photo: Martha Stewart

Our Favorite Posts

Although it is hard to believe, in just a few weeks, Something Green will celebrate its 1^st birthday! What a whirlwind year! In order to celebrate this milestone, over the next few weeks, we will be skimming through our archives to bring back some of our favorite/some of our most popular posts from the past year! We hope you will enjoy some of our favorite green décor ideas! Cheers!

Coffee Filter Paper Flowers

We love the paper flower craze that has been blooming these past few months for so many reasons. In addition to being adorable, paper flowers can be reused again and again, thus helping hostesses to reduce their party impact in style. If you’re in the market for paper flowers be sure to browse Aunt Peaches’ paper flowers. These lovely ornate flowers are crafted from coffee filters, providing them with an interesting texture as well as an extra dose of eco-chic flair.

Photos: Design*Sponge & Aunt Peaches